The Praxis Studio at UVic

This is a Press Record project file. Jentery Sayers created it on 19 May 2026 and last updated it on 11 September 2026 with feedback from Amy Anderson, Callum Carroll-Ireton, Abigail Fry, Martin Holmes, Reg Kachanoski, Maya Wei Yan Linsley, Emma Newtown, Greg Newton, Illya Nokhrin, April Rogers, Héctor López Segarra, Marie Silhova, Charlie Susheski, and Christina Woods at the University of Victoria’s Praxis Studio for Comparative Media Studies and Humanities Computing and Media Centre (HCMC). Amy Anderson copy-edited it.

This document is a draft and thus subject to change. We will version it 1.0 once it is ready for circulation. Please do not cite this document in the meantime.

Gameplay Metadata Schema (DRAFT)

Jentery Sayers and the Praxis Studio developed this metadata schema to describe video files in the Press Record Gameplay Footage Collection, which is scheduled for internal release in 2026-27.

This schema is an evergreen document. Its elements, definitions, and controlled vocabularies are not intended to be exhaustive, and we will update and correct them as we learn from the collection and description process.

No generative artificial intelligence tools were used to create or populate this schema.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Roadmap (as of 11 September 2026):

Download this Metadata Schema

Download the Gameplay Metadata Schema in PDF (~pages). This feature will be available with Version 1.0 of the document.

Table of Contents

  1. Sources
  2. Abbreviation and Acronym Key
  3. Platform Edition Entity
  4. Gameplay File Entity
  5. Gameplay Settings Entity
  6. Gameplay Footage Entity
  7. Gameplay Instruction Entity

1. Sources

This metadata schema adapts the following projects for many of its entities, elements, and controlled vocabularies:

See citations below for specific instances of adaptation.

2. Abbreviation and Acronym Key

3. Platform Edition Entity

Definition: “Denotes a particular instantiation of a video game. An edition may be a particular release of a game that is in some way different than another release of the same game” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

The platform edition played and recorded for the Gameplay Footage Collection may or may not correspond with the game’s initial release. For instance, Journey was initially released on PlayStation 3 in 2012. That release was the game’s first platform edition. Other platform editions of Journey include iPad (2019), iPhone (2019), PlayStation 4 (2015), and Windows (2019). These four platform editions (later releases) are ports of the 2012 platform edition (the initial release).

The following elements of the Platform Edition Entity should describe the platform edition of the game played and recorded for the Gameplay Footage Collection.

3A. Game Title [R]

Definition: The proper name of the platform edition as assigned by its developer and/or publisher (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024; CIDOC 2011)

Provide the complete, official game title. Avoid using an alternative, abbreviated, or colloquial title.

text input field

3B. Release Year [R]

Definition: The year the platform edition was publicly/commercially released (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

The edition’s release year may differ from the game’s initial release year.

text input field; format: YYYY

3C. Release Type [R][+]

Definition: The platform edition’s release type as assigned by its developer, publisher, and/or distributor

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, and/or fansites to confirm the release type if it was not assigned by the developer, publisher, and/or distributor.

controlled vocabulary

3D. Platform [R][+]

Definition: The operating system, device, computer, console, and/or service on which the platform edition was played and recorded (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Poff and Atari 2025)

3E. Engine [+]

Definition: The software framework and/or development environment used to design the platform edition

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website, title screen, and/or credits sequence to confirm the engine.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Wikipedia, "List of Game Engines," 2026)

3F. Developer [R]

Definition: “An individual, organization, or group of individuals or organizations responsible for [the] creation, realization, [and/or] manufacture” of the platform edition (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024; IFLA 2009)

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, and/or the platform edition’s official website, title screen, and/or credits sequence to confirm the developer(s).

text input field

3G. Developer’s Location [R][+]

Definition: The geographic location of the platform edition’s developer(s)

Select the country for all developers except those in Canada.

For developers in Canada, select the country and province or territory: for example, Canada / British Columbia.

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website, title screen, and/or credits sequence to confirm the developer’s location.

controlled vocabulary

3H. Publisher [R]

Definition: “An individual, organization, or group of individuals or organizations responsible for . . . [the] manufacture, marketing, and/or distribution” of the platform edition (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024; IFLA 2009)

Both publishers and distributors may be included in this field.

