Which games (eventually) lead to other games? (per IFDB data)

Playing
1

After my last dive into IFDB data, I became curious about what could be learned about patterns of play, specifically the order in which people choose games.

After some reprocessing, I was able to get data sets to show:

  1. For a given game, which games were most often played immediately before or after it?
  2. For a given game, which games were most often played before or after it in general?

This of course covers only the activity of people using IFDB’s features to track their own play. Also, there are all kinds of imperfections in this data for the purpose, e.g. that IFDB members may rate/click “I’ve played it” in a different order than the one in which games were actually played, especially for plays registered on the first day of membership. (Many new accounts register plays of several games on the first day, presumably because the member is marking games played prior to signing up.) Still, this data is the closest thing to what’s desired that is also available publicly.

The “what’s played in general before Game X” data is not tremendously useful, because it’s dominated by a small group of very popular games, as seen last time. It’s more evidence that those games tend to be played first (or at least early) by individual members, but the top results are so close to uniform that it’s not very informative.

The “what’s played immediately before/after Game X” data is mildly interesting, but due to the relatively small amount of data there aren’t usually patterns of interest – it’s reflective of the happenstance of individual players’ choices, and the most consistent pairings seem to be between games in the same competition, which I think says more about the community culture around comps than it does about patterns of player preferences.

However, the “what’s played in general after Game X” does seem a little interesting, especially for games that have been out for a while. There is still often a large footprint seen from the “Big Ten” games, and a noticeable correlation for games appearing in the same comp together, but the other pairings seem to indicate something about player preferences in the mass. This is potentially useful for recommendations because it answers the question “For people having played Game X, which games are they likely to play in the future?”

Some example results using the fresh data from September 1st this year:

Counterfeit Monkey 
+--------------------+---------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title            | t_title                   | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+--------------------+---------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Counterfeit Monkey | Lost Pig                  |      95 |      418 | 22.7273 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | The Wizard Sniffer        |      84 |      418 | 20.0957 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Toby's Nose               |      82 |      418 | 19.6172 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Violet                    |      81 |      418 | 19.3780 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | 9:05                      |      81 |      418 | 19.3780 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Photopia                  |      78 |      418 | 18.6603 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Bronze                    |      74 |      418 | 17.7033 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Superluminal Vagrant Twin |      73 |      418 | 17.4641 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Galatea                   |      73 |      418 | 17.4641 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Anchorhead                |      73 |      418 | 17.4641 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Eat Me                    |      67 |      418 | 16.0287 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Spider and Web            |      66 |      418 | 15.7895 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Aisle                     |      66 |      418 | 15.7895 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | The Impossible Bottle     |      62 |      418 | 14.8325 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Birdland                  |      61 |      418 | 14.5933 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Suveh Nux                 |      61 |      418 | 14.5933 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Shade                     |      60 |      418 | 14.3541 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Savoir-Faire              |      55 |      418 | 13.1579 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Coloratura                |      55 |      418 | 13.1579 |
| Counterfeit Monkey | Slouching Towards Bedlam  |      55 |      418 | 13.1579 |
+--------------------+---------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

How to read the above:

  • f_title: the game being studied, i.e. “Game X” (“from title”)
  • t_title: a game played by the same player(s) some time after playing f_title (“to title”)
  • num_con: number of players who played f_title who went on to play t_title (“number continuing”)
  • num_poss: number of players who played f_title (“number possible”)
  • pct: num_con / num_poss, as a percentage

Only the top 20 results are shown, not worrying about ties, so it’s possible that other games would appear at the same frequency as Coloratura and Slouching Towards Bedlam if the chart were extended – they’re just not shown since they weren’t in the first 20 rows. Note that the sum of num_con will far exceed num_poss because the same person can go on to play more than one of the games appearing on the list.

Some other examples:

