The Player Within

Keren Levi-Faran
Sep 26, 2024
2 min read

Not every player knows they’re in a game. But every move shapes the story.

Every Room Is a Gameboard

Some people walk into a room and look for who’s in charge.

Others fix something.

Some connect instantly.

Some stay quiet and observe.

We don’t always notice it, but most of us are playing something.

Not as a strategy.

As a reflex.

And what if the way you play is shaping the way you live?

Character Class: Real Life Edition

In gaming psychology, Richard Bartle identified four core player types:

Achievers- goal-driven, focused on results

Explorers- motivated by curiosity and depth

Socializers- drawn to connection and shared experience

Killers- thrive on control, competition, power

Initially built for online game design, but let’s be honest: most of us play these roles far beyond the screen.

The question isn’t: Which one are you?

It’s: Which one is running the show and why?

Game Mechanics of the Self

Your inner player affects more than how you act.

It defines what you call success.

How you handle conflict.

How do you navigate love?

How do you chase or avoid meaning?

Are you climbing goals to grow or to avoid stillness?

Do you connect to feel seen or to avoid being alone?

Do you explore deepening or delaying commitment?

You’re not wrong.

But you might be playing on someone else’s ruleset.

Rewriting the Rules

What kind of game do I find myself playing without realizing it?

Who taught me what “winning” looks like?

If I stopped defaulting, what kind of player would I be?

“A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.”

James Carse

Exit the Tutorial

You are still in the game.

You always have been.

But maybe now is the time to notice the rules you’ve followed without remembering why.

Some games ask for winners.

Others ask you to stay in the play

long enough to become yourself again.

You don’t need to start over.

Just shift the way you move.

You’re invited to pause and reflect.

Download the Press Pause, Look Inward, practice, and meet the player you’re becoming.

Play isn’t just for games. It’s for becoming.