The Basic Needs in Games Scale (BANGS) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the satisfaction of basic psychological needs during gameplay. It is based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and focuses on how games satisfy needs such as competence, autonomy, relatedness, and sometimes presence/immersion. The BANGS scale was introduced by Tyack, Mekler, & Opwis (2020).

✅ BANGS Questionnaire Items

(As published in the 2020 paper by Tyack et al.)

Respondents rate their agreement on a 5-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree

Autonomy (Feeling of choice and volition in gameplay)

1. I felt like I had a lot of freedom in the game.
2. I felt I could make meaningful choices in the game.
3. I felt that my actions were based on my own decisions in the game.

Competence (Feeling effective and capable)

1. I felt capable of succeeding in the game.
2. I felt I was mastering the game.
3. I felt competent while playing the game.

Relatedness (Feeling connected with others or with characters)

1. I felt close to the characters or other players in the game.
2. I felt that the game made me care about others.
3. I felt connected to other people or characters in the game.