Detritus 
+----------+----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title  | t_title                                | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+----------+----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Detritus | course correction                      |       9 |       59 | 15.2542 |
| Detritus | Ancient Treasure, Secret Spider        |       8 |       59 | 13.5593 |
| Detritus | oxblood                                |       8 |       59 | 13.5593 |
| Detritus | The Universal Robot (Assembled By Hex) |       8 |       59 | 13.5593 |
| Detritus | Our Lady of Thorns                     |       8 |       59 | 13.5593 |
| Detritus | the lamp of your body                  |       8 |       59 | 13.5593 |
| Detritus | Stage Fright                           |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | Cryptid Hunter                         |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | strings: a (bug)folk song              |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | 23 Minutes                             |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | The Red Pearls of Borneo               |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | The Wise-Woman's Dog                   |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | Every day I get emails                 |       7 |       59 | 11.8644 |
| Detritus | Lady Thalia and the Case of Clephan    |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | The Den                                |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | requiescat                             |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | A Normal Morning                       |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | Endymion                               |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | All That Shimmers...                   |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
| Detritus | Cyclic Fruition Number One             |       6 |       59 | 10.1695 |
+----------+----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
The Wise-Woman's Dog 
+----------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title              | t_title                                                    | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+----------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Our Lady of Thorns                                         |      12 |       38 | 31.5789 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Detritus                                                   |      12 |       38 | 31.5789 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Saltwrack                                                  |      11 |       38 | 28.9474 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | course correction                                          |      10 |       38 | 26.3158 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | The Antediluvian Weapon                                    |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | A Rock's Tale                                              |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Who Whacked Jimmy Piñata?                                  |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | The Little Four                                            |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | The Semantagician's Assistant                              |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | The Witch Girls                                            |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Super Halloween Horror Show                                |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | you are an ancient chinese poet at the neo-orchid pavilion |       9 |       38 | 23.6842 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Lady Thalia and the Case of Clephan                        |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | A Normal Morning                                           |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Ancient Treasure, Secret Spider                            |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Us Too                                                     |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | strings: a (bug)folk song                                  |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | The Universal Robot (Assembled By Hex)                     |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Every day I get emails                                     |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
| The Wise-Woman's Dog | Grand Island Bank Robbery                                  |       8 |       38 | 21.0526 |
+----------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
First Things First 
+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title            | t_title                                                            | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| First Things First | A Rope of Chalk                                                    |      12 |       36 | 33.3333 |
| First Things First | The Impossible Stairs                                              |      11 |       36 | 30.5556 |
| First Things First | The Magpie Takes the Train                                         |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | Toby's Nose                                                        |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | Eat Me                                                             |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | Three-Card Trick                                                   |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | The Impossible Bottle                                              |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One           |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen                  |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | The Little Match Girl 4: Crown of Pearls                           |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | Detectiveland                                                      |      10 |       36 | 27.7778 |
| First Things First | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond!                                        |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Foo Foo                                                            |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Stuff of Legend                                                    |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Trouble in Sector 471                                              |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Reference and Representation: An Approach to First-Order Semantics |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Illuminismo Iniziato                                               |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Everybody Dies                                                     |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | The Wizard Sniffer                                                 |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
| First Things First | Dial C for Cupcakes                                                |       9 |       36 | 25.0000 |
+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Skies Above 
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title     | t_title                                                                | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Skies Above | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One               |      15 |       27 | 55.5556 |
| Skies Above | The Little Match Girl 4: Crown of Pearls                               |      13 |       27 | 48.1481 |
| Skies Above | The Impossible Bottle                                                  |      12 |       27 | 44.4444 |
| Skies Above | The Bat                                                                |      12 |       27 | 44.4444 |
| Skies Above | According to Cain                                                      |      12 |       27 | 44.4444 |
| Skies Above | The Absence of Miriam Lane                                             |      12 |       27 | 44.4444 |
| Skies Above | Trouble in Sector 471                                                  |      11 |       27 | 40.7407 |
| Skies Above | A Rope of Chalk                                                        |      11 |       27 | 40.7407 |
| Skies Above | The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen                      |      11 |       27 | 40.7407 |
| Skies Above | The Archivist and the Revolution                                       |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | The Wise-Woman's Dog                                                   |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | The Vambrace of Destiny                                                |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | A Murder in Fairyland                                                  |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | Tavern Crawler                                                         |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | Sage Sanctum Scramble                                                  |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | Grandma Bethlinda's Remarkable Egg                                     |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | The Impossible Stairs                                                  |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Skies Above | Assembly                                                               |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Skies Above | Black Knife Dungeon                                                    |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Bogeyman 
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title  | t_title                                                  | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Bogeyman | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One |      25 |      120 | 20.8333 |
| Bogeyman | Erstwhile                                                |      25 |      120 | 20.8333 |
| Bogeyman | my father's long, long legs                              |      24 |      120 | 20.0000 |
| Bogeyman | Turandot                                                 |      24 |      120 | 20.0000 |
| Bogeyman | 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds                   |      23 |      120 | 19.1667 |
| Bogeyman | the uncle who works for nintendo                         |      23 |      120 | 19.1667 |
| Bogeyman | Dr Ludwig and the Devil                                  |      23 |      120 | 19.1667 |
| Bogeyman | The Bat                                                  |      22 |      120 | 18.3333 |
| Bogeyman | The Absence of Miriam Lane                               |      22 |      120 | 18.3333 |
| Bogeyman | A Long Way to the Nearest Star                           |      21 |      120 | 17.5000 |
| Bogeyman | Type Help                                                |      20 |      120 | 16.6667 |
| Bogeyman | The Impossible Bottle                                    |      20 |      120 | 16.6667 |
| Bogeyman | Fairest                                                  |      20 |      120 | 16.6667 |
| Bogeyman | Uninteractive Fiction                                    |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | Cannery Vale                                             |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | A Paradox Between Worlds                                 |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | Zozzled                                                  |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | The Grown-Up Detective Agency                            |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed                       |      19 |      120 | 15.8333 |
| Bogeyman | 9:05                                                     |      18 |      120 | 15.0000 |
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Fifteen Minutes 
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title         | t_title                                                  | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Fifteen Minutes | Chlorophyll                                              |      10 |       29 | 34.4828 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Eat Me                                                   |      10 |       29 | 34.4828 |
| Fifteen Minutes | HHH.exe                                                  |      10 |       29 | 34.4828 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Lime Ergot                                               |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Harmonia                                                 |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Will Not Let Me Go                                       |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Three-Card Trick                                         |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | A Beauty Cold and Austere                                |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Junior Arithmancer                                       |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Birdland                                                 |       9 |       29 | 31.0345 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Swigian                                                  |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Inward Narrow Crooked Lanes                              |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Missive                                                  |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Darkiss! Wrath of the Vampire - Chapter 1: the Awakening |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Toby's Nose                                              |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Ether                                                    |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | The Wand                                                 |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds                   |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | The Absence of Miriam Lane                               |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
| Fifteen Minutes | Ryan Veeder's Authentic Fly Fishing                      |       8 |       29 | 27.5862 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Detectiveland 
+---------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title       | t_title                                                  | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+---------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Detectiveland | The Wizard Sniffer                                       |      29 |       86 | 33.7209 |
| Detectiveland | Color the Truth                                          |      26 |       86 | 30.2326 |
| Detectiveland | The Impossible Bottle                                    |      26 |       86 | 30.2326 |
| Detectiveland | Eat Me                                                   |      25 |       86 | 29.0698 |
| Detectiveland | Bogeyman                                                 |      22 |       86 | 25.5814 |
| Detectiveland | Alias 'The Magpie'                                       |      22 |       86 | 25.5814 |
| Detectiveland | 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds                   |      21 |       86 | 24.4186 |
| Detectiveland | Galatea                                                  |      20 |       86 | 23.2558 |
| Detectiveland | Limerick Heist                                           |      20 |       86 | 23.2558 |
| Detectiveland | Zozzled                                                  |      19 |       86 | 22.0930 |
| Detectiveland | Junior Arithmancer                                       |      19 |       86 | 22.0930 |
| Detectiveland | Will Not Let Me Go                                       |      19 |       86 | 22.0930 |
| Detectiveland | The Absence of Law                                       |      19 |       86 | 22.0930 |
| Detectiveland | A Rope of Chalk                                          |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | Erstwhile                                                |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | The Wand                                                 |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | The Grown-Up Detective Agency                            |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | Tethered                                                 |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
| Detectiveland | The Magpie Takes the Train                               |      18 |       86 | 20.9302 |
+---------------+----------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Starry Seeksorrow 
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title           | t_title                                                            | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Starry Seeksorrow | The Wizard Sniffer                                                 |      13 |       27 | 48.1481 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Foo Foo                                                            |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | The Wand                                                           |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Sub Rosa                                                           |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Alias 'The Magpie'                                                 |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Bogeyman                                                           |      10 |       27 | 37.0370 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Eat Me                                                             |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Will Not Let Me Go                                                 |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Detectiveland                                                      |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Midnight. Swordfight.                                              |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Oppositely Opal                                                    |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Reference and Representation: An Approach to First-Order Semantics |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Cactus Blue Motel                                                  |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Winter Storm Draco                                                 |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds                             |       9 |       27 | 33.3333 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Known Unknowns                                                     |       8 |       27 | 29.6296 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Harmonia                                                           |       8 |       27 | 29.6296 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Inside the Facility                                                |       8 |       27 | 29.6296 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Superluminal Vagrant Twin                                          |       8 |       27 | 29.6296 |
| Starry Seeksorrow | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond!                                        |       8 |       27 | 29.6296 |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires 
+-----------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                                 | t_title                                                                | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+-----------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Lady Thalia and the Rose of Rocroi                                     |      18 |       37 | 48.6486 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Detritus                                                               |      16 |       37 | 43.2432 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Wise-Woman's Dog                                                   |      15 |       37 | 40.5405 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Archivist and the Revolution                                       |      15 |       37 | 40.5405 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Bones of Rosalinda                                                 |      13 |       37 | 35.1351 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | A Long Way to the Nearest Star                                         |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Fairest                                                                |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | free bird.                                                             |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Den                                                                |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Bat                                                                |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Winter-Over                                                            |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Saltwrack                                                              |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Witch Girls                                                        |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | LUNIUM                                                                 |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Cut the Sky                                                            |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Lady Thalia and the Masterpiece of Moldavia                            |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | The Burger Meme Personality Test                                       |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Lady Thalia and the Case of Clephan                                    |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires | Assembly                                                               |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
+-----------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
Stay? 
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title | t_title                                                                | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Stay?   | Dr Ludwig and the Devil                                                |      14 |       53 | 26.4151 |
| Stay?   | Cut the Sky                                                            |      14 |       53 | 26.4151 |
| Stay?   | The Bat                                                                |      13 |       53 | 24.5283 |
| Stay?   | Type Help                                                              |      13 |       53 | 24.5283 |
| Stay?   | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One               |      13 |       53 | 24.5283 |
| Stay?   | What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed                                     |      12 |       53 | 22.6415 |
| Stay?   | The Bones of Rosalinda                                                 |      12 |       53 | 22.6415 |
| Stay?   | Winter-Over                                                            |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | Repeat the Ending                                                      |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | Sting                                                                  |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | A Long Way to the Nearest Star                                         |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | The Archivist and the Revolution                                       |      11 |       53 | 20.7547 |
| Stay?   | The Little Match Girl 4: Crown of Pearls                               |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | A Dark Room                                                            |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | The Den                                                                |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | Forsaken Denizen                                                       |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | Fairest                                                                |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | EYE                                                                    |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
| Stay?   | Uninteractive Fiction                                                  |      10 |       53 | 18.8679 |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
3 Likes
2

Do these top, nearly uniform results, play a game in the same popular group, as a whole, before being played? Is there a “Game 0” and what is it? I find the “before” statistic interesting. I think it tells you something about IF perception.

