Most scientist agree that, by the year 2060, research on artificial intelligence will result in the creation of constructs that exceeds human intellect, starting the most impactful event in our history, the technological singularity. Raising awareness on this concept is important and video games have their role to play, but no research has been made regarding the design principles that they should follow to succeed. This paper aims to rectify that and explain how games raise awareness on the systemic consequences of the technological singularity. To do so, a selection of games which explore singularity-related concepts were analyzed to establish how, and how well they represent the theory, following design methodologies highlighted by other studies. This review provided the necessary design principles to create an awareness raising game on the singularity but also exposed how games fail in tackling the subject, as they do not clearly incorporate or discuss the singularity in their narrative. This research paper is helpful for researchers and game designers as it provides them with the necessary information to analyze or create educational games on the systemic impacts of the singularity.

The suspension of disbelief is integral to the performing arts. We ask our actors to see couches made of three chairs, designers to create cities in empty spaces, and most of all; we ask audiences to believe the stories and relationships that are figurative and often abstract. This level of critical and creative engagement is assumed to develop in spaces of higher education. However, with an ever-changing world and increasing conversions and integrations of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in spaces of higher education, it has become even more apparent that students need to develop their creative and critical thinking skills earlier on in their development. By recontextualizing learning through imaginative immersive game systems, such as Dungeons & Dragons and similar tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), I have found that students experience categories of significant learning synergistically through experiential gameplay. This immersive storytelling relies entirely on the player-performers to spend their disbelief and immerse themselves in their imagination, termed theatre of the mind. The gamification of role-play acts as a means of challenging students to activate their development of collaborative improv, storytelling/playwriting, and dramaturgy skills. Through research and play testing, I have developed a gamified drama-focused role-play educational tool utilizing many of the core gameplay mechanics in the world's most popular TTRPGs. In this thesis, I present the game structure and reflect upon my experiences implementing this work. Additionally, I explore the cross sections between game design and immersive theatre practice and consider how this intersection is utilized in gamified performance and pedagogy. Finally, I consider how a theatre-of-the-mind-based pedagogy can be utilized in subjects outside of the theatre classroom.

How do participants in communities of play centered around digital games engage with history? The historiographic influences of ludic form have been closely scrutinized in recent years, but little attention has been paid to the digital cultures—to the communities of play— which center the discussion and play of these historical games. My study aimed to closely examine one such community centered around the grand strategy game Crusader Kings III, released by Paradox Interactive in 2020. I use discourse analysis together with grounded theory to examine the game Crusader Kings III alongside two primary sites found on reddit and Paradox Interactive official forum. Chapter 1 provides the literature review alongside the project's methodology, and chapter 2 analyzes the artifact at the center of the study—Crusader Kings III itself. Chapter 3 moves to examine the first major site, the r/CrusaderKings subreddit, and presents the heuristics developed to identify historical discourse alongside the primary discursive genres involved. Chapter 4 focuses on the second major site, the Paradox Interactive official forum, and places the game and community in a temporal context in order to explore how the cyclical and iterative nature of the Games-as-a-Service model acts as a new mode of game production that shapes historical discourse and historiographic consciousness in the community. Chapter 5 then revisits the research questions at the heart of this study, discussing the dominant discourses of historioludic critique and imaginative (a)historical roleplay narration which weave history into play and play discourse. Finally, I present the synthesis of each chapter's methodological work, a form of discourse analysis—historioludic discourse analysis—that operationalizes historical game studies' grammars of form into those of mode within the assemblage of play.

This research seeks to understand the effects of introducing in-game landmarks into games that are played through several fixed camera viewpoints. It studies in what ways the application of landmarks from the perspective of several fixed cameras can aid player navigation.  This study was conducted based on theories such as ontology and comic book sequentiality. These were combined to improve the artifact and generate knowledge on how to better design levels with clarity. As such, a video game artifact was constructed using Research through Design as a methodology to gather design knowledge, supported by a mixed-method data collection practice.  Through these methods, approaching the matter with an ontological lens, several findings were made on player behaviour within the constructed play space. These findings also include ways of better understanding what players focus on and utilize when navigating a play space.

This thesis examines the video game Death Stranding through the framework of Umberto Eco’s semiotics theories, exploring the game's use of signs. We investigate how signs within the game function and communicate complex notions to players, using a close reading method to analyze specific elements of the game's design and narrative. The research begins with an overview of the game and its reception, noting its complex gameplay mechanics, intricate plot, and thematic depth. The motivation for this study stems from the desire to bridge semiotics and game design, providing a new perspective on how games can communicate complex ideas effectively. In the discussion section, we delve into specific case studies from the game, including the map system as a communicational model, the semantic implications of characters and in-game terminology like 'Bridge' and 'Fragile', and the metaphorical usage of these terms. We also examine how these correlations between content and expression switch in certain cases. Finally, the conclusion synthesizes the findings, suggesting that the application of Eco's semiotics provides valuable insights into the design of video games. The thesis argues that semiotic analysis can enhance the development of games with profound narratives and themes, similar to Death Stranding.