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website, title screen, and/or credits sequence to confirm the publisher(s) and distributor(s).

text input field

3I. Publisher Class [R][+]

Definition: The size, profile, and/or budget of the publisher and, in some cases, the developer, too

This element rarely needs to be repeated. Exceptions include cases where the platform edition is both “indie” and “self-published.”

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, and/or fansites to confirm the publisher class.

controlled vocabulary

3J. Platform Edition Note

Definition: “Any other notable characteristics of the platform edition” that are “not captured in other fields” of this metadata schema (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This field may be left empty.

text input field

4. Gameplay File Entity

Definition: Denotes a video file containing gameplay footage of a particular instantiation (a “platform edition”) of a video game; also called “game capture” and “game recording”

For the fair-dealing purposes of the Gameplay Footage Collection, the video file will typically be a “clip” that is 30 seconds to five minutes long.

The following elements of the Gameplay File Entity should describe the gameplay video file intended for the Gameplay Footage Collection.

4A. Clip Title [R]

Definition: A public-facing, search-friendly description of the gameplay footage as assigned by the person who played the platform edition while the video was recorded

Provide a title that helps viewers anticipate what they will see, hear, read, and watch. Describe the content of the clip and the actions occurring in it. An example is, “Starting a New Game: Naming the Player Character, Encountering Emus and Hobgoblins, and Collecting Darts, Scrolls, and Potions on Level 1.”

text input field

4B. Clip Length [R]

Definition: The length of the gameplay video in minutes and seconds

text input field; format: MM:SS

4C. Date Recorded [R]

Definition: The date the gameplay video was recorded

This date is presumably identical to the video file’s “created” date.

text input field; format: YYYY-MM-DD

4D. Commentary [R][+]

Definition: The type of player commentary, if any, included in the gameplay footage of the platform edition

Commentary is reflective, and it typically addresses the video’s audience.

Select “No commentary” if the footage contains no commentary.

controlled vocabulary

4E. Chat [R][+]

Definition: The type of chat, if any, included in the gameplay footage of the platform edition

Chat typically occurs between players; however, in cases such as livestreams, it may also occur between players and audiences.

Select “No chat” if the footage contains no chat.

controlled vocabulary

4F. Gameplay Attribution [R]

Definition: The chosen or preferred name of the person who played the platform edition while the video was recorded

Multiple names may be included. Full names are optional.

text input field

4G. Metadata Attribution [R]

Definition: The chosen or preferred name of the person who described the platform edition, the gameplay file, the gameplay settings, the gameplay footage, and/or the gameplay instruction and/or entered the metadata

Multiple names may be included. Full names are optional.

text input field

4H. Metadata Record Status [R]

Definition: Communicates whether the metadata record for the gampeplay file is complete

A gameplay file may appear in the Gameplay Footage Collection even if its metadata record is incomplete.

controlled vocabulary

4I. ID [R]

Definition: The internal reference number for the gameplay file and its metadata

This number is used by the Press Record team to identify files and metadata in the Gameplay Footage Collection. It is a five-character numeric string.

text input field; format: #####

4J. Filename [R]

Definition: The filename of the video file containing gameplay footage of the platform edition

Use camelCasing to include the following information in the following order: gameTitlePlatformEditionReleaseYearClipTitleID. An example is rogue1985StartingANewGame00011.mp4. Abbreviate the clip’s title to avoid long filenames.

text input field; format: gameTitlePlatformEditionReleaseYearClipTitleID.extension

4K. Gameplay File Note

Definition: “Any other notable characteristics of the” gameplay file that are “not captured in other fields” of this metadata schema (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This field may be left empty.

text input field

5. Gameplay Settings Entity

Definition: Denotes the settings of a particular instantiation (a “platform edition”) of a video game

The following elements of the Gameplay Settings Entity should describe the platform edition’s settings while it was played and recorded for the Gameplay Footage Collection.

5A. Input Device [R][+]

Definition: The equipment used to play the platform edition while the video was recorded (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Wikipedia, "Game Controller," 2026)

5B. Connectivity [R][+]

Definition: Whether and how the platform edition was online or networked while the video was recorded (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

Select “Offline” if there were no online or networked components.

controlled vocabulary

5C. Number of Players [R]

Definition: The number of players in the gameplay footage of the platform edition (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

controlled vocabulary

5D. Gameplay Mode [R][+]

Definition: A distinct configuration of the platform edition’s mechanics and gameplay in the gameplay footage

Note that “Default” and “Normal / moderate” are separate options. Select “Default” if only one gameplay mode is available or the default gameplay mode does not have a unique name or identifier. Select “Normal / moderate” if that gameplay mode was selected among other options, such as “Hard / expert” and “Easy / beginner / casual.”

