What kind of character your audience is?
- Game
- 6 March 2025
We don’t all get into the game for the same reason. Some seek progress – measurable, tangible. Others are drawn to the unknown, curious to see what lies off the beaten track. Some thrive on connection, building bonds, and sharing moments. And then some move forward by pushing others back, testing boundaries, claiming space. These differences aren’t accidental; they reflect a deeper way of engaging with the world. In the early 2000s, Richard Bartle gave these instincts names: Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, Killers. Originally intended for virtual worlds, these four profiles resonate far beyond games. They speak to the way we think, choose, relate and act – in play and life. Not fixed categories, but shifting tendencies. Sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious. And in the space where choice is offered – on a map, in a conversation, in a booking – they emerge. Not as rules. As reflections.
League of legends kind of players
The achiever Orianna
In the League of Legends universe, some champions attract players who seek raw power or creative chaos. Others, like Orianna, appeal to the methodical mind. Achievers seek precision, progression, and total control over their tools. For them, Orianna is a logical choice. Every action is based on a mastery of positioning and timing, and a detailed knowledge of mechanics. Her power lies not in instinct, but in strategic optimisation. Players don’t react, they anticipate. They think about their moves like a chess player, always one move ahead. This technical requirement feeds their deep motivation: to improve, to understand, to excel. Orianna is not a champion to shine at random, but to demonstrate an elegant form of discipline in every game. For the Achiever, victory is less a feat than a demonstration of controlled rigour.
The explorer Bard
Some players seek a straight line to victory. And then there are the explorers, for whom the journey is more important than the destination. For them, Bard is much more than a medium: it’s a playground in perpetual motion. He roams the map, collecting Meeps, placing portals through walls, and creating opportunities where none are expected. Its strength lies in the unexpected, in experimentation and informed improvisation. The player who chooses him is not looking for absolute control but for the wonder of a plan in motion. Each game becomes a new exploration, an opportunity to test, distract, and invent. Bard attracts those who want to play differently by opening up unexpected paths. For the explorer, it’s not so much about winning as it is about the freedom to experiment – in your way.
The socializer Yuumi and the killer Darius
In League of Legends, some advance with others, and those who advance against all. Socializers thrive on cooperation, human connection, and teamwork. For them, Yuumi is an obvious choice: always linked to an ally, she heals, protects, and accompanies. The player is never alone, creating connections and support, seeking harmony in chaos. The Killers, on the other hand, are the embodiment of raw dominance. Their goal is clear: to gain the upper hand over their opponents, to crush them, to impose their presence. Darius is the perfect example. Every move is a threat, every entrance a statement. He controls his lane, forces duels, and executes without mercy. Where Yuumi strengthens bonds, Darius breaks them. Two visions of the game, two radically different styles, but the same intensity: that of a dedicated player, whether he’s trying to create or conquer.
Society types of people
Are you an achiever?
Some advance at the whim of opportunity, and those who plan their course methodically. In both real life and gaming, achievers are driven by a powerful force: the desire to surpass themselves. They set goals – sometimes ambitious, often very specific – and do everything in their power to achieve them. They are not driven by external recognition but by the satisfaction of progress, learning, and achievement. Likewise, they measure, compare, and improve. They run a marathon, learn a rare language, break a personal record… not to impress, but to tick an inner box. Their journey is marked by challenges, milestones, and successes. And behind this rigour lies a sincere quest: to get better, at their own pace, according to their own rules. For them, every victory is proof. Not to others but to themselves.
Arty
Are you an explorer?
Not everyone wants to climb a mountain and reach the top. Some prefer to walk around it, to observe forgotten paths, to stop and listen to the wind. In real life, explorers are driven by curiosity, not a need to achieve. They are driven by experience, novelty, and by understanding the world in all its facets. They like to change their perspective, to test, to observe, to learn without necessarily wanting to master. We find them on solitary expeditions, journeys without an itinerary, and atypical life projects. Some are exploring nature, others are exploring thought, and others are exploring their way of life. Minimalism, nomadism, meditation, alternative science: everything becomes a pretext for questioning, experimenting, and discovering. Their wealth lies not in accumulation but in openness. For them, living fully means never stopping to explore.
