One game that I love to play is Subway Surfers. One of the major aesthetics of this game is challenge. This is the core part of the game as you try avoiding obstacles like trains, fences, trees, walls, etc. while trying to survive, obtain tokens, and get a high score. Another prominent aesthetic is sensation. This game is incredibly exciting as you witness the bright colorful visuals, hear spunky music, and keep up with the fast movements and action. Submission is also a key aesthetic as many people, including myself, play this game in their free time. Another aesthetic is discovery as you are trying to find tokens, powerups, hoverboards and unlock new characters and missions. Lastly, it contains a little bit of fantasy as you are pretending to be a graffiti artist running away from an inspector.
Image from Pinterest
I believe the reason why this game has kept me entertained since elementary school is because these aesthetics come together to form different motivations all at once. For example, “challenge” gives you the goal to survive longer and get past obstacles. Since the game speeds up overtime, the game gets harder and you feel the tension. “Sensation” makes the game exciting rather than frustrating as you witness a variety of movements, colors, and sounds that make actions feel rewardings. The game is low pressure, easy to play, and does not take a lot of time which leads to “submission”. “Discovery” adds variety as new characters/missions keep the game fresh and “fantasy” gives more excitement as you feel like the graffiti artist.
If the game only had “challenge” people would feel frustrated. If it only had “submission” people would feel bored. Combining all these aesthetics make a fun, engaging name that people, like myself, want to always come back to.
Image created using Nano Banana
