Game Design Research Articles

Evaluating and validating the Serious Slow Game Jam methodology as a mechanism for co-designing serious games to improve understanding of cybersecurity for different demographics

We present an evaluation of a Serious Slow Game Jam (SSGJ) methodology as a mechanism for co-designing serious games in the application domain of cybersecurity, to evaluate how the SSGJ methodology contributed to improving the understanding of cybersecurity for different demographics. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the SSGJ contributed to improving the understanding of cybersecurity for young persons between the ages of 11 and 16 years old who had no formal training or education in cybersecurity, and to validate and compare these results to previous work where the same SSGJ methodology was used with a different target demographic (i.e.,M.Sc. students with no formal training or education in secure coding). To this end, we engaged 23 participants between the ages of 11 and 16 years old for 5 consecutive days over a one-week period, in a multidisciplinary SSGJ involving domain-specific, pedagogical, and game design knowledge, and encouraged engagement in-between scheduled events of the SSGJ. Findings show improved confidence of participants in their knowledge of cybersecurity, for both demographics, after undertaking the Serious Slow Game Jam (from 41.2% to 76.5% for young persons, and from 12.5% to 62.5% for M.Sc. students). Free-text answers specifically indicate an improved understanding of cybersecurity in general, and one specific security vulnerability, attack or defence for a quarter of young persons, and the trichotomy of security vulnerabilities, attacks, and defences for three quarters of the M.Sc. students. Also, confidence in knowledge of game design improved for both demographics (from 47.1% to 82.4% for young persons and from 12.5% to 75% for M.Sc. students). The SSGJ methodology also successfully engaged both demographics of participants in-between scheduled days. Finally, two serious games in the application domain of cybersecurity are presented that were co-designed during the SSGJ with participants and produced as an output of the SSGJs.

Distributed Strategy Design for Nonlinear Games With General Linear Players and Its Application to Autonomous Electricity Markets

Distributed Strategy Design for Nonlinear Games With General Linear Players and Its Application to Autonomous Electricity Markets

Effects of Meaningful Choices in Serious Games for Meaningful Learning

This action research study examines how meaningful choice design affects the overall meaningful learning experience of a virtual reality educational serious game. An intervention was developed to teach hazard detection in mines and was tested by mining engineering postgraduate students at the local tertiary institution. The study's findings revealed that meaningful choice design significantly improved the overall learning experience. This design approach empowered players to tailor their experiences based on their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to establish a personalized flow and pace to master the content. Moreover, participants expressed that the inclusion of meaningful choice design enriched their serious game experience and, consequently, enhanced their learning outcomes.Future research on serious games should focus on exploring replayability, quantifying the impact of positive game experiences on learning, and implementing various game design principles in educational serious games. This study advances game-based education by emphasizing the benefits of using game design techniques and positive play experiences for learning.

The Design of the Nusantara Quest Game on Mobile Platforms for the Cultural Arts Subject for Grade X Students

This research aims to design a mobile-based game called Nusantara Quest to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in Arts Education for 10th-grade students. The educational game is developed using the Unity platform and follows the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). The analysis phase involves studying student characteristics and material needs. During the design phase, game flow, user interface, and educational content are created. The development phase includes game creation and validation by media and content experts. Implementation involves trials with students from SMK Negeri 5 Sidrap, and the evaluation phase assesses the effectiveness of the game in improving student interest and understanding of Arts Education material. The research findings indicate that the quiz-based educational game is valid and effective as an interactive learning media S

Digital literacy games: a systematic literature review

This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review of academic publications about digital literacy games. We have analyzed a total of 30 papers and book chapters published in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch between 2005 and 2021 and stored in Scopus. The results of this literature review report on: (1) the topics of the games discussed in the publications; (2) the digital literacy competencies supported by the games studied in the publications; (3) the effects of these games; and (4) ten game design considerations for digital literacy games collected from the results of the publications. This paper also provides detailed access to the original sources by reporting on which paper addressed what.

Eight types of video game experience

The study of game experience is a well-established area within game research, supported by numerous models. These models, while valuable, often focus on analyzing game experiences within specific contexts rather than facilitating comparative analyses. Addressing this research gap, our study empirically identifies prevalent game experience types that are common across various games. By analyzing 5,372 game experience descriptions provided by 1,193 survey respondents, this research employs a survey design inspired by the flow of qualitative interviews, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the diverse factors shaping these experiences. Through latent class analysis, we delineate eight distinct game experience types: Compelling Challenge, Immersive Exploring, Creative Caring, Energetic Rushing, Competitive Shooting, Cheerful Bouncing, Strategic Management, and Daily Dwelling. Each type is analyzed in terms of both the variables from the latent class analysis and additional survey variables, enhancing our understanding of their unique and comparative characteristics. This approach sheds light on the multifaceted nature of game experiences and broadens our insights into player engagement across different game genres, offering practical implications for game design, marketing, and future research.