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Wikipedia, "Glossary of Video Game Terms," 2026)

5E. Language [R]

Definition: The language appearing in the gameplay footage of the platform edition

Multiple languages, including constructed languages such as Simlish, may be included.

Include languages that are read as well as heard, be they diegetic (read or heard by characters in the world) or non-diegetic (intended to be read or heard by players).

text input field

5F. Accessibility [R][+]

Definition: A configuration or appearance of the platform edition’s accessibility features in the gameplay footage

Select “No accessibility features” if none appears in the gameplay footage.

controlled vocabulary (based on guidelines from Ellis et al. n.d.)

5G. Mods

Definition: A configuration or appearance of a player or fan-authored alteration of the platform edition in the gameplay footage

Provide the complete title of the mod if it has one. Avoid using an alternative, abbreviated, or colloquial title.

Leave this field empty if no mods were used or appear in the gameplay footage.

text input field

5H. Gameplay Settings Note

Definition: “Any other notable characteristics of the” gameplay settings that are “not captured in other fields” of this metadata schema (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This field may be left empty.

text input field

6. Gameplay Footage Entity

Definition: Denotes the recorded video material of a particular instantiation (a “platform edition”) of a video game

The following elements of the Gameplay Footage Entity should describe recorded gameplay of the platform edition intended for the Gameplay Footage Collection.

6A. Type of Play [R][+]

Definition: How players relate socially to each other and the game in the gameplay footage

controlled vocabulary

6B. Gameplay Genre [R][+]

Definition: “The overall nature of . . . interactivity” in the gameplay footage “based on [the platform edition’s] objectives, types of rules, distinctive characteristics, modes of action, and manners of gameplay” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

Note: “Traditional” in the controlled vocabulary below denotes “games based on mechanics that exist in the real world and can be played in a physical setting.” They include board, card, exercise, gambling, game show, maze, pinball, and trivia games (Lee et al., “Controlled Vocabulary for Genre,” 2024).

controlled vocabulary (adapted from Poff and Atari 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Genre," 2024)

6C. Gameplay Subgenre [R][+]

Definition: Patterns of interactivity appearing in the gameplay footage “based on [the platform edition’s] objectives, types of rules, distinctive characteristics, modes of action, and manners of gameplay” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with additions, from Poff and Atari 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Genre," 2024)

6D. Narrative Genre [R][+]

Definition: The overall nature of storytelling in the gameplay footage based on how the platform edition tells, plots, and arranges stories

Use “abstract / no narrative” for abstract games and games without narratives or narrative elements.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Poff and Atari 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Narrative Genre," 2024)

6E. Narrative Subgenre [R][+]

Definition: Patterns of storytelling in the gameplay footage based on how the platform edition tells, plots, and arranges stories

Use “abstract / no narrative” for abstract games and games without narratives or narrative elements.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Narrative Genre," 2024 and Wikipedia, "List of Genres," 2026)

6F. Dimension and Perspective [R][+]

Definition: “The intended perception of the depth of the represented entities in” the gameplay footage and “[t]he [graphical projection, camera, and/or point of view] from which the player experiences the gameplay” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated: for example, 3D, 1st-person, and perspective camera.

Two terms in this element (free camera and cinematic camera) are defined here to avoid confusion.

Select “free camera” if “the camera is not attached to a specific avatar and does not follow a specific target” (Poff and Atari 2025). Such cameras are common in strategy and sandbox games, where the “player is able to freely slide/scroll/rotate through the environment” (ibid).

Select “cinematic camera” if “different, fixed camera positions are set during the game’s creation for a maximum cinematic effect. These positions cannot be controlled by the player” (ibid).

Don’t select “free camera” or “cinematic camera” if they do not apply to the gameplay footage.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with minor changes, from Poff and Atari 2025, Jan 2017, and Lee et al., "VGMS 4.2," 2024)

6G. Location [R][+]

Definition: The planet, continent, and/or country appearing the gameplay footage

Select “Fictional” if the location is imaginary (that is, it originated in the video game or its franchise).

