Masochism

As defined by Marc LeBlanc, Masochism in the context of gaming refers to a form of pleasure derived from agreeing to and taking part in submitting to complexed yet unforgiving rules and very inconvenient out-of-the-box conditions. The pleasure gained from this structure best relates to the concepts of Alea, with the difficult conditions giving a sense of luck and chance (as the ability to master the game's conditions eludes you) and Agon, as mastering these difficult circumstances after many attempts gives a feeling of great satisfaction to the player(s). Masochism in the structure of a game has more to do with the concept of mechanics and the rules of a game, as opposed to the visual aesthetic and sensory pleasure of the game or the narrative element of the game, which generally does not play a strong part in the masochist form of play.

The most common genre of Masochist styled-games are Roguelike (or "rogue-like") games. Roguelike is a subgenre of video games characterized most often by procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, and constant player character death through trial-and-error. Other known genres characterized under the Masochist play are Manic Shooters (AKA "Bullet Hells"), Real Time Strategy, and Rhythm games.

Examples of Masochist games

 * Dark Souls
 * Hades
 * Dwarf Fortress
 * Bloodborne
 * Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
 * Cuphead
 * Rhythm Heaven
 * Parodius