Implementation of "Room of Batik" Android Game Design

Implementation of "Room of Batik" Android Game Design

A genetic algorithm-based method to modulate the difficulty of serious games along consecutive robot-assisted therapy sessions

Background and Objective:One of the biggest challenges during neurorehabilitation therapies is finding an appropriate level of therapy intensity for each patient to ensure the recovery of movement of the affected limbs while maintaining motivation. Different studies have proposed adapting the difficulty of exercises based on psychophysiological state, based on success rate, or by modeling the user’s skills. However, all studies propose solutions for a single session, requiring a calibration process before using it in each session. We propose a dynamic adaptation method that can be used during different rehabilitation sessions, without the need for recalibration between sessions. Methods:The adaptation architecture is based on a genetic algorithm that aims to maintain a certain score level and to motivate the user to move. The method has been evaluated with two serious games for five sessions using a rehabilitation robot. A common initial evaluation was made for all the users involved in the study, and the game parameters that best suited each user from the previous session were introduced as the starting point of the next session. In addition, the desired score rate was lowered between sessions to increase the difficulty level. The psychophysiological state of the users was measured based on the Self-Assessment Manikin test, as well as different cardiorespiratory and galvanic skin response signals were analyzed. Results:The adaptation architecture proposed can find those game parameters that maximize the user movement for both games. In one of the games, the score rate set for each session is followed with high fidelity. The degree of personalization in the games increases between sessions as the dispersion of the game parameters grows. The Self-Assessment Manikin test and the physiological signals results would indicate that the psychophysiological state remains equal between sessions despite an increase in game difficulty. Conclusions:The genetic algorithm-based game adaptation has proven efficacy in maximizing the therapy performance through the sessions without needing recalibration. It also can be concluded that the design of the game influences the adaptation performance. Additionally, adaptive game design facilitated by our method does not significantly impact players’ emotional or physiological states.

Noita

In this article, we present a case study where we used timelines as a structuring method for understanding the creative process of game development spanning several years. In the case study, an indie game, Noita, with over ten years of development time, was analyzed through a multitude of sources such as devlogs, prototypes, builds, interviews and fan engagement. As a result, we came up with a timeline with over 150 entries in seven distinct phases to showcase the richness of the design journey, with multiple milestones and influences on the development process. In this article, we reflect on the research process and suggest the use of the timeline method as a part of the multidisciplinary toolset for studying game design.

Street landscape environment design based on visual technology and entertainment robots: Computer simulation gamification landscape design

In recent years, with the development of social economy and the innovation of science and technology, the street landscape environment design based on visual technology and entertainment robot has been widely concerned. This paper aims to explore how to use computer simulation and gamification design methods to enhance the entertainment and attractiveness of street landscapes. In this paper, the basic principles of computer vision and V2X vehicle networking are deeply studied, and a series of simulation experiments and data analysis are carried out in combination with actual scenarios to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of V2X vehicle networking mode based on computer vision in urban street landscape design. V2X vehicle networking mode through real-time information exchange with road infrastructure, other vehicles, pedestrians, etc., can obtain a large number of urban streetscape design related data. Studies have shown that this design approach can increase people’s interest and engagement in street landscapes, and increase the entertainment experience and sense of interaction of urban residents.

Digital Media Era: Innovation and Development in College Art Education

In the context of rapid advancements in digital media technology, college art education faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This paper explores the application of digital media technology in art education, analyzes the innovative practices in college art education, and proposes strategic considerations for future development. Through the application of technologies such as digital painting, digital imaging and video art, interactive media, and game design, combined with curriculum reform, teaching method innovation, and teacher capacity building, this paper provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the innovation and development of college art education.

