PLAYER DRIVENACADEMY
← All packs·IGF-101·L01·18 MIN

Designing for Belonging

Belonging is the strongest predictor of whether a player stays. This pack turns 'be welcoming' into concrete, repeatable design and community moves — first-session signals, identity, and defaults — so new players of every background feel like the game was built with them in mind.

↳ Part ofIGDA FoundationInclusive by Design: Communities Where Everyone Belongs →
CommunityPlayer PsychologyTrust & Safety
↳ Member content — sign in or join free to read the lessons.
JOIN FREE →SIGN IN
── THREE LESSONS
~5 MIN EACH
  1. 01LESSON 1 · 5 MIN

    The First Session Decides Everything

    By the end, you'll be able to audit a new player's first 10 minutes for belonging signals — and name the exact moment they decide whether this space is for them.

  2. 02LESSON 2 · 5 MIN

    Identity Is Not a Cosmetic Afterthought

    By the end, you'll be able to evaluate your character creator and social surfaces for whether players can actually show up as themselves.

  3. 03LESSON 3 · 5 MIN

    Defaults Tell Players Who the Game Is For

    By the end, you'll be able to spot the hidden defaults that signal who belongs — and flip the ones that quietly exclude.

↳CONCLUSION · 3 MIN

First-Session Belonging Audit

Walk away with a one-page audit you can run on any game's onboarding in 15 minutes.

── CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Take the Designing for Belonging quiz.

6 short questions + 1 written artifact. Passing earns 25 credits toward your Player Driven profile.

JOIN ACADEMY → TAKE THE QUIZ
↳ Coming next: Workshop: The Belonging Lab — redesign a real onboarding flow with the IGDA Foundation (90 min).