1 Like
3

As a demonstration of the point, here are a few examples of “played sometime before” statistics using games from the above list.

games most likely to be played before Counterfeit Monkey 
+--------------------------------------+--------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                              | t_title            | num_arr | num_poss | pct     |
+--------------------------------------+--------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Lost Pig                             | Counterfeit Monkey |     109 |      418 | 26.0766 |
| Photopia                             | Counterfeit Monkey |     101 |      418 | 24.1627 |
| 9:05                                 | Counterfeit Monkey |      95 |      418 | 22.7273 |
| Shade                                | Counterfeit Monkey |      89 |      418 | 21.2919 |
| Violet                               | Counterfeit Monkey |      83 |      418 | 19.8565 |
| Galatea                              | Counterfeit Monkey |      81 |      418 | 19.3780 |
| Anchorhead                           | Counterfeit Monkey |      79 |      418 | 18.8995 |
| Spider and Web                       | Counterfeit Monkey |      78 |      418 | 18.6603 |
| Bronze                               | Counterfeit Monkey |      76 |      418 | 18.1818 |
| Aisle                                | Counterfeit Monkey |      75 |      418 | 17.9426 |
| Suveh Nux                            | Counterfeit Monkey |      59 |      418 | 14.1148 |
| Slouching Towards Bedlam             | Counterfeit Monkey |      48 |      418 | 11.4833 |
| The Dreamhold                        | Counterfeit Monkey |      45 |      418 | 10.7656 |
| Zork I                               | Counterfeit Monkey |      44 |      418 | 10.5263 |
| Savoir-Faire                         | Counterfeit Monkey |      41 |      418 |  9.8086 |
| All Roads                            | Counterfeit Monkey |      41 |      418 |  9.8086 |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Counterfeit Monkey |      40 |      418 |  9.5694 |
| Shrapnel                             | Counterfeit Monkey |      40 |      418 |  9.5694 |
| Curses                               | Counterfeit Monkey |      39 |      418 |  9.3301 |
| Metamorphoses                        | Counterfeit Monkey |      38 |      418 |  9.0909 |
+--------------------------------------+--------------------+---------+----------+---------+
games most likely to be played before Detritus 
+----------------------------------------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                                                  | t_title  | num_arr | num_poss | pct     |
+----------------------------------------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
| Lost Pig                                                 | Detritus |      21 |       59 | 35.5932 |
| Photopia                                                 | Detritus |      20 |       59 | 33.8983 |
| The Bat                                                  | Detritus |      20 |       59 | 33.8983 |
| Superluminal Vagrant Twin                                | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| Anchorhead                                               | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| Violet                                                   | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| Counterfeit Monkey                                       | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| Type Help                                                | Detritus |      19 |       59 | 32.2034 |
| Spider and Web                                           | Detritus |      18 |       59 | 30.5085 |
| The Den                                                  | Detritus |      18 |       59 | 30.5085 |
| 9:05                                                     | Detritus |      17 |       59 | 28.8136 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil                                  | Detritus |      17 |       59 | 28.8136 |
| A Long Way to the Nearest Star                           | Detritus |      17 |       59 | 28.8136 |
| Coloratura                                               | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
| The Wizard Sniffer                                       | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
| Bogeyman                                                 | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
| Eat Me                                                   | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
| Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires                  | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
| Toby's Nose                                              | Detritus |      16 |       59 | 27.1186 |
+----------------------------------------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
games most likely to be played before Bogeyman 
+-----------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                     | t_title  | num_arr | num_poss | pct     |
+-----------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
| Photopia                    | Bogeyman |      47 |      120 | 39.1667 |
| Birdland                    | Bogeyman |      44 |      120 | 36.6667 |
| Aisle                       | Bogeyman |      42 |      120 | 35.0000 |
| Lost Pig                    | Bogeyman |      42 |      120 | 35.0000 |
| 9:05                        | Bogeyman |      40 |      120 | 33.3333 |
| Violet                      | Bogeyman |      38 |      120 | 31.6667 |
| Counterfeit Monkey          | Bogeyman |      38 |      120 | 31.6667 |
| Shade                       | Bogeyman |      37 |      120 | 30.8333 |
| Galatea                     | Bogeyman |      36 |      120 | 30.0000 |
| Anchorhead                  | Bogeyman |      36 |      120 | 30.0000 |
| Eat Me                      | Bogeyman |      33 |      120 | 27.5000 |
| Bronze                      | Bogeyman |      29 |      120 | 24.1667 |
| The Wizard Sniffer          | Bogeyman |      29 |      120 | 24.1667 |
| Toby's Nose                 | Bogeyman |      28 |      120 | 23.3333 |
| Midnight. Swordfight.       | Bogeyman |      28 |      120 | 23.3333 |
| Superluminal Vagrant Twin   | Bogeyman |      27 |      120 | 22.5000 |
| Spider and Web              | Bogeyman |      27 |      120 | 22.5000 |
| my father's long, long legs | Bogeyman |      26 |      120 | 21.6667 |
| Coloratura                  | Bogeyman |      26 |      120 | 21.6667 |
| Slouching Towards Bedlam    | Bogeyman |      25 |      120 | 20.8333 |
+-----------------------------+----------+---------+----------+---------+
games most likely to be played before Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires 
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                   | t_title                                 | num_arr | num_poss | pct     |
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Lost Pig                  | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      18 |       37 | 48.6486 |
| Violet                    | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      18 |       37 | 48.6486 |
| Toby's Nose               | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      17 |       37 | 45.9459 |
| Suveh Nux                 | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      16 |       37 | 43.2432 |
| Photopia                  | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      16 |       37 | 43.2432 |
| 9:05                      | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      15 |       37 | 40.5405 |
| Superluminal Vagrant Twin | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      15 |       37 | 40.5405 |
| Galatea                   | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      14 |       37 | 37.8378 |
| Bronze                    | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      14 |       37 | 37.8378 |
| Aisle                     | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      14 |       37 | 37.8378 |
| Eat Me                    | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      14 |       37 | 37.8378 |
| Alabaster                 | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      13 |       37 | 35.1351 |
| Zozzled                   | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Shade                     | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| The Impossible Bottle     | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Excalibur                 | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Counterfeit Monkey        | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| Birdland                  | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      12 |       37 | 32.4324 |
| The Dreamhold             | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
| Midnight. Swordfight.     | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |      11 |       37 | 29.7297 |
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

A frequently-played game like Photopia will be either higher or lower on any particular game’s list of “played befores,” but it’s almost certain to be there. The same is generally true about all of the most consistently played games – that’s the “uniformity” I’m describing.

Also, what these metrics imply about the relationship between games in these lists and the “target” game isn’t necessarily what one might think. For example, Lost Pig is the top row on 3 out of 4 examples in this post, but looking at the games played after Lost Pig, Counterfeit Monkey is #11 on the list, and the others would be pretty far down an extended version:

games most likely to be played AFTER Lost Pig 
+----------+--------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title  | t_title                  | num_con | num_poss | pct     |
+----------+--------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Lost Pig | Violet                   |     207 |      741 | 27.9352 |
| Lost Pig | 9:05                     |     183 |      741 | 24.6964 |
| Lost Pig | Photopia                 |     172 |      741 | 23.2119 |
| Lost Pig | Shade                    |     161 |      741 | 21.7274 |
| Lost Pig | Aisle                    |     156 |      741 | 21.0526 |
| Lost Pig | Bronze                   |     145 |      741 | 19.5682 |
| Lost Pig | Galatea                  |     143 |      741 | 19.2982 |
| Lost Pig | Suveh Nux                |     140 |      741 | 18.8934 |
| Lost Pig | Spider and Web           |     116 |      741 | 15.6545 |
| Lost Pig | Slouching Towards Bedlam |     112 |      741 | 15.1147 |
| Lost Pig | Counterfeit Monkey       |     109 |      741 | 14.7099 |
| Lost Pig | The Wizard Sniffer       |     103 |      741 | 13.9001 |
| Lost Pig | Anchorhead               |     103 |      741 | 13.9001 |
| Lost Pig | The Dreamhold            |     101 |      741 | 13.6302 |
| Lost Pig | De Baron                 |      91 |      741 | 12.2807 |
| Lost Pig | Toby's Nose              |      90 |      741 | 12.1457 |
| Lost Pig | Zork I                   |      82 |      741 | 11.0661 |
| Lost Pig | Shrapnel                 |      78 |      741 | 10.5263 |
| Lost Pig | Gun Mute                 |      77 |      741 | 10.3914 |
| Lost Pig | All Roads                |      76 |      741 | 10.2564 |
+----------+--------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

In other words, I don’t think it signifies that Lost Pig is particularly encouraging player attention toward any of these example games, even in cases where Lost Pig is the top result of an example game’s “games played before” list.

3 Likes
4

Between “the next game chosen” and “all subsequent games chosen,” there is a wide range of options for “next N games chosen”.

