(in English): In videogames we frequently come across religions created by game designers for the sole purpose of game development. In these cases religious rituals, symbols and other elements invented for certain needs of videogames are implemented into game design. Those fictional religions differentiate from each other in how they are manifested in narrative structures, audiovisual elements and most importantly in videogame mechanics. This diploma thesis uses formal analysis in order to find out what role do fictional religions play in the context of ten chosen videogames. Game theoretics believe that integration of religion into various layers of game design can create more immersive game experience and richer game world. The analysis confirms and expands upon their findings about the function of religions in world building, ingame architecture and related mechanics. It discovers repetitive motifs like healing, defense, resource production and even punishments which can affect a player's character as a result of interaction with fictional religions.

Under de senaste tjugo åren har videospelsindustrin blomstrat och med det har det skett en ökning i antalet artiklar publicerade inom ämnet. Utvecklingen har följts av intresset för rörelsebaserade spel, där målet är att den som spelar ska utföra fysisk aktivitet samtidigt som denne har roligt. För att kunna fånga underhållning i kombination med fysisk aktivitet bör det undersökas hur spelare upplever spel. Studien ämnar studera användningen och upplevelsen hos deltagare som spelar det rörelsebaserade spelet Piddinrun. Utifrån deltagarnas utsagor och tidigare forskning inom speldesign utforskas det om spelet kan utvecklas till att främja fysisk aktivitet och reducera stillasittande hos befolkningen. Bakgrunden berättar om syftet och utseendet för det aktuella spelet i studien, Piddinrun. Spelet är designat för att en spelare ska utföra benböj, samtidigt som den spelar. Bakgrunden tar även upp vikten av fysisk aktivitet i vardagen samt bakomliggande teorier om vad som engagerar och motiverar människor. Teoridelen berör olika typer av rörelsebaserade spel, spel i rehabiliteringssyfte och spelteori. Deltagarna i studien var 13 studenter som rekryterades via bekvämlighetsurval och snöbollsmetod. De spelades in både auditivt och visuellt, i studierum eller i hemmet. Deltagarna fick svara på frågor om träningsvanor, utforska och spela spelet. De fick även estimera och utvärdera upplevd ansträngning. Utvärdering av deltagarnas upplevelse gällande engagemang testades utifrån en enkät. Användartestet avslutades med kompletterande frågor om upplevelsen. Resultatet visar att spelet engagerade deltagarna men endast under en kortare stund. Spelet rapporterades vara ansträngande och framkallade även tecken på ansträngning hos deltagarna. Deltagarna önskade utveckling och avancemang i spelet. De rapporterade även att estetiken kunde förbättras. Spelmekanismen uppfattades som väl designad för benböj. Spelet måste innehålla utveckling för att fortsätta engagera användaren men samtidigt göras mindre ansträngande för att möjliggöra längre spelande. Förändringarna skulle kunna bidra till att människor blir mer motiverade till att spela spelet. De kan därmed förbättra sin hälsa och minska sitt stillasittande.

This is a study of how game design has influenced my artistic process as a music producer fora video game called Sang: The Desert Blade. The artistic practice is used to explore a conceptin game design called ludonarrative. The experiences gathered from this exploration arepresented with examples of music that have been created and implemented for the gameduring this study. The music examples are contextualized together with video documentationfrom my creative process and video recordings of the game. The study concludes that videogame music is directly interconnected with game design and its aesthetics is directly affectedby the degree to which a music producer is included in the development team. The study alsoshows how unpredictability is a fundamental part of game design and suggests how it can beexplored in future artistic research of video game music. / Det här är en studie om hur speldesign har påverkat min konstnärliga process sommusikproducent för ett dataspel som heter Sang: The Desert Blade. Den konstnärligapraktiken används för att undersöka ett koncept inom speldesign som kallas ludonarrativ.Erfarenheterna från undersökningen presenteras genom musikexempel som har skapats ochimplementerats i spelet under studien. Musikexemplen kontextualiseras tillsammans medvideodokumentation från min kreativa process och med videoinspelningar från spelet. Studiendrar slutsatsen att dataspelsmusik är direkt sammanlänkad med speldesign och dess estetik ärdirekt påverkad av den grad som en musikproducent involveras i spelets utvecklingsteam.Studien visar också hur oförutsägbarhet är en fundamental del av speldesign och föreslår hurdet kan undersökas i framtida konstnärlig forskning av dataspelsmusik.

