This paper deals with the issue of gamification and its implementation in the Charles University Information System, by focusing on students. It describes the principles of gamification in relation to user needs. Furthermore, it analyses the process of consciousness, motivation, volition and flow. This paper presents personality typologies in the context of motivation and game elements. It works with Myers-Briggs types and Keirsey's temperaments. It contains a ranking of gamification elements that is based on the level of motivation in relation to personalities. It evaluates the educational system in the Czech Republic from the point of view of the use of gamification elements and focus on different types of personalities. The main part of the thesis creates a concept of the implementation of gamification elements in the Charles University Information System and gamification of a thesis. [Author abstract].

With the development of media technology and game evolution, games are endowed with multiple purposes and functions. Some scholars believe that the game is the supplement of the real world, which can affect the players' psychology and behaviour. Numerous studies show that games can make players accept challenges, overcome obstacles, arouse positive emotions and solve problems. Therefore, academia's research on games and related topics in learning has become increasingly popular. In response, different models have emerged to evaluate the design of active educational games.This research discusses how different game mechanisms affect players. Also, this study used a prototype game as output media to examine the impact of various game mechanisms on learning. The purpose of this study is to explore how to choose a more suitable game mechanism in the design of educational games. The research results include that some game mechanisms promote learning motivation and improve learning outcomes. At the same time, some game mechanisms have the risk of reducing learning motivation. Through these findings, the researcher of this study believes that educational games can bring positive influence and help to players' learning. However, how to choose a suitable game mechanism in the design of educational games is worthy of serious consideration for making design decisions.

Video games are a unique form of media in that they can persuade through interactivity. This thesis examines two categorical modes of video game interactivity, kinesthetic mechanics and non-kinesthetic mechanics, to suggest ways in which kinesthetic mechanics are more persuasive than non-kinesthetic mechanics. Video game mechanics are rules by which the game is played, and kinesthetics refers to non-trivial, time and space sensitive, dexterous inputs. This thesis utilizes methods of discourse analysis and autoethnographic personal narrative to look for five rhetorical methods that are utilized by game developers and experienced by players. This process suggests correlations between developer intention, user community experience, and my own gameplay experience. These rhetorical methods are: immersion and self-presence, kinesthetic resonance, narrative persuasion, affordance and enthymeme, and self-determination theory (SDT) motivation. These rhetorical methods can be found in most contemporary video games and are utilized to get players to engage with a game and elaborate on the themes and messages therein. I hypothesize that each of these methods is more persuasive through kinesthetic mechanics and compare and contrast experiences with a game that has kinesthetic mechanics and a game that has non-kinesthetic mechanics to test my hypotheses. My findings suggest that kinesthetic mechanics can prove to be more persuasive through certain rhetorical methods, however, more data could be helpful particularly where community experience is concerned. I conclude with recommended methods and considerations for future research. / Media Studies & Production / This thesis contains supplemental material that was not uploaded due to copyright restrictions. If you need to access the material, please contact the author directly.

In this paper we analyze the existing methods for exploring and evaluating the characteristics of the jump mechanic in video games by comparing qualitative research done in the field of game studies. For this study we are using the jump as a centerpiece, starting with an analysis of different methodologies that break down game mechanics and assessing their functionality and possible effects on players. Primarily this focus will be on how mechanics are broken down from different perspectives and how these methodologies compare. The intent behind the review of these methodologies is to objectively simplify the process of collecting and comparing relevant research in order to familiarize the reader with the concept of game mechanics and their parts from an assortment of perspectives while also retaining knowledge on their similarities and differences. This paper comes to the conclusion that one could argue for the discovery of three thematic similarities between the methodologies.These similarities are then presented to shape an understanding of how a resonating or “Harmonic”(Swink, 2008, p.297) systems could be developed.

This paper analyzes the Nemesis System in Middle Earth: Shadow of War (2017) developed by Monolith Productions and explores the system’s way of creating stories. For years, there has been a debate about whether or not stories belong in games, with supporters on all sides. There are different ways to provide stories in games and in this study, the focus has been on game mechanics, emergent narrative, and interactive storytelling. These three elements are all common ways of creating stories in games. Formal Analysis is the main method used in this paper. This specific method often pairs well with smaller systems of larger games rather than an entire game, as it examines specific elements closely and explains them in detail. The game was played one time by each author and the system’s behavior was documented to be able to examine it fully. This analysis aims to provide knowledge of how stories in games can be created, and it focuses specifically on how the Nemesis System manages to do so using mechanics, interactive storytelling, and emergent narrative.

While character design and representation have been extensively discussed within feminist discourse, the attention given to game mechanics has been limited. This study aims to challenge the assumption that feminist ideals in video games can only be conveyed through narrative elements and investigate the potential of integrating feminist principles into game design, with a specific focus on game mechanics. Drawing on Bogost's (2007) Procedural Rhetorics theory, which asserts that digital systems can enable the creation of interactive arguments surpassing traditional rhetoric, the thesis examines how mechanics can prioritize inclusivity and diversity. Through critical analysis of existing discourses and semi-structured interviews with game design students who are pursuing a career as industry professionals, the study evaluates the current state of the industry and identifies areas for improvement. Nine interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis using a deductive approach was employed. The study highlights the significance of representation, with participants expressing a preference for strong female protagonists, while also recognizing divergent perspectives on whether the mere inclusion of a female character equates to a feminist game. Player agency during gameplay was not frequently mentioned in the interviews, a topic commonly discussed in scholarly literature. The study calls for clearer guidelines and definitions in the field and proposes two categories: Empowerment and Equality, derived from participant responses. Participants suggested examples of feminist game mechanics related to empowerment (addressing real-life issues and encouraging collaboration) and equality (ensuring equal chances regardless of gender).

