Casual Competition by Design
Research Poster Social & Behavioral Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Zina Zhang
Exhibition Number 106
Abstract
Competitive gaming is a strategic activity where players compete to achieve specific goals. In team-based competitive games, scholars have criticized the overemphasis on competition and achievement, often at the expense of collaboration, leading to issues such as player anxiety and toxicity. To address these unintended consequences, game designers have explored alternative design approaches. One such example is the All Random All Mid (ARAM) mode in League of Legends (LoL), which introduces casual elements into competitive play. To examine how players experience the seemingly contradictory notions of casualness and competitiveness, we conducted an interview study with ARAM players and did a reflexive thematic analysis based on the interview data. Our study shows that casual competitive gaming in ARAM is enacted through both conscious design consideration and player agency in three primary ways: First, classic competitive gaming elements like achievements are still present but decentered from PX, overshadowed by other sources of gratifications such as randomness and game process. Second, players’ interpersonal dynamics with both teammates and opponents are diversified in various playful ways. Third, players actively arrange their ARAM play to fill gaps between their needs for casual gaming and competitive gaming in their everyday gaming practices. These findings enable us to discuss the nature and characteristics of casual competitive gaming as an intermediate form between casual gaming and competitive gaming, reflect on key aspects of competitive gaming design such as diversity and fairness, and provide implications for competitive gaming design, which may help combat toxicity.
Importance
While competition is central to competitive games, its intensity can exacerbate harmful behaviors such as toxicity. Toxicity in competitive gaming can undermine player well-being and inclusivity, fostering anxiety, exclusion, and negative social dynamics. Our research highlights All Random All Mid (ARAM) as a design intervention that balances competition with casual play, offering a model for reducing toxicity. By decentering competition and fostering diverse player interactions, ARAM demonstrates how game design can mitigate stress and promote positive experiences. This study contributes to the broader discourse on designing healthier gaming environments by showcasing how "casual competition" can enhance fairness, diversity, and player agency. Our findings inform future competitive game design, helping developers create more engaging and less toxic gaming experiences.