Recent years have seen a significant growth in what designers and players call asymmetric virtual reality (AVR) games. This dissertation creates a framework that defines the relevant characteristics of AVR as a genre and describes five common genres of AVR games, including David(s) and Goliath, Hide and Seek, Perspective Puzzle, Order Simulation, and Lifeline. The core features of each subgenre are expounded. These subgenres are then evaluated using design workshops to observe novice game designs use these subgenres in their game design process. An analysis of the workshops found that the AVR subgenre framework may benefit novice game designers in finding inspiration from patterns in existing AVR games, planning asymmetric mechanics in AVR games between VR and non-VR players, and concepting new and unexplored ideas within the AVR genre. Finally, the discussion section outlines similarities and differences in the subgenres, limitations in this research, and provides guidance for future directions for this research.

Many games are set in 3D worlds and have shifting camera viewpoints. In this study, we attempt to create and evaluate a Proof-of-Concept Worldspace Heatmap System that accounts for the shifting camera views in 3D game worlds, in an attempt to improve user testing processes. We test the system by conducting a stimulated recall user study, in which we examine the areas in a game that drew the attention of the participants, with the help of heatmaps placed in the game world. Our results include observations of several behavior patterns and participant evaluations of the Worldspace Heatmap System. We observed multiple indications in the data we gathered, that such a system can be useful for obtaining player behavior insights and for enhancing user testing processes, especially if some of the limitations are overcome.

Frequently in MMORPGs, players will encounter something known to players as farming or grinding. Grinding is a controversial matter in the gaming community, as many do not enjoy it and see it as a sign of lazy and poor game design. However, it is a difficult topic to argue as whatever is a grind, differs for each person. To elevate the discussion about grinds in the gaming community, this paper aims to give a definition of grinds and answer how they are perceived by players and designers alike. Grinds are argued to be dull, tedious and monotonous, but they are ever prevalent in games today.  To find what differentiates between a satisfying or waste of time grinding, this paper also aims to discover what makes a grind enjoyable, and when they are appropriate.  The results of this paper are built upon previous works and media on game design and grinds. Interviews were held with players that grind to get a deeper understanding of what drives players to grind. The results define grinds as the act of doing something repeatedly for one's own gain. Seven sub-grinds that are found in different games were defined, each with varying characteristics. Grinds are not inherently bad, despite the negative connotations. They are like any other aspect of a game, they can be executed well or poorly. The developers' responsibility is to design a well-balanced grind that does not hinder players from doing what they like and deliver a satisfying experience.

No description available.

This research focuses on the connection between voice-based interactions and harassment in online games, from the point of interaction design. It points out severe faults in privacy afforded by voice-based communication and explores beyond this medium to design a communication system that relies only on non-verbal communication (NVC). Such system was co-created with the players supporting the idea that inclusion starts even in the early design stages. Through the playtesting of the NVC system the research shows the many ways in which the type of communication impacts the game and how players experience cooperation, cohabitation, and inclusion in online games. However, to achieve this, this research had to create a framework and mapping methods that focus on the players and their communicative intention. Hence, the “levels of multiplayer communication” is proposed as a tool to analyze and a method to design for communication in games, and it stands as a knowledge contribution along with the information acquired through its use.

This master thesis researches parallel digital world design in computer games in the setting of An Ended World. The main focus of the research is the touchpoints between two or more worlds and how the inputs from a designer can influence the type of experience received by the player.The overall research takes inspiration from both game and interaction design and follows a very user-centric approach with numerous play sessions and a workshop. The final outcome is presented in the form of attributes and a prototype built as a modification for an existing game.

This paper shows the difference in User Experience between Physical and Digital tabletop games. The goal of the project is to get an understanding of how and why playing tabletop games differentiates depending on the platform. Seven tabletop games have been chosen from different genres with an official digital adaptation. We’ve measured four key factors, Usability, Aesthetics, Social Connectivity and Engagement. The key factors have been used to gather User Experience metrics that were used to compare the digital and physical versions of the tabletop games. The result from this thesis is that physical tabletop games have a higher rating than the digital versions in all key factors except in usability where the differences were miniscule. Games that rely on imperfect information offer a much higher social connectivity and engagement when it’s played around a table. Games relying on tile-placement offers a higher usability and engagement when played digitally due to the assistance provided by the game. Physical tabletop games are the preferred option of the two but the accessibility of the digital versions makes them remain relevant.