Select “Unspecified” when the location (such as “outer space”) is vague or cannot be determined.

Note that gameplay footage may combine actual and fictional locations: for example, the town of Tigland in Canada on Earth. It may also combine actual and unspecified locations: “somewhere on Earth,” for instance.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to include a more specific location, such as an actual city or fictional town appearing in the gameplay footage.

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website to confirm the location.

controlled vocabulary

6H. Time Period [R][+]

Definition: The general time period in which the gameplay footage is set

Select “Fictional” if the time period is imaginary (that is, it originated in the video game or its franchise).

Select “Unspecified” when the time period is vague or cannot be determined.

Note that the “Future” option is diegetic. Select it even if that future is now the past or present. For instance, a game published in 1984 that’s set in 2025 but played in 2026 can be assigned the “Future” time period.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to include a specific date, year, period, moment, or event represented by the gameplay footage.

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website to confirm the time period.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Setting," 2024)

6I. Biome [R][+]

Definition: The ecological community type appearing in the gameplay footage

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Setting," 2024)

6J. Built Environment [R][+]

Definition: An artificial physical feature or edifice appearing in the gameplay footage that’s typically meant to surround, structure, and/or guide the diegetic activities of characters in the platform edition

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Setting," 2024)

6K. Means of Transport [R][+]

Definition: A means of conveyance or travel from one place to another appearing in the gameplay footage

Select “No means of transport” if the footage contains no means of conveyance or travel.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Poff and Atari 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Setting," 2024)

6L. Items [R][+]

Definition: Types of consumables, equipment, progression items, crafting materials, currencies, and valuables appearing in the gameplay footage (Wikipedia, “Item (game terminology),” 2026)

Select “No items” if the footage contains no items.

controlled vocabulary

6M. Atmosphere [R][+]

Definition: “The pervading [mood] or tone of the” world appearing in the gameplay footage; it “evokes or recalls a certain emotion or state of mind” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

The controlled vocabulary for this element avoids duplicating options included in the controlled vocabularies for the “Narrative Genre,” “Narrative Subgenre,” “Type of Play,” and “Experience” elements.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Mood," 2024)

6N. Player Character [R][+]

Definition: A character in the gameplay footage whose actions are controlled by the player

This element will typically be repeated.

Select “No player character” if no player character appears in the footage.

When pertinent, tag the option with “implicit” when characters are implicitly coded and “explicit” when they are explicitly coded. As Adrienne Shaw et al. (2025) note, these selections are a fraught process, and thus we will corect and update this controlled vocabulary as the Gameplay Footage Collection unfolds.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to further describe the player character(s).

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website to substantiate metadata about player characters.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Shaw et al. 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Protagonist" and "Controlled Vocabulary for Tropes," 2024)

6O. Non-Player Character [R][+]

Definition: A character in the gameplay footage whose actions are not controlled by the player

This element will typically be repeated.

Select “No non-player character” if a non-player character does not appear in the footage.

When pertinent, tag the option with “implicit” when characters are implicitly coded and “explicit” when they are explicitly coded. As Adrienne Shaw et al. (2025) note, these selections are a fraught process, and thus we will correct and update this controlled vocabulary as the Gameplay Footage Collection unfolds.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to further describe the non-player character(s).

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website to substantiate metadata about non-player characters.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Shaw et al. 2025 and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Protagonist" and "Controlled Vocabulary for Tropes," 2024)

6P. Mechanics [R][+]

Definition: A method or “verb” players use to interact with the state of the platform edition as it appears in the gameplay footage (Sicart 2015; Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated.

Select “No mechanic” if a mechanic is not used in the gameplay footage.

Use existing scholarship, MobyGames, Wikipedia, Steam, fansites, official advertisements, the developer’s official website, and/or the platform edition’s official website to substantiate metadata about the mechanics.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from BoardGameGeek n.d. and Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Mechanics," 2024)

6Q. Timekeeping [R][+]

Definition: How the platform edition handles the passage of time in the gameplay footage; approaches to timekeeping inevitably influence narrative pacing as well as the timing and rhythm of both players and games

Two terms for this element (“meditative / zen” and “persistent”) are defined here to avoid confusion.

Select “meditative / zen” if the game “tr[ies] to calm or relax players. These types of games often have no goals and players can’t do anything wrong inside the game” (Poff and Atari 2025).

