Personality and Video Games: Why You're Drawn to the Genres You Play

Video game researchers have spent years studying why players gravitate toward specific genres, and the pattern connects cleanly to personality — the same traits that shape your offline choices shape which virtual worlds appeal to you too.

Openness: strategy, simulation, and open worlds

High Openness predicts a strong pull toward strategy games, simulations, and open-world exploration titles — genres that reward creative problem-solving and reward curiosity about a system's underlying rules. Lower Openness tends toward more straightforward, familiar genres with clear objectives and less ambiguity.

Extraversion: competitive multiplayer and social play

Extraverted players are drawn to competitive multiplayer genres and social or party games, where the interaction with other players is as much the appeal as the game itself. Introverted players more often prefer single-player experiences or cooperative play in small, familiar groups rather than open competitive lobbies.

Conscientiousness: completionism and mastery

High Conscientiousness shows up as completionist tendencies — finishing every side quest, optimizing builds, working methodically toward 100% completion — and a preference for games with clear skill progression. Lower Conscientiousness tends toward more casual, drop-in-and-out play without much concern for finishing everything.

Agreeableness: cooperative vs. competitive framing

Higher Agreeableness predicts a preference for cooperative genres over head-to-head competitive ones, and more discomfort with trash talk or aggressive competitive cultures. Lower Agreeableness tends to enjoy direct competition and rivalry as part of the fun rather than something to avoid.

Neuroticism: games as regulated stress or escape

Higher Neuroticism shows a genuine split: some use fast, high-stakes competitive games as a controlled outlet for tension, while others specifically seek out low-stakes, relaxing genres — cozy games, farming sims — as a deliberate break from an already-activated nervous system.

Play is data too

None of this is a judgment about "better" or "worse" genres — it's one more area where the same underlying traits quietly shape preference. See Personality and Creativity for more on how Openness shapes what kinds of experiences feel engaging.

Take the free Big Five test to see your own trait profile.