Challenge Design and Categorization in Video Game Design

In this paper, we examine how challenge is designed in games. Building on the paralitic system proposed by Stenros, we approach challenge design in two ways; first we look at how challenge is designed by the game creators, and then we look at how players approach games with challenges of their own as well as how often they participate in this kind of behavior. Since challenge is an important component to the majority of games, we argue that understanding how challenge is designed is important for further research into challenge in games.