Discover the Intriguing Link Between Games and Personality

Fallout 3: The Skill Point Allocation Quandary

In Fallout 3, that initial quiz that allocated skill points sparked a thought. It made us consider how such a test could actually predict our personality. It's a creative way to pick an RPG build and reminds us of similar hidden mechanisms in other games. For instance, in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, multiple-choice questions decide which type of Jedi you are. But these in-game tests aren't destiny; you can still rearrange skill points and choose a lightsaber color that suits your gameplay preferences. They're more about immersion than anything else.

Even the karma system in Fallout 3, which assigns labels based on game parameters, only gives quirky titles. Actions like nuking a city or donating to a church don't necessarily define your real-life goodness. These are just numbers games, and maybe the social makeup and moral character of each person can't be quantified.

Fallout 4: The Post-Apocalyptic Freedom of Choice

In the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 4, with its splintered government and Wild West-like laws, there's ultimate freedom. Games like this allow players to make consequence-free decisions in a sandbox. If you make a wrong decision, you can always roll back your save file. It's a unique experience where you can break and make as many castles as you want.

But the question remains: if in-game actions don't reflect real dispositions, can a game truly test your personality? Research shows that it might be possible. A small game was designed where each action is associated with The Big Five Personality Test. Refind Self by Lizardry takes this concept further, turning the entire game map into a quiz answered through actions. It compiles these actions into quantifiable data and assigns labels like Researcher or Sage. While not a comprehensive measure of personality, it's an interesting endeavor.

Telltale's Trolley Problems and Decision-Making

Playing Telltale games creates tension from making hard choices. Not from restarting levels but from the impact on non-playable characters. The game tries to make choices appear consequential, leading to a sense of ownership and accountability. Gamified trolley problems make the statistics at the end fun, and different choices can lead to serious reflection on real-life situations.

Compared to Fallout, Telltale allocates its budget to branching paths and character relationships. Its gameplay relies on choices rather than shooting, encouraging players to make the right decisions according to their character. This may capture more of your personality than previous games, but with limited choices, the endings can feel impersonal.

Disco Elysium: Exploring Ideologies and Personality

In Disco Elysium, the narrator gets close, and the game takes personality concepts further. With political alignments like communist, fascist, centrist, or capitalist, each commitment gives gameplay benefits. But picking an alignment doesn't mean internalizing it in real life. It gives players a chance to explore and understand themselves and leads to research about real-life equivalents.

People aren't binary, and labels in games are just neural shortcuts. Personality tests and political alignments help us connect with strangers and understand ourselves better. But do they define our personality? Video games allow us to experiment and test our boundaries, revealing who we want to be.

Personal Opinions on Personality and Games

Replaying a Telltale game after years and getting the same choices shows a consistent sense of self. But it doesn't mean we haven't changed. How we feel when getting test results or playing games matters more than the results themselves. Our personality depends on context, whether in real life or games.

For example, in a walkable city, you may be more social, while in a pandemic, you might be more introverted. Call of Duty's systems stir up competition and negative emotions, making people more neurotic. Maybe personalities are more about moments and places than immutable constants.