The influence of age, sex and player position on skill demands in junior Australian football

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate how ecological constraints influence individual player skill demands in community-level junior Australian Football (AF). Footage from 68 junior AF games, incorporating 1874 unique players, were analysed for individual skill demands such as disposals, kicks, handballs, tackles, marks, and shots at goal per player per game. Multiple linear mixed effect models were created for each skill, using player as a random effect. The impact of age, relative area per player (RAPP), number of players on the team, quarters in midfield, and weather on skill demands was assessed in U9-U14 boys. Finally, the influence of sex on the same skills was explored in U11-U14 boys and girls. Younger players were found to have fewer disposals and handballs, but more tackles, per player than older players (all p < 0.05). Further, more quarters in the midfield increased all skill demands (all p < 0.001). Finally, girls had fewer disposals and marks, but more tackles, per player than boys (all p < 0.05). Overall, age, sex, and position significantly impacted players’ exposure to skills in junior AF. Game designers should consider methods to improve skill involvement and reduce tackling exposure early in the junior pathway, with further emphasis on the girls’ game.

The application of effective tracking model in the design of student knowledge education games

As the boost of the economy and the improvement of residents’ living standards, education issues are receiving increasing attention; In response to the issue of rational design of educational games, this study investigates the application of effective tracking models in the design of student knowledge education games. Firstly, this study constructs a personalized knowledge tracking model in view of multi feature fusion; Then, it builds a contextualized narrative education game model integrated with the Adaptive learning framework. The results show that when 40% training set is selected, the accuracy of the personalized knowledge tracking model in view of multi feature fusion is the highest, 0.98, the lowest root mean square error is 0.25, and the lowest Mean absolute error is 0.21; The accuracy of Bayesian knowledge tracking is the lowest, 0.57 in the best case, and the Mean absolute error and Root-mean-square deviation are the highest; When the hidden unit is 16, the area index under the working characteristic curve of the model’s subjects is the highest, around 0.964; The average attention level of students in contextual narrative games reached 4.2245, with a SD of 0.7511; The average of knowledge transfer reached 4.1082, with a SD of 0.7881; The average score of students for the feedback dimension of the research design game is 4.736, and the average score for the learning content dimension is 4.529. In summary, the model possesses excellent application effects in the design of educational games and possesses a promoting influence on the advancement of the education industry.

Usage of Gamification Techniques in Software Engineering Education and Training: A Systematic Review

Gamification, the integration of game design elements into non-game contexts, has gained prominence in the software engineering education and training realm. By incorporating elements such as points, badges, quests, and challenges, gamification aims to motivate and engage learners, potentially transforming traditional educational methods. This paper addresses the gap in systematic evaluations of gamification’s effectiveness in software engineering education and training by conducting a comprehensive literature review of 68 primary studies. This review explores the advantages of gamification, including active learning, individualized pacing, and enhanced collaboration, as well as the psychological drawbacks such as increased stress and responsibility for students. Despite the promising results, this study highlights that gamification should be considered a supplementary tool rather than a replacement for traditional teaching methods. Our findings reveal significant interest in integrating gamification in educational settings, driven by the growing need for digital content to improve learning.

Playing with the cultural pilgrimage to stimulate tourism: the xFORMAL project on cultural heritage and informal learning.

The focus on culture as an engine of sustainable development has favoured its gradual acquisition by institutions engaged in the protection and promotion of heritage as an enabling and systemic factor capable of connecting innovation, continue education, research, and citizen engagement in a single chain. Knowledge of the landscape that combines works of nature and humankind and its bio-cultural diversity makes it possible to identify innovative informal education and new tourist itineraries where the real experience is presented as a cultural pilgrimage. The European project of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Programme RISE ‘Informal and non-Formal E-Learning for Cultural Heritage - xFORMAL’, currently halfway through its lifecycle, was born to create an informal way of accessing the cultural heritage of one's territory, revealing its past, history, and the civilisations that preceded us. After two years of closure due to the pandemic, this project reintroduced an authentic experience through gamification, a contact with landscapes, museums, and archaeological sites with physical, social, and cultural dimensions of their environments across space and over time. Building upon this foundation, the article delves into the intricate design and architectural principles that underpin the creation of the xFORMAL game, showcasing it as a paradigm of informal learning. This exploration includes a detailed analysis of the game's innovative design elements, educational strategies, and its role in facilitating an engaging and immersive learning experience outside traditional educational settings.

