In this study, a video game prototype was developed to research the impacts of diegetic and non-diegetic interfaces on two facets of player experience in the context of video games, game difficulty and immersion. A total of 10 participants took part in a play session where they played the prototype, which was followed by semi-structured interviews where the participants discussed their perceived player experience. The transcribed interviews were then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach to find recurring patterns in relation to perceived difficulty and immersion. The findings of this study showed that diegetic interfaces were perceived as more difficult but more immersive in general, while the opposite was true for non-diegetic interfaces. / I den här studien utvecklades en spelprototyp för att undersöka effekterna av diegetiska och icke-diegetiska gränssnitt på två aspekter av spelupplevelse i samband med videospel, spelsvårighetsgrad och fördjupning. Totalt deltog 10 deltagare i en spelsession där prototypen spelades, vilket följdes av semistrukturerade intervjuer där deltagarna diskuterade sin spelupplevelse. De transkriberade intervjuerna analyserades sedan med en tematisk analysmetod för att hitta återkommande mönster i relation till deltagarnas upplevd svårighetsgrad och fördjupning. Resultaten av denna studie visade att diegetiska gränssnitt upplevdes som svårare men mer fördjupande i allmänhet, medan motsatsen gällde för icke-diegetiska gränssnitt.

This study delves into the relationship between Dynamic Game Difficulty Balance and Game User Experience in the context of puzzle games. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of DGDB on user experience in puzzle games, focusing on player engagement, immersion, and the occurrence of a-ha moment. To this end, the researchers conducted a control group experiment and analyzed the results both quantitatively and qualitatively based on participants' objective data during the game and subjective responses in the post-game questionnaire. The findings suggest that DGDB has the potential to increase player engagement and satisfaction, but the impact is modest, as evidenced by higher completion rates and flow channels in puzzle games. We explored the impact of the DGDB system on a-ha moment and the results were mixed. However, it is clear that the relationship between DGDB and puzzles is a delicate one, with players' preferences and perceptions varying.