Looking at only the next 5 games chosen, for example, some interesting short-range patterns of preferences sometimes appear. Here’s an example list for The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen:

+------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title                                  | t_title                                  | next_5  | num_poss | pct     |
+------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | The Little Match Girl 2: Annus Evertens  |      11 |       46 | 23.9130 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | How the Little Match Girl Got Her Colt P |      10 |       46 | 21.7391 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | The Little Match Girl 4: Crown of Pearls |       7 |       46 | 15.2174 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | The Little Match Girl 3: The Escalus Man |       5 |       46 | 10.8696 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | How the Little Match Girl Met the Queen  |       5 |       46 | 10.8696 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | The Little Match Girl and Her Friend, th |       3 |       46 |  6.5217 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Superluminal Vagrant Twin                |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Winter Storm Draco                       |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Gun Mute                                 |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | 9:05                                     |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | The Impossible Stairs                    |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | According to Cain                        |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Rameses                                  |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | A Rope of Chalk                          |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Cut the Sky                              |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Even Some More Tales from Castle Balders |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis         |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Additional Tales from Castle Balderstone |       2 |       46 |  4.3478 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Cher journal,                            |       1 |       46 |  2.1739 |
| The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian | Fail-Safe                                |       1 |       46 |  2.1739 |
+------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

This shows that, relatively often, people who try the first installment in the series continue to choose more installments as their next several picks. (It’s technically possible that those going on to choose the second, third and fourth are disjoint sets, but I doubt it.)

Compare to A Rope of Chalk:

A Rope of Chalk 
+-----------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title         | t_title                                  | next_5  | num_poss | pct     |
+-----------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| A Rope of Chalk | Stuff of Legend                          |       6 |       56 | 10.7143 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Vampire Ltd                              |       4 |       56 |  7.1429 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Captivity                                |       4 |       56 |  7.1429 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Eleusinian Miseries                  |       4 |       56 |  7.1429 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Minor Arcana                             |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Sage Sanctum Scramble                    |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Desolation                               |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Impossible Bottle                    |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Magpie Takes the Train               |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Seasonal Apocalypse Disorder             |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Ferryman's Gate                          |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | SOUND                                    |       3 |       56 |  5.3571 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Stoned Ape Hypothesis                    |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | "Adventures in the Tomb of Ilfane" by Wi |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Grown-Up Detective Agency            |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Archivist and the Revolution         |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Impossible Stairs                    |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | Congee                                   |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
| A Rope of Chalk | The Weight of a Soul                     |       2 |       56 |  3.5714 |
+-----------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

The first 14 rows (and the 18th) are all other games appearing alongside it in IFComp 2020, and presumably reflect people playing through games in that comp. Outside of those, there don’t appear to be any significant correlations.

As another example, Plundered Hearts:

Plundered Hearts 
+------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| f_title          | t_title                                  | next_5  | num_poss | pct     |
+------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+
| Plundered Hearts | Seastalker                               |      16 |      107 | 14.9533 |
| Plundered Hearts | Sorcerer                                 |      13 |      107 | 12.1495 |
| Plundered Hearts | Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels |      12 |      107 | 11.2150 |
| Plundered Hearts | Wishbringer                              |      12 |      107 | 11.2150 |
| Plundered Hearts | Spellbreaker                             |      11 |      107 | 10.2804 |
| Plundered Hearts | Shogun                                   |      10 |      107 |  9.3458 |
| Plundered Hearts | Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail |       9 |      107 |  8.4112 |
| Plundered Hearts | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy     |       8 |      107 |  7.4766 |
| Plundered Hearts | Stationfall                              |       8 |      107 |  7.4766 |
| Plundered Hearts | Trinity                                  |       7 |      107 |  6.5421 |
| Plundered Hearts | Suspect                                  |       6 |      107 |  5.6075 |
| Plundered Hearts | The Lurking Horror                       |       6 |      107 |  5.6075 |
| Plundered Hearts | Ballyhoo                                 |       6 |      107 |  5.6075 |
| Plundered Hearts | Lost Pig                                 |       5 |      107 |  4.6729 |
| Plundered Hearts | Curses                                   |       5 |      107 |  4.6729 |
| Plundered Hearts | Suspended                                |       5 |      107 |  4.6729 |
| Plundered Hearts | Enchanter                                |       4 |      107 |  3.7383 |
| Plundered Hearts | Bureaucracy                              |       4 |      107 |  3.7383 |
| Plundered Hearts | Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz        |       4 |      107 |  3.7383 |
| Plundered Hearts | Starcross                                |       4 |      107 |  3.7383 |
+------------------+------------------------------------------+---------+----------+---------+

I would guess that the prevalence of Infocom games throughout the list reflects people registering a play of this game while in the process of entering games already played in the past (i.e. ticking off or rating Infocom games they’ve played), as opposed to trying it for the first time recently.

Here’s Brain Guzzlers from Beyond!:

Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! 
+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+--------+
| f_title                     | t_title                                  | next_5 | num_poss | pct    |
+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+--------+
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Midnight. Swordfight.                    |      9 |       96 | 9.3750 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Cape                                     |      8 |       96 | 8.3333 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Birdland                                 |      8 |       96 | 8.3333 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | 9:05                                     |      7 |       96 | 7.2917 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Taco Fiction                             |      6 |       96 | 6.2500 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Map                                      |      5 |       96 | 5.2083 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Vespers                                  |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Darkiss! Wrath of the Vampire - Chapter  |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Spider and Web                           |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Chlorophyll                              |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Sub Rosa                                 |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Arcane Intern (Unpaid)                   |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Weird City Interloper                    |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Harmonia                                 |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Kane County                              |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Savoir-Faire                             |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | The Mary Jane of Tomorrow                |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Color the Truth                          |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Anchorhead                               |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! | Junior Arithmancer                       |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+--------+

The first few rows are fellow entries in IFComp 2015, but most of the rest are not – instead, we see quite a few Top 100 games. Since Brain Guzzlers is not itself a Top 100 game, I would guess that these reflect people who encountered Zozzled or Chlorophyll, which are on the Top 100 list, and decided to check out other games by Steph Cherrywell before exploring more Top 100 games. None of the correlations seem very significant, though.

In fact, it’s not necessary to guess, because it’s also possible to look at the most frequent choices for the 5 picks before playing a given game.

most frequent picks in the five games played BEFORE Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! 
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------+--------+----------+--------+
| f_title                        | t_title                     | last_5 | num_poss | pct    |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------+--------+----------+--------+
| Birdland                       | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      8 |       96 | 8.3333 |
| Chlorophyll                    | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      7 |       96 | 7.2917 |
| Violet                         | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      7 |       96 | 7.2917 |
| Lost Pig                       | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      6 |       96 | 6.2500 |
| Lime Ergot                     | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      5 |       96 | 5.2083 |
| Zozzled                        | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      5 |       96 | 5.2083 |
| Counterfeit Monkey             | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      5 |       96 | 5.2083 |
| Superluminal Vagrant Twin      | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      5 |       96 | 5.2083 |
| The Baker of Shireton          | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Galatea                        | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Aisle                          | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Shade                          | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| 5 Minutes to Burn Something!   | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Slouching Towards Bedlam       | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Theatre                        | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      4 |       96 | 4.1667 |
| Cactus Blue Motel              | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| Ecdysis                        | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| The King of Shreds and Patches | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| GROWBOTICS                     | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
| You Will Select a Decision     | Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! |      3 |       96 | 3.1250 |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------+--------+----------+--------+

And yes, both Chlorophyll and Zozzled appear fairly high up, though not at very large frequencies. Unfortunately, you can’t just add the two lines since it’s possible that the same people are being included in both.

It’s a bit interesting that it seems more likely for people to choose Chlorophyll shortly after Brain Guzzlers than Zozzled – perhaps because both Chlorophyll and Brain Guzzlers are sci-fi (or at least sci-fi adjacent).

It’s probably worth re-emphasizing that these charts have really long tails. Using the “5 picks before Brain Guzzlers” as an example, 304 unique games are on the complete list, and 230 of these (~76%) score only 1 for last_5. The whole set of activity amounts to 443 registered plays, and the top 20 list shown covers only 91 (~21%) of them.

1 Like
5

In addition to looking at ranges in terms of play order, it’s also possible to look at ranges in terms of time. For example, this lists games registered as played by people within 90 days (but not on the same day) as The Bat:

+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| f_title | t_title                                  | next_90d | num_poss | pct     |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| The Bat | The Den*                                 |       10 |       90 | 11.1111 |
| The Bat | Winter-Over                              |       10 |       90 | 11.1111 |
| The Bat | Forsaken Denizen*                        |        9 |       90 | 10.0000 |
| The Bat | Under the Cognomen of Edgar Allan Poe*   |        9 |       90 | 10.0000 |
| The Bat | Quest for the Teacup of Minor Sentimenta*|        8 |       90 |  8.8889 |
| The Bat | A few hours later in the day of The Egoc*|        8 |       90 |  8.8889 |
| The Bat | Welcome to the Universe*                 |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | An Account of Your Visit to the Enchante*|        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | The Bureau of Strange Happenings*        |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | When the Millennium Made Marvelous Moves*|        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | Eikas*                                   |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | Familiar Problems                        |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | Miss Gosling's Last Case*                |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | Dr Ludwig and the Devil                  |        7 |       90 |  7.7778 |
| The Bat | 198BREW*                                 |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
| The Bat | Rustjaw                                  |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
| The Bat | Verses*                                  |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
| The Bat | The Little Match Girl in the Court of Ma |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
| The Bat | You Can't Save Her*                      |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
| The Bat | KING OF XANADU*                          |        6 |       90 |  6.6667 |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+

I’ve manually marked all games appearing alongside it in IFComp 2024 with an asterisk. As a relatively new game, seeing the most correlations among games in the same comp is not surprising – as mentioned before, the culture around comps encourages this pattern.