Advancing VR edutainment design in blended learning: Learners’ views from wine classroom

Previous research has explored virtual reality in wine education, but has primarily focussed on instructional design and learning outcomes, neglecting user interface and experiential (UI/UX) aspects. Therefore, challenges remain for incorporating VR technology in wine classrooms in a blended classroom format, such as limited VR expertise, inadequate technical preparation, and student resistance to pedagogical change. To complement and optimize these gaps, the researcher designed a VR experience system to transform sommelier courses into immersive blended learning experiences. Using a mixed-method approach combining experiments and interviews with 40 participants, this study explored the differences between gaming and instructional VR design in wine education. The study highlighted key considerations in terms of user interface/user experience, including overcoming the difficulty of replicating real-world sensations, increasing engagement through controllers, and providing adequate space for movement. Ensuring comfort and mitigating physical discomfort is critical to a good VR learning experience. This study explores learners' perceptions of blended virtual reality (VR) learning in wine education, including the advantages, issues, and design strategies for improving the VR learning experience and addressing wine education challenges. The findings suggest that to improve the efficacy of VR in wine education, problems must be addressed through improved UI/UX design. This includes pedagogical labelling, sensory integration, active engagement, stability, comfort and language skill development. Enhancing immersion and realism by replicating sensory stimuli and facilitating authentic interactions is critical, as is customising the VR experience for a specific topic and implementing a holistic strategy. The addition of VR technology to the wine classroom can provide learners with feedback and a balanced and immersive blended learning experience, which can in turn improve the effectiveness of wine education.

Gamification for Studying Mathematics by E-Learning

The difficulties of studying mathematics in this digital age call for solutions that might boost student engagement and motivation. To make learning more dynamic and interesting, it is suggested that a gamification methodology that combines game simulation with gamification is applied. In order to enhance mathematics instruction using an online learning platform. A thorough grasp of the difficulties associated with studying mathematics. To complement the learning objectives for mathematics, the gamification design includes selecting question types, constructing game situations, and producing visual components. This research creates a gamification paradigm using the Quizizz gaming application. The research focuses on the case of IKPIA Perbanas Jakarta for mathematics courses, which has the primary objective of optimizing mathematical learning through the concept of gamification. The researcher used the Dick and Carey development model, which has 10 phases from requirement identification to assessment, to create this learning model. The implementation of the Quizizz application and the gamification approach in an online learning environment occurs at the development stage. Technical configuration, application testing, and modifications based on preliminary feedback are all part of the implementation process. The success of the gamification technique in raising students' motivation and comprehension of the mathematics content was then assessed. Researchers used this helpful gamification to determine suitable designs for delivering learning content. Gamification for mathematics education is also very practical. In education, gamification by Quizizz as an application for gamification only supports but cannot replace the position of teachers and books. Mathematical learning devices with gamification are effective because they have met the classification very well at 79.17% and 20.83%, respectively, at an accuracy rate of 95.83%. Research has limited problems related to being carried out only in the IKPIA Perbanas Jakarta environment, which has students in semester one who have the characteristics of technology generation with the application of gamification that is integrated into the e-learning of Perbanas. The value of this research is the use of gamification for students studying in higher education and integrated into the Learning Management System (LMS).

Comparative Analysis of Metaheuristic Algorithms for Procedural Race Track Generation in Games

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) aims to automatically generate the content of games using algorithmic approaches, as this can reduce the cost of game design and development. PCG algorithms can be applied to all elements of a game, including terrain, maps, stories, dialogues, quests, and characters. A wide variety of search algorithms can be applied to PCG problems; however, those most often used are variations of evolutionary algorithms. This study focuses on comparing three metaheuristic approaches applied to racetrack games, with the specific goal of evaluating the effectiveness of different algorithms in producing game content. To that end, a Genetic Algorithm (GA), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are applied to a game-level design task to attempt to identify any discernible differences in their performance and identify whether alternative algorithms offer desirable performance characteristics. The results of the study indicate that both the ABC and PSO approaches offer potential advantages to Genetic Algorithm implementation.

Exploring gamification in the Administration context: a systematic literature review

Through a comprehensive review of studies reported in the literature on gamification – which is understood as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, this work sought to present the results obtained from a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of studies related to the use of gamification in management and business. This study was conducted based on the application of the Systematic Model for Research in Open Access Databases (SMROAD). The model applied involved the conduct of a comprehensive survey of research studies related to the subject matter investigated in a number of journals and the categorization of the data obtained into two aspects: i) general aspects; and ii) dimension of analysis and its categorizations according to the subject matter. For the literature review, we examined 20 journals, and 24 articles were selected out of a total of 4973 articles initially investigated. The results obtained showed that although research on gamification is incipient and is in need of theoretical and empirical deepening in specific contexts, such as in finance, the use of gamification as a management tool can provide us with relevant individual and organizational results.

‘Rightsize’: a housing design game for spatial and energy sufficiency

‘Rightsize’: a housing design game for spatial and energy sufficiency