Neither playing nor gaming: pottering in games

Abstract

Games can support many types of activities. This paper explores one of these, pottering, the placid but yet focused activity of arranging and rearranging things, taking care of them, "sorting them out". Five games which support pottering are analyzed using gameplay design patterns to show how game mechanics can give rise to the activity. As a result, six patterns especially linked to pottering are presented in greater detail. Moreover, the idea of viewing games as artifacts that can support several, sometimes overlapping, activities, is being explored and discussed.