It’s possible to strip out results from games that appeared in the same comp while retaining the 90-day range of interest. Here’s what that looks like for The Bat:

within 90 days of playing The Bat, games not in same comp 
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_title | t_title                                  | next_90d | num_poss | pct    |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| The Bat | Familiar Problems                        |        7 |       90 | 7.7778 |
| The Bat | Dr Ludwig and the Devil                  |        7 |       90 | 7.7778 |
| The Bat | The Little Match Girl in the Court of Ma |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | Dark and Deep                            |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | Sundown                                  |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | The Column                               |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | Rustjaw                                  |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | my father's long, long legs              |        6 |       90 | 6.6667 |
| The Bat | Nick Neat-Trick-Treat                    |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Type Help                                |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Never Gives Up Her Dead                  |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Last-Minute Magic                        |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Jumpscare Manor                          |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | An Admirer                               |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Die Another Day                          |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | According to Cain                        |        5 |       90 | 5.5556 |
| The Bat | Detectiveland                            |        4 |       90 | 4.4444 |
| The Bat | Three-Card Trick                         |        4 |       90 | 4.4444 |
| The Bat | Narthex                                  |        4 |       90 | 4.4444 |
| The Bat | Assembly                                 |        4 |       90 | 4.4444 |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+

A very different mix! Unfortunately, many of the entries are games appearing in ECTOComp 2024, which is hot on the heels of IFComp. So this still isn’t zeroing in on any suggestions of which game to play next based on “natural” (i.e. freeform browsing) choices.

1 Like
6

What about linking by game authors, instead of titles? The idea is that one game’s author (and their style or content) might signal what other authors with similar style/content the player could try in the future.

Since games take time to write, this would potentially shake out correlations in comps around the same time period.

7

It was a bit of a hassle, but I was able to figure out a way to screen out the vast majority of plays of games happening while they are part of a then-current competition. Finally, we’re able to see what looks like “natural” browsing behavior of a type that might be useful for recommendations.

As an example using the new method, here are the most-frequently “naturally” chosen games in the 90 day period after playing According to Cain:

+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title           | t_title                                  | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct    | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| According to Cain | The Wizard Sniffer                       |        7 | 2022-10-08 | 2026-01-20 |       86 | 8.1395 | 2017-10-01 | 2017-11-17 | 2022-11-02 | 2026-01-23 |
| According to Cain | Counterfeit Monkey                       |        7 | 2022-11-15 | 2026-06-13 |       86 | 8.1395 | NULL       | NULL       | 2022-12-12 | 2026-08-03 |
| According to Cain | Glass                                    |        6 | 2022-10-08 | 2024-12-21 |       86 | 6.9767 | NULL       | NULL       | 2022-10-18 | 2024-12-24 |
| According to Cain | The Weight of a Soul                     |        6 | 2022-10-08 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 6.9767 | 2017-04-03 | 2021-05-10 | 2022-11-17 | 2026-08-19 |
| According to Cain | Fairest                                  |        5 | 2022-10-08 | 2024-01-05 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2022-03-01 | 2022-05-10 | 2022-10-28 | 2024-02-01 |
| According to Cain | The King of Shreds and Patches           |        5 | 2023-07-07 | 2026-05-19 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2007-08-04 | 2007-08-26 | 2023-07-24 | 2026-05-22 |
| According to Cain | Anchorhead                               |        5 | 2023-01-14 | 2026-03-27 |       86 | 5.8140 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-03-24 | 2026-06-16 |
| According to Cain | Bell Park, Youth Detective               |        5 | 2022-10-31 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2013-09-28 | 2013-11-16 | 2022-12-04 | 2026-07-28 |
| According to Cain | my father's long, long legs              |        5 | 2022-10-08 | 2026-08-02 |       86 | 5.8140 | NULL       | NULL       | 2022-12-12 | 2026-08-05 |
| According to Cain | 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds   |        5 | 2022-10-08 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2016-10-01 | 2016-11-17 | 2022-10-21 | 2026-08-10 |
| According to Cain | To Hell in a Hamper                      |        5 | 2023-05-01 | 2026-05-19 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2003-04-20 | 2003-12-31 | 2023-05-04 | 2026-05-21 |
| According to Cain | What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed       |        5 | 2022-11-15 | 2026-05-19 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2021-09-01 | 2021-11-20 | 2022-12-18 | 2026-05-20 |
| According to Cain | And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike  |        5 | 2022-11-15 | 2026-03-27 |       86 | 5.8140 | 2021-09-01 | 2021-11-20 | 2022-12-18 | 2026-06-21 |
| According to Cain | Birdland                                 |        4 | 2022-10-31 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 4.6512 | 2015-10-01 | 2015-11-16 | 2022-12-05 | 2026-07-28 |
| According to Cain | The Little Match Girl against the Univer |        4 | 2023-09-04 | 2026-02-17 |       86 | 4.6512 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-11-19 | 2026-03-01 |
| According to Cain | Restitution                              |        4 | 2022-10-08 | 2022-11-15 |       86 | 4.6512 | NULL       | NULL       | 2022-11-06 | 2022-11-21 |
| According to Cain | Toby's Nose                              |        4 | 2024-05-06 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 4.6512 | 2015-04-04 | 2015-05-06 | 2024-05-07 | 2026-06-17 |
| According to Cain | The Den                                  |        4 | 2024-08-14 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 4.6512 | 2024-07-01 | 2024-10-19 | 2024-11-12 | 2026-07-07 |
| According to Cain | Erstwhile                                |        4 | 2022-10-08 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 4.6512 | 2018-10-01 | 2018-11-17 | 2022-11-26 | 2026-07-27 |
| According to Cain | Known Unknowns                           |        4 | 2022-11-15 | 2026-06-16 |       86 | 4.6512 | NULL       | NULL       | 2022-11-20 | 2026-07-29 |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

There’s some debugging date range data to help make sure the exclusion dates aren’t too distorted and that the plays being counted don’t fall within them. Games that show NULL for exclusion dates would be games released outside of competition contexts.

Same type of results for some other games:

Eikas 
+---------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title | t_title                                 | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct     | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+---------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Eikas   | A Dark Room                             |        5 | 2024-09-21 | 2026-04-24 |       38 | 13.1579 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-10-20 | 2026-05-01 |
| Eikas   | According to Cain                       |        4 | 2024-09-27 | 2026-04-24 |       38 | 10.5263 | 2022-07-01 | 2022-11-19 | 2024-12-17 | 2026-05-01 |
| Eikas   | Birdland                                |        4 | 2024-09-27 | 2026-07-27 |       38 | 10.5263 | 2015-10-01 | 2015-11-16 | 2024-12-20 | 2026-08-26 |
| Eikas   | Type Help                               |        4 | 2025-01-02 | 2026-02-10 |       38 | 10.5263 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-03-31 | 2026-02-17 |
| Eikas   | The Bones of Rosalinda                  |        3 | 2024-09-27 | 2024-10-28 |       38 |  7.8947 | 2022-03-01 | 2022-05-10 | 2024-10-29 | 2025-01-15 |
| Eikas   | Violet                                  |        3 | 2024-09-27 | 2026-02-10 |       38 |  7.8947 | 2008-09-29 | 2008-11-15 | 2024-12-10 | 2026-02-21 |
| Eikas   | Tavern Crawler                          |        3 | 2024-10-20 | 2026-03-27 |       38 |  7.8947 | 2020-10-01 | 2020-12-05 | 2024-12-17 | 2026-04-25 |
| Eikas   | Ataraxia                                |        3 | 2024-09-13 | 2025-05-07 |       38 |  7.8947 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-10-12 | 2025-06-19 |
| Eikas   | Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires |        3 | 2024-10-09 | 2026-02-10 |       38 |  7.8947 | 2021-03-01 | 2021-05-10 | 2024-10-25 | 2026-02-20 |
| Eikas   | Taco Fiction                            |        3 | 2024-10-18 | 2026-04-24 |       38 |  7.8947 | 2011-10-01 | 2011-11-16 | 2024-11-10 | 2026-05-06 |
| Eikas   | Assembly                                |        2 | 2024-10-18 | 2025-08-30 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2023-07-01 | 2023-11-19 | 2024-11-14 | 2025-09-03 |
| Eikas   | The Devil and the Mayor                 |        2 | 2025-08-30 | 2026-07-27 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2018-10-18 | 2019-05-06 | 2025-09-06 | 2026-08-25 |
| Eikas   | Disco Elysium - The Final Cut           |        2 | 2025-07-14 | 2026-04-24 |       38 |  5.2632 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-08-07 | 2026-04-26 |
| Eikas   | Every day I get emails                  |        2 | 2025-10-20 | 2026-07-27 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-30 | 2025-12-12 | 2026-08-06 |
| Eikas   | All the Colors of the Rainbow           |        2 | 2024-09-25 | 2024-09-27 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2021-10-01 | 2021-11-26 | 2024-10-20 | 2024-12-21 |
| Eikas   | Use Your Psychic Powers at Applebee's   |        2 | 2026-02-10 | 2026-07-27 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2022-07-01 | 2022-11-19 | 2026-02-21 | 2026-07-28 |
| Eikas   | Ostrich                                 |        2 | 2024-10-09 | 2026-07-27 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2018-10-01 | 2018-11-17 | 2024-10-21 | 2026-08-25 |
| Eikas   | Never Gives Up Her Dead                 |        2 | 2024-09-13 | 2024-10-18 |       38 |  5.2632 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-10-04 | 2024-12-20 |
| Eikas   | What the Bus?                           |        2 | 2024-09-13 | 2024-10-09 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2020-10-01 | 2020-12-05 | 2024-09-25 | 2024-11-09 |
| Eikas   | Death By Powerpoint                     |        2 | 2024-09-25 | 2024-10-16 |       38 |  5.2632 | 2018-10-26 | 2018-12-01 | 2024-10-27 | 2024-11-12 |
+---------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
Arkuwar 
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title | t_title                                  | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct     | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Arkuwar | Why I Haven't Had a Haircut in Eight Yea |        3 | 2025-01-02 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 42.8571 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-25 | 2025-02-05 |
| Arkuwar | Type Help                                |        3 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 42.8571 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-03-09 | 2025-04-09 |
| Arkuwar | constellate                              |        3 | 2025-01-02 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 42.8571 | 2024-02-01 | 2024-02-29 | 2025-01-17 | 2025-02-05 |
| Arkuwar | te/ra/to/ma                              |        3 | 2024-12-07 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 42.8571 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-12-11 | 2025-03-22 |
| Arkuwar | the train will always pass you by        |        3 | 2024-12-07 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 42.8571 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-28 | 2025-03-21 |
| Arkuwar | My Grandfather's Chattels                |        2 | 2024-12-07 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-03-04 | 2025-03-05 |
| Arkuwar | In Sun-Drenched Gardens                  |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-06 | 2025-01-22 |
| Arkuwar | REPEAT IT BACK TO ME                     |        2 | 2025-01-14 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-16 | 2025-01-29 |
| Arkuwar | Scents & Semiosis                        |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-02-11 | 2025-03-02 |
| Arkuwar | Cuppa Quest                              |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-24 | 2025-01-27 |
| Arkuwar | Get Out of Match Lake                    |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-21 | 2025-01-26 |
| Arkuwar | she came from the fog                    |        2 | 2024-12-07 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-28 | 2025-01-28 |
| Arkuwar | Heaven Alive                             |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-22 | 2025-01-27 |
| Arkuwar | Eider Cake                               |        2 | 2025-01-02 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-24 | 2025-02-05 |
| Arkuwar | salting wounds                           |        2 | 2024-12-07 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-02-05 | 2025-02-05 |
| Arkuwar | A cozy space capsule                     |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-20 | 2025-01-27 |
| Arkuwar | Dumbass/smartass                         |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-16 | 2025-01-26 |
| Arkuwar | you are an ancient chinese poet in exile |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-19 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-25 | 2025-01-26 |
| Arkuwar | Adventure Game                           |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-03-19 | 2025-03-19 |
| Arkuwar | A changing greenhouse (extended version) |        2 | 2025-01-03 | 2025-01-14 |        7 | 28.5714 | NULL       | NULL       | 2025-01-17 | 2025-01-26 |
+---------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
Skies Above 
+-------------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title     | t_title                                 | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct     | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+-------------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Skies Above | Violet                                  |        3 | 2020-05-13 | 2025-09-29 |       27 | 11.1111 | 2008-09-29 | 2008-11-15 | 2020-06-23 | 2025-09-30 |
| Skies Above | Erstwhile                               |        3 | 2019-11-20 | 2023-05-17 |       27 | 11.1111 | 2018-10-01 | 2018-11-17 | 2019-11-23 | 2023-06-04 |
| Skies Above | The Impossible Bottle                   |        3 | 2021-01-09 | 2023-05-17 |       27 | 11.1111 | 2020-10-01 | 2020-12-05 | 2021-02-25 | 2023-05-18 |
| Skies Above | Horse Master                            |        3 | 2021-01-25 | 2021-04-13 |       27 | 11.1111 | NULL       | NULL       | 2021-01-26 | 2021-04-20 |
| Skies Above | Dead of Winter                          |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-07-25 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-17 | 2021-09-19 |
| Skies Above | An Act of Murder                        |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-07-25 |       27 |  7.4074 | 2007-09-29 | 2007-11-15 | 2020-06-23 | 2021-08-20 |
| Skies Above | The Lost Labyrinth of Lazaitch          |        2 | 2019-11-20 | 2025-02-23 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2019-12-23 | 2025-03-27 |
| Skies Above | Fingertips: Who's Knockin' On The Wall? |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2023-05-17 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-07-02 | 2023-06-03 |
| Skies Above | Taco Fiction                            |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-03-12 |       27 |  7.4074 | 2011-10-01 | 2011-11-16 | 2020-06-23 | 2021-03-15 |
| Skies Above | Jobs for Antioch!                       |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-07-25 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-05 | 2021-08-27 |
| Skies Above | Castle of the Red Prince                |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-01-09 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-21 | 2021-02-27 |
| Skies Above | The Play                                |        2 | 2021-03-12 | 2022-04-23 |       27 |  7.4074 | 2011-10-01 | 2011-11-16 | 2021-06-09 | 2022-06-05 |
| Skies Above | The Forest of Fear                      |        2 | 2019-11-20 | 2021-07-25 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2019-11-27 | 2021-08-11 |
| Skies Above | The Familiar                            |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2020-07-22 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-07-06 | 2020-07-28 |
| Skies Above | Ryan Veeder's Authentic Fly Fishing     |        2 | 2019-10-14 | 2025-08-14 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2019-11-24 | 2025-10-20 |
| Skies Above | Aisle                                   |        2 | 2023-05-17 | 2025-02-23 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-06-03 | 2025-03-08 |
| Skies Above | Trinity                                 |        2 | 2020-05-13 | 2021-03-12 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-03 | 2021-03-17 |
| Skies Above | Mud Warriors                            |        2 | 2021-07-25 | 2025-02-23 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2021-09-23 | 2025-05-07 |
| Skies Above | Counterfeit Monkey                      |        2 | 2021-04-13 | 2025-09-29 |       27 |  7.4074 | NULL       | NULL       | 2021-04-17 | 2025-09-30 |
| Skies Above | Kerkerkruip                             |        2 | 2019-10-21 | 2023-05-17 |       27 |  7.4074 | 2011-10-01 | 2011-11-16 | 2020-01-15 | 2023-06-25 |
+-------------+-----------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
Sohoek Ekalmoe 
+----------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title        | t_title                                  | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct     | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+----------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Blue Lacuna                              |        4 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 23.5294 | 2008-04-02 | 2008-05-06 | 2020-08-31 | 2024-05-13 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Three-Card Trick                         |        4 | 2020-06-06 | 2025-08-29 |       17 | 23.5294 | 2016-04-06 | 2016-05-08 | 2020-06-27 | 2025-09-29 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Castle of the Red Prince                 |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2023-12-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-21 | 2023-12-26 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | A Day for Fresh Sushi                    |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-09-04 | 2024-05-03 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Terminal Interface for Models RCM301-303 |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2025-08-29 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2018-10-01 | 2018-11-17 | 2020-07-01 | 2025-10-09 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Ariadne in Aeaea                         |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2022-08-12 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2016-10-01 | 2016-11-17 | 2020-06-29 | 2022-08-23 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Her Majesty's Trolley Problem            |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2015-11-30 | 2016-01-21 | 2020-06-22 | 2024-05-04 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Alabaster                                |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-21 | 2024-05-03 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Toby's Nose                              |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2015-04-04 | 2015-05-06 | 2020-09-03 | 2024-05-07 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | You are a Chef!                          |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-18 | 2024-05-03 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Crocodracula: The Beginning              |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-07-29 | 2024-05-10 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Color the Truth                          |        3 | 2022-08-12 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2016-10-01 | 2016-11-17 | 2022-08-23 | 2024-05-04 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Lost Pig                                 |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 17.6471 | 2007-09-29 | 2007-11-15 | 2020-07-17 | 2024-05-05 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Mind The Gap                             |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2020-06-27 |       17 | 17.6471 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-07-13 | 2020-07-27 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Glowgrass                                |        3 | 2020-06-06 | 2021-09-29 |       17 | 17.6471 | 1997-01-01 | 1998-01-10 | 2020-07-31 | 2021-12-18 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | I'll                                     |        2 | 2020-06-06 | 2020-06-06 |       17 | 11.7647 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-30 | 2020-07-22 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | The Wizard Sniffer                       |        2 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 11.7647 | 2017-10-01 | 2017-11-17 | 2020-09-03 | 2024-04-29 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Ad Verbum                                |        2 | 2020-06-06 | 2024-04-14 |       17 | 11.7647 | 2000-01-01 | 2000-11-15 | 2020-06-23 | 2024-05-06 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | Glass                                    |        2 | 2020-06-06 | 2023-12-14 |       17 | 11.7647 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-06-27 | 2023-12-22 |
| Sohoek Ekalmoe | The Gay Science                          |        2 | 2020-06-06 | 2020-06-06 |       17 | 11.7647 | NULL       | NULL       | 2020-07-16 | 2020-09-01 |
+----------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
Dr Ludwig and the Devil 
+-------------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| f_title                 | t_title                                  | next_90d | min_g1_dt  | max_g1_dt  | num_poss | pct    | excl_start | excl_end   | min_g2_dt  | max_g2_dt  |
+-------------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Never Gives Up Her Dead                  |        7 | 2023-10-02 | 2026-07-05 |       80 | 8.7500 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-12-22 | 2026-07-09 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | You're a Time Agent!                     |        7 | 2023-10-03 | 2025-05-06 |       80 | 8.7500 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-12-30 | 2025-06-11 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | POV: You're a Teenage Girl in a Conserva |        6 | 2023-10-03 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 7.5000 | 2023-10-01 | 2023-10-31 | 2023-11-14 | 2024-01-27 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Toby's Nose                              |        6 | 2023-10-02 | 2025-10-31 |       80 | 7.5000 | 2015-04-04 | 2015-05-06 | 2023-11-24 | 2025-12-01 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Killing Machine Loves Slime Prince       |        6 | 2023-10-03 | 2024-05-24 |       80 | 7.5000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-11-11 | 2024-07-04 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | free bird.                               |        5 | 2023-10-02 | 2025-01-31 |       80 | 6.2500 | 2023-01-09 | 2023-03-01 | 2023-12-26 | 2025-03-09 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian |        5 | 2023-10-02 | 2025-04-12 |       80 | 6.2500 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-11-10 | 2025-04-16 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Your World According to a Single Word    |        5 | 2023-10-03 | 2024-07-07 |       80 | 6.2500 | 2023-10-01 | 2023-10-31 | 2023-11-14 | 2024-08-24 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Chinese Family Dinner Moment             |        5 | 2023-10-03 | 2024-10-20 |       80 | 6.2500 | 2023-07-14 | 2023-08-18 | 2023-12-05 | 2024-12-28 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | NEST                                     |        5 | 2023-10-02 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 6.2500 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-11-12 | 2024-01-27 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | No Space at the Movies                   |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-01-02 | 2024-01-25 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Time's Gap                               |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-01-02 | 2024-01-25 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | my heart, bared.                         |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-12 |       80 | 5.0000 | 2023-07-14 | 2023-08-18 | 2023-12-05 | 2024-02-03 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | The Ballroom                             |        4 | 2023-10-02 | 2025-04-12 |       80 | 5.0000 | 2018-10-18 | 2019-05-06 | 2023-11-13 | 2025-05-24 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | bl.ink                                   |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | 2023-10-20 | 2023-10-23 | 2024-01-05 | 2024-01-26 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Bill's Passage                           |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-01-09 | 2024-01-26 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | The Little Match Girl against the Univer |        4 | 2023-10-02 | 2023-11-18 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2023-11-19 | 2023-11-24 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | The Loyal Doom - A PowerPoint Game       |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-01-09 | 2024-01-25 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Confectioner's Atelier                   |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | 2023-10-20 | 2023-10-23 | 2023-12-04 | 2024-01-27 |
| Dr Ludwig and the Devil | Bittersweet Harvest                      |        4 | 2023-11-06 | 2023-12-02 |       80 | 5.0000 | NULL       | NULL       | 2024-01-11 | 2024-01-27 |
+-------------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+------------+------------+----------+--------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