Gamification -- bruket av spelelement i icke-spelsammanhang -- har visat sig vara ett effektivt sätt att skapa mer underhållande och engagerande användarupplevelser. Många tillämpningar av gamification förlitar sig på en begränsad delmängd av spelelement som poäng, emblem och resultatlistor -- tekniker som kritiserats för att inte vara representativa för vad som gör spel underhållande. Forskning inom psykologin indikerar att personer blir mest effektivt motiverade av faktorer som vädjar till deras personliga tillfredsställelse, såsom nöje, snarare än externa faktorer som belöning och priser. Detta arbete utforskar bruket av speldesignelement och relaterade 3D-teknologier i utvecklingen av ett verktyg avsett för att skapa och simulera fysikaliska modeller. Implementationen av ett sådant verktyg beskrivs med fokus på integrationen av speldesignelement vilka bidrar till en underhållande och engagerande upplevelse för användaren. En studie utförs för att validera effekten av bruket av spelelement på användarnas nöje när dessa interagerar med simulationsverktyget. Det observerades att genom att använda teman som användaren kan relatera till och som är kontextuellt passande för applikationen i fråga kan spelelement förstärka en njutbar användarupplevelse. / Gamification -- the use of game elements in non-game contexts -- has been shown to be an effective way of creating more enjoyable and engaging user experiences. Many applications of gamification rely on a limited subset of game elements such as points, badges and leaderboards -- techniques which have been criticised for not being representative of what makes games enjoyable. Research in psychology suggests that people are most effectively motivated by factors that appeal to their personal satisfaction, such as fun, rather than external factors such as rewards and prizes. This thesis explores the use of game design elements and related 3D technologies in the creation of a tool for the construction and simulation of physical models. The implementation of such a tool is described, focussing on the integration of game design elements that produce a fun and engaging experience for the user. A study is performed to determine the effects of the use of game elements on users’ enjoyment when interacting with the simulation tool. It was found that by appealing to themes users can relate to and which are contextually appropriate for the application, game elements can help promote an enjoyable user experience.

abstract: Currently, educational games are designed with the educational content as the primary factor driving the design of the game. While this may seem to be the optimal approach, this design paradigm causes multiple issues. For one, the games themselves are often not engaging as game design principles were put aside in favor of increasing the educational value of the game. The other issue is that the code base of the game is mostly or completely unusable for any other games as the game mechanics are too strongly connected to the educational content being taught. This means that the mechanics are impossible to reuse in future projects without major revisions, and starting over is often more time and cost efficient. This thesis presents the Content Agnostic Game Engineering (CAGE) model for designing educational games. CAGE is a way to separate the educational content from the game mechanics without compromising the educational value of the game. This is done by designing mechanics that can have multiple educational contents layered on top of them which can be switched out at any time. CAGE allows games to be designed with a game design first approach which allows them to maintain higher engagement levels. In addition, since the mechanics are not tied to the educational content several different educational topics can reuse the same set of mechanics without requiring major revisions to the existing code. Results show that CAGE greatly reduces the amount of code needed to make additional versions of educational games, and speeds up the development process. The CAGE model is also shown to not induce high levels of cognitive load, allowing for more in depth topic work than was attempted in this thesis. However, engagement was low and switching the active content does interrupt the game flow considerably. Altering the difficulty of the game in real time in response to the affective state of the player was not shown to increase engagement. Potential causes of the issues with CAGE games and potential fixes are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Engineering 2017

This thesis is focused on gamification and practical testing in internal training of new-hired employees. The main objective was to introduce gamification as a term and show how gamification can help with internal training of new-hired employees. In the theoretical part games and their meanings are defined. Then it is necessary to describe gamification itself with historical evolution and used player types. To understand principles of gamification and player's motivation, game elements and mechanism are defined. Selected examples of gamification divided by fields of applications are at the end of the theoretical part. Practical part describes the gamification environment of tool New Hire Orientation made by MindTickle and practical application of testing at H1.cz. Conclusion contains results and suggested recommendations for H1.cz and for MindTickle.

This thesis examines the ways Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory, 2017) represents mental illness and why the game is considered partly groundbreaking in the subject of mental health representation within video games. This examination is done by taking a brief overview of previous games tackling the same subject matter as well as examining how Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice represents psychosis narratively and mechanically. This is done through the method of player-as-analyst by playing the game all the way through once and viewing a full length playthrough video following the methodology and theory of Diane Carr (2014).  The data gathered during play and viewing of the playthrough is then analyzed. / Denna avhandling undersöker hur Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory, 2017) representerar mental ohälsa och varför spelet uppehålls som delvis banbrytande inom spel som behandlar mental ohälsa. Undersökningen i fråga är gjord via att göra en kort översikt av hur tidigare spel handlat samma ämne och ta en titt på hur Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice representerar psykos i sin mekanik och narrativ. Detta åstadkoms genom metoden Player-as-analyst genom att spela igenom hela spelet en gång och kolla igenom en playthrough video och genom att följa metodologi och teori av Diane Carr (2014). Datan samlad under spelningen och video tittandet sedan analyseras.