Analysis and Evaluation of Player Engagement in Serious Education Game using Game Refinement Theory Case Study: Arithmatopia Game

Abstract

Deep engagement when playing games has the potential to be one of the important things that determines the impact of playing games, especially in serious education games that have the specific purpose of helping players learn a certain subject. Arithmatopia is a serious education game to help elementary school students improve arithmetic skills with the gamification of number bonds to 10 method proposed by Rowland (2008) with three gameplay modes single player, competitive multiplayer, and cooperative-competitive multiplayer. Game refinement theory is a theory introduced by Iida (2004) about the uncertainty of game results that can be used to measure player engagement. Game refinement theory is used to get the value of refinement to compare three gameplay modes single player, competitive multiplayer, and cooperative-competitive multiplayer in Arithmatopia. The results show that cooperative-competitive multiplayer mode is the mode that can create the highest player engagement in Arithmatopia with the highest average refinement value of 0.095 ± 0.02 in 3 games, followed by competitive multiplayer mode of 0.085 ± 0.013 in 3 games and the lowest is the single player mode of 0.082 ± 0.004 in 3 games. The results obtained have proved and supported quantitative statements in the results of previous qualitative research on multiplayer gameplay which is better for creating high player engagement compared to single player gameplay in games.