Select “persistent” if the game’s “mechanics continue even when the player is not playing the game. Either the game state is simulated on a remote server or the changes over time are calculated when the player returns to playing” (ibid).

Don’t select “meditative / zen” or “persistent” if they do not apply to the gameplay footage.

controlled vocabulary (adapted from Poff and Atari 2025)

6R. Progression [R][+]

Description: How, as demonstrated by the footage, the platform edition allows players to advance, acknowledges their attempts to advance, or affords them with a sense of progress, achievement, or productivity (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated.

Forms or systems include horizontal progression (unlocking options), vertical progression (earning upgrades), player progression (developing skills and knowledge), character progression (levelling and new abilities), world progression (new levels, locations, and enemies), journey / mission progression (tasks or quests to be completed), narrative progression (from exposition to resolution, including pacing), and gamification (achievements or trophies) (Brazie 2024).

controlled vocabulary (with nine beats adapted from Laws 2010 and environmental storytelling from Jenkins 2002)

6S. Theme [R][+]

Definition: “A common thread, motif, subject, or idea that recurs in” the gameplay footage (Getty 2004; Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated.

The controlled vocabulary for this element avoids duplicating options included in the controlled vocabularies for the “Atmosphere” and “Experience” elements.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to further describe the theme(s).

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Theme," 2024)

6T. Assets [R][+]

Definition: Audio, visual, and functional elements, including individual pieces of content, appearing in the gameplay footage

This element will typically be repeated.

controlled vocabulary (informed by game assets available at itch.io)

6U. Style [R][+]

Definition: “The predominant and recognizable [artistic tendencies] and appearance of” the platform edition as demonstrated by the gameplay footage (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to further describe the style(s).

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Wikipedia, "List of Art Movements," 2026 and Lee et al.,"Controlled Vocabulary for Visual Style," 2024)

6V. Interface [R][+]

Definition: The means by which players interact or communicate with the game and each other in the gameplay footage; also, how the game prompts and transforms input into output in the gameplay footage

Common interfaces include menus, maps, popups, graphic overlays, and heads-up displays.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes, from Coates 2025)

6W. Experience [R][+]

Definition: An emotion, feeling, or range of emotions and feelings experienced by the player when the gameplay footage was recorded

The person responsible for the gameplay (see “Gameplay Attribution”) should complete this element.

The controlled vocabulary for this element avoids duplicating options included in the controlled vocabularies for the “Atmosphere” and “Theme” elements.

Use the “Gameplay Footage Note” to further describe the experience(s).

controlled vocabulary (informed by Isbister 2016 and Anable 2018)

6X. Transaction [R][+]

Definition: Purchases and forms of monetization that appear in, or are indexed by, the gameplay footage

Select “No transaction” if the footage contains no observable purchase or form of monetization.

controlled vocabulary (adpated, with minor changes and additions, from Wikipedia, "Video Game Monetization," 2026)

6Y. Metagaming [R][+]

Definition: Acts of play appearing in the gamemplay footage that “involve or consider resources that are ‘beyond’ the scope or control of what players . . . collectively consider to be the ‘right and correct game’” (Carter et al. 2012)

Select “Orthogame (no observable meta)” if the footage contains no observable or deliberate metagaming.

The “Current meta” option applies to the meta as of the date of play and recording.

controlled vocabulary (informed by Carter et al. 2012 and Boluk & LeMieux 2017; adpated, with changes and additions, from TV Tropes 2026)

6Z. Gameplay Trope [+]

Definition: “A generally recognizable [gameplay] device or convention [appearing in the footage]. [Gameplay] tropes rely on culturally mediated expectations to expedite the development of [mechanics, action, agency, experiences, and] events. When overused or oversimplified, tropes often come at the expense of fair and inclusive representations” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated.

See TV Tropes for definitions and examples of most tropes in this controlled vocabulary. The use of TV Tropes should be accompanied by peer-reviewed scholarship in Media and Game Studies.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Tropes," 2024, and TV Tropes 2026)

6AA. Environment Trope [+]

Definition: “A generally recognizable [worldbuilding] device or [environment design] convention [appearing in the footage]. [Environment] tropes rely on culturally mediated expectations to expedite the development of [atmospheres and experiences as well as the traversal of biomes, built environments, and locations]. When overused or oversimplified, tropes often come at the expense of fair and inclusive representations” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated.

