TY - JOUR
T1 - Dive Deeper
T2 - Empirical Analysis of Game Mechanics and Perceived Value in Serious Games
AU - Kniestedt, Isabelle
AU - Gómez Maureira, Marcello A.
AU - Lefter, Iulia
AU - Lukosch, Stephan
AU - Brazier, Frances M.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Validation of serious games tends to focus on evaluating their design as a whole. While this helps to assess whether a particular combination of game mechanics is successful, it provides little insight into how individual mechanics contribute or detract from a serious game's purpose or a player's game experience. This study analyses the effect of game mechanics commonly used in casual games for engagement, measured as a combination of player behaviour and reported game experience. Secondly, it examines the role of a serious game's purpose on those same measures. An experimental study was conducted with 204 participants playing several versions of a serious game to explore these points. The results show that adding additional game mechanics to a core gameplay loop did not lead to participants playing more or longer, nor did it improve their game experience. Players who were aware of the game's purpose, however, perceived the game as more beneficial, scored their game experience higher, and progressed further. The results show that game mechanics on their own do not necessarily improve engagement, while the effect of perceived value deserves further study.
AB - Validation of serious games tends to focus on evaluating their design as a whole. While this helps to assess whether a particular combination of game mechanics is successful, it provides little insight into how individual mechanics contribute or detract from a serious game's purpose or a player's game experience. This study analyses the effect of game mechanics commonly used in casual games for engagement, measured as a combination of player behaviour and reported game experience. Secondly, it examines the role of a serious game's purpose on those same measures. An experimental study was conducted with 204 participants playing several versions of a serious game to explore these points. The results show that adding additional game mechanics to a core gameplay loop did not lead to participants playing more or longer, nor did it improve their game experience. Players who were aware of the game's purpose, however, perceived the game as more beneficial, scored their game experience higher, and progressed further. The results show that game mechanics on their own do not necessarily improve engagement, while the effect of perceived value deserves further study.
KW - engagement
KW - game design
KW - game mechanics
KW - game user experience
KW - serious game
KW - validation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117073565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3474663
DO - 10.1145/3474663
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117073565
SN - 2573-0142
VL - 5
SP - 1
EP - 25
JO - Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
JF - Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
IS - CHIPLAY
M1 - 236
ER -