What Kind of Gamer Are You?

What is an Angela?

According to the Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology, I am an ESAK. For those of you floating in a placid pool of ignorance that I haven’t splashed in since yesterday, that stands for Explorer Socializer Achiever Killer. Unlike the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which measures where your personality falls on four different binary spectrums, the Bartle Quotient lists your gaming character traits in order of highest percentage scored—my results were 80%, 73%, 27%, and 20% respectively—and indicates whether you prefer to act on or interact with other players and the world of the game. Like the MBTI, the Bartle Test has serious limitations, but it gives you something to think about, and I’ve always been a fan of introspection.

What would an ESAK look like?

If we encountered each other in an MMORPG, I’d be the one wandering off in the middle of a quest to explore the map and returning to town often to trade items in the square and secrets at the tavern. I’d likely have few in-game achievements, but my knowledge of the game would make me an asset to my guild. I might sound non-threatening, but if you ever tried to kill me, I’d call upon all my buds to quickly execute revenge because, hey, I was just out looking for super-mega-ultra-rare items, dude!

Why are you telling me all of this?

You mean besides that I’m an intensely interesting person? I guess it’s because I’m an Explorer—someone who takes pleasure in pursuing knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others. IRL, as in gaming, I enjoy literally exploring my physical surroundings but also figuring out the mechanics, discovering hacks and workarounds, and learning simply for the sake of knowing. Now, you’ll have to excuse me; I’m off to mind map all of the Wikipedia pages relating to mindfulness and detachment. AFK.
-Angela

Take the Bartle Test yourself and find out what kind of gamer you are.