See TV Tropes for definitions and examples of many tropes in this controlled vocabulary. The use of TV Tropes should be accompanied by peer-reviewed scholarship in Media and Game Studies.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from TV Tropes 2026)

6BB. Progression Trope [+]

Definition: “A generally recognizable [progression] device or [level design] convention [appearing in the footage]. [Progression] tropes rely on culturally mediated expectations to expedite [advancement, acknowledge attempts to advance, or afford players with a sense of progress, achievement, or productivity]. When overused or oversimplified, tropes often come at the expense of fair and inclusive representations” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024).

This element will typically be repeated. It differs from the “Narrative Trope” element, which focuses on diegetic events and actions, by focusing on devices and conventions that influence or shape players’ decision-making. These devices and conventions often prompt non-diegetic actions.

See TV Tropes for definitions and examples of many tropes in this controlled vocabulary. The use of TV Tropes should be accompanied by peer-reviewed scholarship in Media and Game Studies.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Tropes," 2024, and TV Tropes 2026)

6CC. Narrative Trope [+]

Definition: “A generally recognizable narrative device or [storytelling] convention [appearing in the footage]. [Narrative] tropes rely on culturally mediated expectations to expedite the development of [stories, plots, beats, arcs, experiences, and] events. When overused or oversimplified, tropes often come at the expense of fair and inclusive representations” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This element will typically be repeated. It differs from the “Progression Trope” element, which focuses on players’ decision-making, by focusing on devices and conventions that influence diegetic events and actions.

See TV Tropes for definitions and examples of many tropes in this controlled vocabulary. The use of TV Tropes should be accompanied by peer-reviewed scholarship in Media and Game Studies.

controlled vocabulary (adapted, with changes and additions, from Lee et al., "Controlled Vocabulary for Tropes," 2024, and TV Tropes 2026)

6DD. Character Trope

Definition: “A generally recognizable [representational] device or [storytelling] convention [appearing in the footage]. [Character] tropes rely on culturally mediated expectations to expedite the development of [story, action, agency, identification, player characters, non-player characters, experiences, and] events. When overused or oversimplified, tropes often come at the expense of fair and inclusive representations of vulnerable identities” (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

A controlled vocabulary for this element will be available after we conduct additional research. Most tropes in such a vocabulary are stereotypes that, echoing Lee et al. (2024) and Sarkeesian et al. (2024), have harmful effects on historically and systemically marginalized and oppressed groups. Thus, the development of this element is and will continue to be a fraught process (Shaw et al. 2025). Thank you for your patience.

text input field

6EE. Content Warning [R]

Definition: A written statement that lists aspects of the footage that may be upsetting, offensive, challenging, or graphic; it should also note when the footage contains flashes, if applicable

Write “No content warning” if the footage does not contain flashes or material that may be upsetting, offensive, challenging, or graphic.

text input field

6FF. Gameplay Footage Note

Definition: “Any other notable characteristics of the” gameplay footage that are “not captured in other fields” of this metadata schema (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This field may be left empty.

text input field

7. Gameplay Instruction Entity

Definition: Denotes the instructional affordances and pedagogical dimensions of the gameplay footage

This entity foregrounds research, teaching, and learning in Media and Game Studies since the Gameplay Footage Collection’s primary audience includes students, faculty, and staff in UVic’s Media Studies program.

The following elements of the Gameplay Instruction Entity should describe recorded gameplay of the platform edition intended for the Gameplay Footage Collection.

7A. Game Studies Topic [R][+]

Definition: Area of Game Studies research, analysis, and discussion prompted by the gameplay footage

Definitions and sources for terms in this controlled vocabulary are provided in UVic’s Media Studies courses, including “Game Studies” (MDIA360).

controlled vocabulary

7B. Media Studies Topic [R][+]

Definition: Area of Media Studies research, analysis, and discussion prompted by the gameplay footage

This controlled vocabulary corresponds with primary topics taught in MDIA200, “Media in the 21st Century,” at UVic.

controlled vocabulary

7C. Gameplay Instruction Note

Definition: “Any other notable characteristics of” gameplay instruction that are “not captured in other fields” of this metadata schema (Lee et al., “VGMS 4.2,” 2024)

This field may be left empty.

text input field