In short
Bartle player types are four styles of play that describe what motivates people in games: Achievers, Explorers, Socializers and Killers. Richard Bartle proposed the model in 1996 based on players of multi-user online games. It is widely used to design features for different motivations.
Why it matters for apps
Not every user is driven by the same thing. A leaderboard can energize one user and push another away. Bartle's types help teams check that their features serve more than one motivation.
- Achievers: Want points, levels and badges. They respond to clear goals and visible progress.
- Explorers: Want to discover. They like hidden content, new features and variety.
- Socializers: Want connection. They value teams, chat and shared activity.
- Killers: Want to compete and win against others. They respond to rankings and head-to-head play.
A common mistake is treating the types as fixed labels. Most users mix types, and the model was built for games, so test it against your own data.
Industry examples
A club app offers prediction games for competitive fans, a social feed for socializers and quizzes for fans who like to explore club history (hypothetical).
Strava serves several types at once: segment leaderboards for competitors, clubs for socializers and route discovery for explorers.
Build it with StriveCloud
StriveCloud has building blocks for each type: levels, XP and badges for achievers, quizzes and polls for explorers, teams, social feed and communities for socializers, and leaderboards and prediction games for competitors. Segments let you show each group the features it responds to.
Want to try this? See the Strava playbook
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 Bartle player types?
Achievers, Explorers, Socializers and Killers. Achievers chase goals, Explorers seek discovery, Socializers seek connection and Killers seek competition and dominance over others.
Are Bartle player types still relevant?
Yes, as a design checklist. The model was built for online games in 1996, so most teams use it to balance features rather than to label users.
Can a user be more than one Bartle type?
Yes. Most people mix motivations and shift between them depending on context, mood and how long they have used the product.