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SPECIFICTION
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Gameplay.Science

gameplay.science

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Spec score 7.2 #12 of 20 in Game Playtime Trackers

What it is

Gameplay.Science is an open-source web platform for independent research on video games using behavior data donated by players. It is designed to support studies without requiring direct participation from game platforms. Players can contribute digital trace data through Steam or Discord connections, account integrations such as Steam or Xbox, or GDPR requests. Account linking lets a participant sign in and authorize automatic access to gameplay data. UK and EU players can request data held by a gaming company under GDPR and share it with researchers. The project aims to cover how long people play, what they do in games, and who they interact with. A study using the platform describes Steam authentication through OpenID, public Steam gameplay details, and hourly collection of each game’s incremental playtime. That study says data was stored on encrypted servers accessible only to the research team. Steam and Xbox are listed as supported ecosystems.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Gameplay.Science is an open-source internet platform that enables researchers to study the effects of video games using player-donated behavior data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Intended users
The platform is intended to help independent researchers study video games using player-donated data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Headquarters
Oxford, UKRead 28 Sep 2026 · gameplay.science
Account integrations
Players can sign in to gaming accounts such as Xbox or Steam and grant permission for a service to access and store gameplay data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Account linking
The project describes account integrations in which players sign in to accounts such as Xbox or Steam and authorize automatic access to gameplay data.Read 4 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Data access
The project describes GDPR requests as a way for players in the UK and EU to request data held by gaming companies and share it with researchers.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Data collected
The study describes Gameplay.Science collecting incremental playtime per Steam game, totaling the previous hour's playtime each hour.Read 4 Oct 2026 · vuorre.com
Data donation
Players can donate digital trace data to independent scientific investigations via Steam, Discord, or GDPR requests.Read 4 Oct 2026 · thomashakman.com
GDPR requests
The project describes GDPR requests as a way for UK and EU players to obtain data held by a gaming company and share it with researchers.Read 4 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Notable data requirement
The study says participants had to make their Steam gameplay details publicly available.Read 4 Oct 2026 · vuorre.com
Open source
The project describes Gameplay.Science as an open-source platform.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Platform participation
The platform is designed to enable research without requiring direct participation from game platforms.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Pricing
The opened project page does not state plan prices or whether a free plan or trial is available.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Project contact
The project page lists Professor Andrew Przybylski as the contact.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Project dates
The Oxford Internet Institute lists the project dates as July 2024 to June 2026.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Research audience
The platform is designed to help independent researchers access gameplay data without requiring direct participation by game platforms.Read 4 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Research data
The project aims to support data on both how much people play and what they do in games, including who they interact with.Read 8 Oct 2026 · oii.ox.ac.uk
Security and access
The study says the data was stored on encrypted servers accessible only to the research team.Read 4 Oct 2026 · vuorre.com
Steam authentication
A study using Gameplay.Science says participants authenticate their Steam ID through the official Steam authentication API using OpenID.Read 4 Oct 2026 · vuorre.com
Web platform
A 2026 comparison page lists Gameplay.Science as web-based and lists Steam and Xbox as supported gaming ecosystems.Read 4 Oct 2026 · itechguides.com

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Open-source platform
  • Supports Steam and Xbox ecosystems
  • Automatic account-based tracking
  • GDPR data-sharing route
  • Encrypted research data storage

Limits

  • Some participation requires public Steam details
  • Data access depends on player donation
  • Web platform only
  • Project dates end June 2026

Who it suits

Gameplay.Science is intended for independent researchers studying video-game behavior and for players willing to donate account or requested gameplay data.

Verdict

Gameplay.Science offers researchers a way to obtain player-contributed game data through account links or GDPR requests. Participants should understand the public-profile requirement described for one study and the permissions involved in sharing gameplay records.

Where Specifiction places it

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