This research investigates how players can be encouraged to alternate between offensive and defensive play within the game Martyr of Carnage (MoC), through the use of nudges. Nudges are subtle design elements that influence behavior without restricting choices, and they are commonly used in marketing, business, and government sectors. This study aims to extend the application of nudge theory to game design and find out if the theory is effective in altering playtester behavior in our game. The research was conducted using iterative game design methods, where various nudges were integrated and tested within the game environment. The main findings indicate that incorporating nudges in games serves as a useful analytical tool, effectively guiding player behavior and enhancing the overall gaming experience of Martyr of Carnage.

This paper features a study about cooperation and how it can be encouraged via level layout.The research team developed a game with a research intent focused on cooperation driven bythe question: How can player cooperation be encouraged through the placement of incentivesand challenges in the level layout of a local cooperative game? To be able to answer thequestion, the research team looked into papers about cooperation, level design, nudge theory,Cooperative Performance Metrics, and design patterns. The research was conducted by usingiterative design, where three iterations were tested with two groups of four players and thedesign was iterated upon after each test. After all playtests were conducted and all data hadbeen analyzed, evidence was found that the placement of the challenges and incentives in alevel can have an effect on cooperation. This paper makes a contribution to the subject of thecorrelation between cooperation and level design.

Players must often make choices in equipment when playing videogames. These choices can be informed by some level of interest shown by the players. This thesis explores the impact of visual design on the interest in game Mechanics, in the form of in-game equipment. This subject was explored by an iterative process, spanning over three iterations, in which groups of testers rated how interested they were in a selection of four visual representations of equipment in a local cooperative videogame. The iterative process was informed by using nudging as a lens to increase interest in the worst-rated visual representations. Results indicate that players' initial interest can be more affected by nudging, in contrast to the players' final thoughts after interacting with the game’s mechanics. More often than not, their final thoughts were unaffected by nudging after which the knowledge of a preferred mechanic took precedence. However, nudging through added Juiciness did increase the visual appeal and interest in previously unfavored mechanics.

This study delved into the influence of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft, on players' real-life social interactions and skill development. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combined surveys and structured interviews, our findings suggested that World of Warcraft is a vibrant hub for socialisation and group activities, particularly among young adults. Our findings also revealed the formation of lasting friendships within the game, with a significant number of players extending these connections beyond the virtual realm to other online platforms and even real-life meetings. Guild membership emerged as a pivotal factor, which may have fostered a strong sense of community and belonging among players, as elucidated by the Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Additionally, our analysis revealed notable improvements in communication and teamwork skills among players, echoing the transformative potential of gameplay discussed in the Theory of Transformative Game Design (Bowman & Baird, 2022). Apart from game designers and researchers, this study is also relevant to everyone seeking to develop their social skills and confidence. These findings emphasised the potential impact of World of Warcraft in fostering social integration, skill development, and the cultivation of meaningful relationships that transcend the boundaries of the game environment. As MMORPGs continue to evolve as influential cultural phenomena, our study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of online gaming communities and their broader implications for social interaction and personal growth.

[pt] Como no passado, as crianças e os jovens de hoje gostam de jogar e brincar, mas indo além das formas tradicionais, as gerações contemporâneas também jogam e brincam de novas maneiras, já que a invenção do computador e a propagação da conexão em rede difundiram não só a tecnologia digital, como o que pode ser considerado o jogo ou brinquedo mais complexo inventado até hoje: o jogo eletrônico. No entanto, em contraste ao consagrado sucesso comercial da indústria de jogos eletrônicos, ainda estamos buscando estabelecer uma linguagem unificada e um vocabulário capaz de descrever a experiência do jogador. O objetivo geral do trabalho foi realizar um estudo psicológico – apoiando-se nos resultados de uma pesquisa de campo qualitativa sobre a experiência de 10 jovens cariocas nos jogos multiplayer – para compreender o que está em jogo quando o jogador vai além das estratégias planejadas pelo designer, descobre táticas e ocorre um interjogo entre jogo e jogador. Objetivamente, o trabalho fornece uma conceituação psicológica sobre o ato de jogar e brincar, capaz de descrever a experiência nos jogos multiplayer, apoiada em diversos eixos conceituais gerados a partir das categorias de análise das entrevistas. A proposta é subsidiar caminhos para futuras diretrizes de design, e nortear a análise e o desenvolvimento de projetos que abram espaços para o interjogo entre a mágica proporcionada pelo jogo eletrônico e o brincar criativo do jogador. / [en] As always, new generations find enjoyment and fun through play. In addition to playing with traditional games and toys, however, today we can also create and discover new and unique experiences through play. The popularized spread of computers, digital networks, and distributed technology has invented the most complex game or toy yet: the video game. Yet for all the acclaimed commercial success of the video game industry, we are still searching for a unified language and vocabulary capable of describing these new player experiences. This dissertation presents a psychological study – based on the results of a qualitative field research with 10 young participants of multiplayer games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – of what is at play when the player goes beyond game strategies and discovers individual tactics. The study presents a psychological framework of the interplay between player and gameplay built upon several conceptual axes, which emerged from the categories of research analysis. The objective purpose of the psychological study was to support the future development of game design guidelines, and provide a framework for the research, production, and description of experiences that foster interplay between the magic of video games and the player s creative play.