Or are you a killer or a socialiser?
Some go it alone, others go it with – or against – those around them. Socialisers and killers have one thing in common: their relationship with others is central. Socialisers seek to make connections, bring people together, and create shared spaces. They organise, lead, and listen. They can be found in social circles, community projects, or collective causes. Conversely, Killers seek impact and assertiveness through confrontation or influence. They don’t shy away from tension, sometimes provoking it to assert an idea, a vision, a presence. Whether they bring people together or dominate, both leave their mark on their environment. Their motivation is not personal advancement or inner discovery, but the effect they have on others. Through connection or power, they seek to exist – and to make what they carry exist. Often, their presence leaves a mark far beyond the moment.
Airbnb and the clients and hosts types
Headspace
The plannificator (achievers)
For some travellers, booking accommodation is not something you do lightly. Every choice is considered, compared and adjusted. These Airbnb users, who might be likened to Achievers, approach their stay as a project to be optimised. They read reviews, compare prices, analyse facilities, assess the distance to points of interest… not out of obsession, but out of a desire to do things right. The pleasure starts with the search: for the best value for money, for ideally located accommodation, for a reliable and responsive super host. Nothing is left to chance. Their motivation is not to travel as quickly as possible, but to have a controlled experience with no nasty surprises. For them, every detail counts. Finding the rare pearl is already a form of success. Their satisfaction comes from this sense of control, of well-thought-out preparation – and from the feeling that the journey begins with the right choice.
The adventure searcher (explorers)
For some Airbnb users, accommodation is more than just a place to stay – it’s the heart of the trip. These travellers, who fit the explorer profile, are looking for something unique. A cabin in the middle of the forest, a yurt in the mountains, an old lighthouse battered by the wind… It’s these unusual places that attract them. Their search is not based on the classic criteria of comfort or proximity but on the desire to discover something different. They use filters to find the unexpected, to get off the beaten track. It’s not efficiency that counts, but originality, the memory left by the experience. For them, sleeping becomes an adventure, a moment in time. Airbnb then becomes a tool for exploration, a springboard for stories to be told. It’s not the bill that’s important, it’s the emotion that the place evokes.
The socialisers clients and the killers hosts
Airbnb attracts very different profiles, sometimes opposites, but all connected by the same thing: their relationship with others. Socialisers seek human interaction above all else. For them, staying with a local or in a shared flat means immersing themselves in a culture, sharing a meal, and listening to a story. Accommodation becomes an excuse to meet people. Conversely, some users approach Airbnb with a more strategic and dominant logic. These are the killers, not travellers, but hosts or investors. They optimise prices, tweak descriptions and analyse trends. Their goal: to maximise impact, occupy space and control the experience. Where socializers seek proximity, killers seek performance. Two visions of the human connection: one based on sharing, the other on control. And yet both structure the platform, revealing that Airbnb is not just a booking service – it is also a space for chosen or orchestrated interactions.
The Bartle theory people
We play, we travel, and we interact – always differently. And yet, behind these differences, some patterns emerge. Richard Bartle’s theory, born in the world of games, gives us a way to read them. Whether we strive for mastery, seek the unexpected, seek connection or assert dominance, we are all driven by a particular way of engaging with the world. Through champions, goals or social roles, we express our priorities – control, discovery, interaction, and influence. These profiles don’t fully define us, but they do highlight how we act when given freedom: the freedom to choose, to explore, to influence. From Orianna to Bard, from marathoners to nomads, from super hosts to guests seeking stories, the same dynamic unfolds. Bartle’s model reminds us that personality is not fixed – it plays out. It adapts, combines, and evolves. Perhaps that’s the most powerful insight of all: to know how we play is to better understand how we live.
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