A Comprehensive Classification of the Elements in Video Games - Explorative, Ludic, Narrative, Sociable

Video games are complex and interdisciplinary objects. For a comprehensive analysis it is essential to have a classification that describes and includes all the game aspects and their interactions with the player. This paper provides a holistic approach with focus on general functional entities, the elements of video games and their relations and associations. The basic idea is a subdivision of video games into meaningful individual game aspects, into elements which belong to one or more classes on the basis of terms and definitions. Based on these element associations, the game itself can be classified as a whole, analyzed and compared on an abstract level.