@jnelson: I think the question of author-to-author patterns is interesting and will follow up about that.

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8

On the question of author-to-author transitions in user choices, this gets tricky to measure when you talk about choices over a time range or a series of picks, but it’s pretty straightforward if you stick to just the immediate next pick.

+------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_author   | t_author                                 | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct    |
+------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| Jim Nelson | Emily Short                              |        7 |      125 | 5.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | SV Linwood                               |        5 |      125 | 4.0000 |
| Jim Nelson | Chandler Groover                         |        5 |      125 | 4.0000 |
| Jim Nelson | Ryan Veeder                              |        4 |      125 | 3.2000 |
| Jim Nelson | Daniel M. Stelzer                        |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Admiral Jota                             |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Arthur DiBianca                          |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Jon Ingold                               |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Autumn Chen                              |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Lauren O'Donoghue                        |        3 |      125 | 2.4000 |
| Jim Nelson | Mathbrush                                |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Brendan Patrick Hennessy                 |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Jim Nelson                               |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Amanda Walker                            |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Mike Spivey                              |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Allyson Gray                             |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Stewart C Baker, Phoebe Barton, James Be |        2 |      125 | 1.6000 |
| Jim Nelson | Papillon                                 |        1 |      125 | 0.8000 |
| Jim Nelson | Hanon Ondricek (as Keanhid Connor)       |        1 |      125 | 0.8000 |
| Jim Nelson | Johan Berntsson                          |        1 |      125 | 0.8000 |
+------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+

Same chart for a handful of other authors:

SV Linwood 
+------------+--------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_author   | t_author                 | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct    |
+------------+--------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| SV Linwood | Ryan Veeder              |        9 |      195 | 4.6154 |
| SV Linwood | SV Linwood               |        6 |      195 | 3.0769 |
| SV Linwood | Arthur DiBianca          |        6 |      195 | 3.0769 |
| SV Linwood | Ben Jackson              |        6 |      195 | 3.0769 |
| SV Linwood | B.J. Best                |        6 |      195 | 3.0769 |
| SV Linwood | mathbrush                |        5 |      195 | 2.5641 |
| SV Linwood | Charm Cochran            |        4 |      195 | 2.0513 |
| SV Linwood | C.E.J. Pacian            |        4 |      195 | 2.0513 |
| SV Linwood | Chandler Groover         |        4 |      195 | 2.0513 |
| SV Linwood | Ben Kirwin               |        4 |      195 | 2.0513 |
| SV Linwood | Abigail Corfman          |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Andrew Plotkin           |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Brendan Patrick Hennessy |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | William Rous             |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Felicity Banks           |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Yakoub Mousli            |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Allyson Gray             |        3 |      195 | 1.5385 |
| SV Linwood | Autumn Chen              |        2 |      195 | 1.0256 |
| SV Linwood | Agnieszka Trzaska        |        2 |      195 | 1.0256 |
| SV Linwood | Naarel                   |        2 |      195 | 1.0256 |
+------------+--------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
Emery Joyce 
+-------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_author    | t_author                   | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct    |
+-------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| Emery Joyce | Emery Joyce                |       10 |      188 | 5.3191 |
| Emery Joyce | Ryan Veeder                |        5 |      188 | 2.6596 |
| Emery Joyce | Andrew Schultz             |        4 |      188 | 2.1277 |
| Emery Joyce | Melvin Rangasamy           |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Mathbrush                  |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | M.J. Antonellis            |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Charm Cochran              |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Emery Joyce and N. Cormier |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Dee Cooke                  |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Kastel                     |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Nils Fagerburg             |        3 |      188 | 1.5957 |
| Emery Joyce | Anna Anthropy              |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Justin de Vesine           |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Kevin Jackson-Mead         |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Michael D. Hilborn         |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Ann Hugo                   |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Sophia Zhao                |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | James Heaton               |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Autumn Chen                |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
| Emery Joyce | Arthur DiBianca            |        2 |      188 | 1.0638 |
+-------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
Ryan Veeder 
-------------+--------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| f_author    | t_author                       | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct     |
+-------------+--------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| Ryan Veeder | Ryan Veeder                    |      306 |     1472 | 20.7880 |
| Ryan Veeder | Emily Short                    |       33 |     1472 |  2.2418 |
| Ryan Veeder | Chandler Groover               |       29 |     1472 |  1.9701 |
| Ryan Veeder | Andrew Plotkin                 |       23 |     1472 |  1.5625 |
| Ryan Veeder | Adam Cadre                     |       20 |     1472 |  1.3587 |
| Ryan Veeder | C.E.J. Pacian                  |       17 |     1472 |  1.1549 |
| Ryan Veeder | Porpentine                     |       13 |     1472 |  0.8832 |
| Ryan Veeder | J. J. Guest                    |       13 |     1472 |  0.8832 |
| Ryan Veeder | Steph Cherrywell               |       12 |     1472 |  0.8152 |
| Ryan Veeder | Ryan Veeder and Emily Boegheim |       12 |     1472 |  0.8152 |
| Ryan Veeder | Mathbrush                      |       12 |     1472 |  0.8152 |
| Ryan Veeder | Brendan Patrick Hennessy       |       11 |     1472 |  0.7473 |
| Ryan Veeder | Jeremy Freese                  |       10 |     1472 |  0.6793 |
| Ryan Veeder | Amanda Walker                  |       10 |     1472 |  0.6793 |
| Ryan Veeder | Arthur DiBianca                |       10 |     1472 |  0.6793 |
| Ryan Veeder | Buster Hudson                  |        9 |     1472 |  0.6114 |
| Ryan Veeder | Wade Clarke                    |        9 |     1472 |  0.6114 |
| Ryan Veeder | Anonymous                      |        9 |     1472 |  0.6114 |
| Ryan Veeder | Andrew Schultz                 |        9 |     1472 |  0.6114 |
| Ryan Veeder | SV Linwood                     |        9 |     1472 |  0.6114 |
+-------------+--------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
Emily Short 
+-------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| f_author    | t_author                                 | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct     |
+-------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| Emily Short | Emily Short                              |      554 |     3262 | 16.9834 |
| Emily Short | Andrew Plotkin                           |      173 |     3262 |  5.3035 |
| Emily Short | Adam Cadre                               |       88 |     3262 |  2.6977 |
| Emily Short | Adam Cadre (as Opal O'Donnell)           |       68 |     3262 |  2.0846 |
| Emily Short | Admiral Jota                             |       66 |     3262 |  2.0233 |
| Emily Short | Jon Ingold                               |       56 |     3262 |  1.7167 |
| Emily Short | C.E.J. Pacian                            |       53 |     3262 |  1.6248 |
| Emily Short | Michael Gentry                           |       53 |     3262 |  1.6248 |
| Emily Short | John Cater, Rob Dubbin, Eric Eve, Elizab |       52 |     3262 |  1.5941 |
| Emily Short | Sam Barlow                               |       49 |     3262 |  1.5021 |
| Emily Short | Jeremy Freese                            |       44 |     3262 |  1.3489 |
| Emily Short | Chandler Groover                         |       35 |     3262 |  1.0730 |
| Emily Short | Brendan Patrick Hennessy                 |       33 |     3262 |  1.0116 |
| Emily Short | Ryan Veeder                              |       32 |     3262 |  0.9810 |
| Emily Short | Star C. Foster and Daniel Ravipinto      |       30 |     3262 |  0.9197 |
| Emily Short | Victor Gijsbers                          |       30 |     3262 |  0.9197 |
| Emily Short | David Fisher                             |       29 |     3262 |  0.8890 |
| Emily Short | Graham Nelson                            |       27 |     3262 |  0.8277 |
| Emily Short | Porpentine                               |       26 |     3262 |  0.7971 |
| Emily Short | Anonymous                                |       24 |     3262 |  0.7357 |
+-------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
C.E.J. Pacian 
+---------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| f_author      | t_author                                 | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct     |
+---------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
| C.E.J. Pacian | C.E.J. Pacian                            |      113 |     1033 | 10.9390 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Emily Short                              |       49 |     1033 |  4.7435 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Andrew Plotkin                           |       30 |     1033 |  2.9042 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Chandler Groover                         |       29 |     1033 |  2.8074 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Ryan Veeder                              |       22 |     1033 |  2.1297 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Admiral Jota                             |       16 |     1033 |  1.5489 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Buster Hudson                            |       16 |     1033 |  1.5489 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Adam Cadre                               |       15 |     1033 |  1.4521 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Daniel M. Stelzer                        |       13 |     1033 |  1.2585 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Jeremy Freese                            |       12 |     1033 |  1.1617 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Victor Gijsbers                          |       10 |     1033 |  0.9681 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Stephen Granade                          |        9 |     1033 |  0.8712 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Caelyn Sandel (as Colin Sandel) and Caro |        9 |     1033 |  0.8712 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Porpentine                               |        9 |     1033 |  0.8712 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Aaron A. Reed                            |        8 |     1033 |  0.7744 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | J. J. Guest                              |        8 |     1033 |  0.7744 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Jon Ingold                               |        8 |     1033 |  0.7744 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Eric Eve                                 |        8 |     1033 |  0.7744 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Abigail Corfman                          |        8 |     1033 |  0.7744 |
| C.E.J. Pacian | Ian Finley                               |        7 |     1033 |  0.6776 |
+---------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+
Agnieszka Trzaska 
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_author          | t_author                                 | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct    |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Agnieszka Trzaska                        |       14 |      212 | 6.6038 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Andrew Plotkin                           |        4 |      212 | 1.8868 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Mathbrush                                |        4 |      212 | 1.8868 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | B.J. Best (writing as “Carroll Lewis")   |        4 |      212 | 1.8868 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Lauren O'Donoghue                        |        4 |      212 | 1.8868 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | C.E.J. Pacian                            |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Emery Joyce and N. Cormier               |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Nils Fagerburg                           |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Emily Short                              |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Sarah Willson                            |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Arthur DiBianca                          |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Amanda Walker                            |        3 |      212 | 1.4151 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | half sick of shadows                     |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Victor Gijsbers                          |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Bitter Karella                           |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Wonaglot                                 |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | ProP                                     |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Damon L. Wakes                           |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Daniel Talsky                            |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
| Agnieszka Trzaska | Jim Munroe                               |        2 |      212 | 0.9434 |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+----------+----------+--------+

Note that the above charts aren’t trying to screen out games played in the same comp, so some of the association comes from authors submitting games to the same contest. Also note that the above charts are not being smart about situations involving shared authorship or pseudonyms; they use only the raw author name data as seen in IFDB entries. Using EJoyce’s games as an example and expanding the match to multi-author games, we would see:

+----------------------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| f_author                   | t_author                   | nxt_auth | num_poss | pct    |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+
| Emery Joyce and N. Cormier | Emery Joyce and N. Cormier |       17 |      358 | 4.7486 |
| Emery Joyce                | Emery Joyce                |       10 |      358 | 2.7933 |
| Emery Joyce                | Emery Joyce and N. Cormier |        3 |      358 | 0.8380 |
| Emery Joyce and N. Cormier | Emery Joyce                |        3 |      358 | 0.8380 |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+----------+----------+--------+

In this case the num_poss value also includes plays of Starship Fabulous, but it appears that this game has never been a registered play on IFDB immediately before or after another game written at least in part by EJoyce.

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