Player decision modeling can provide useful guidance to understand player performance in games. This information is used to increase consideration of player characteristics from the user’s perspective and develop more user-centered video games. This paper presents an initial proposal of a factor such as sound that may be considered when developing games, to see if horror games are facing challenges related to sound aspects of the game. Through related work, experiments, interviews and observations this paper aims to answer how sound in horror-games changes our gameplay experience as well as what impact the absence of sound has on a horror-game. We also present the results of this field study and present some suggestions for future research.

The feature to “pet” animals in digital games is highly requested by players in online discourse, but there is a lack of research on its utility from a game design perspective. This thesis aims to gain a preliminary understanding of the effects of optional, sociable animal interaction to further inform game design decisions. Using a qualitative mixed methods research design, the possible impacts of sociable virtual animal interactions on the player experience are investigated. Five game-literate participants were observed during gameplay, which included an interactable virtual dog, and interviewed in-depth on their subjective experiences. The findings suggest that the interaction can be moderately beneficial to the player experience, but that it was also found lacking. The feature can offer a break from goal-oriented gameplay and improve players’ sense of agency. It may enhance the emotional value if the player feels a connection to the virtual animal. More life-like behavior and greater gameplay value might enable this connection, thereby making the interaction more desirable and beneficial to the player experience.

Video games can both be described as a form of art and as digital products. Video games therefore allow for rich interactions and are regarded as more emotional than software and more interactive than films. Due to the nature of video games, the term user experience (UX) which is commonly used for traditional digital products could be argued to be insufficient. Instead, player experience (PX) should be used when describing players’ rich experiences with video games. This case study aims to use the video game Coridden to examine what players experience when playing a co-op action RPG game. Also, this study aims to examine what the intended player experiences are for Coridden from the game developers’ point of view. Lastly, by examining both the perceived and intended player experiences, this study examines how the experiences can be aligned and how they can be used as guidelines during the design and development process. This was done by using a theoretical framework consisting of the difference between usability, user experience and player experience, the social aspect of playing, and how player experiences can be used as design guidelines. Players playtested Coridden and participated in focus groups using product reaction cards to express their experiences. A focus group with product reaction cards were also used for the developersof the game. Using a thematic and a document analysis, along with the results from the product reaction cards, the study highlighted that players and developers had several perceived and intended player experiences. Further discussion highlighted that some of the players’ and developers’ perceived and intended experiences align, which could be used as future guidelines in the design and development process of Coridden.

Video games have become the largest portion of the entertainment industry and everyday life of millions of players around the world. Considering games as cultural artifacts, it seems imperative to study both games and players to understand underlying psychological and behavioral implications of interacting with this medium, especially since video games are rich domains for occurrence of rich affective experiences annotated by and measurable via in-game behavior. This thesis is a presentation of a series of studies that attempt to model player perception and behavior as well as their psychosocial attributes in order to make sense of interrelations of these factors and implications the findings have for game designers and researchers. In separate studies including survey and in-game telemetry data of millions of players, we delve into reliable measures of player psychological need satisfaction, motivation and generational cohort and cross reference them with in-game behavioral patterns by presenting systemic frameworks for classification and regression. We introduce a measurement of perceived need satisfaction and discuss generational effects in playtime and motivation, present a robust prediction model for ordinally processed motivations and review classification techniques when it comes to playstyles derived from player choices. Additionally, social aspects of play, such as social influence and contagion as well as disruptive behavior, is discussed along with advanced statistical models to detect and explain them. / <p>Note: The papers are not included in the fulltext online</p><p>Vid tidpunkten för disputationen var följande delarbete opublicerat: delarbete I (manuskript).</p><p>At the time of the doctoral defence the following paper was unpublished: paper I (manuscript).</p>

The inherent conflict between the predetermined nature of narrative and the freedom that interactivity allows for, has been a major point of discussion in the field of interactive storytelling for many years. The Narrative Paradox, which initially described this tension, is seemingly getting closer than ever to being solved, but a singular solution with a definite answer has not been determined. This qualitative thesis aims to find a possible solution to the Narrative Paradox in how the multimodal components in the video game Outer Wilds construct meaning as well as ludonarrative coherence in conjunction with the player experience. The study also aims to discuss the importance of implementing game studies in media and communication research by arguing for the relevance of the medium in the field. In order to answer these questions, a multimodal discourse analysis of ludonarrative relationships arising in Youtube Let’s Plays was performed. By utilizing the narrative goals of Outer Wilds, theoretical solutions for the Narrative Paradox and the notion of narrative emerging from player interactions and motives, the results of the study show that Outer Wilds primarily uses Embedded Narrative as its main source of storytelling, while the game design and the open world within it allow for a high degree of Emergent behaviors through non-linear sequencing of events. The analysis also highlights the game as being purposefully designed for a specific type of player, which was reflected by one of the players experiencing close to a completely resonant playthrough of the game's introductory phase. While the ludonarrative structure of Outer Wilds in itself revealed similarities to the theoretical solutions of the Narrative Paradox, the analysis of the player experience in Outer Wilds provided insight into the importance of players’ motives as an essential part in the game design process of minimizing the tension between narrative and interactivity in video games.

The objective of this study was to investigate how players experience learning English through playing the popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. It also discussed the improvement in English skills achieved through playing the game, exploring what aspects they have improved and how they were able to do that. This research may interest individuals seeking to understand how video games can improve language skills. Moreover, it is relevant to those who play MMORPGs, a genre where players can experience and practice real-life situations and roles. The research has been done through conducting semi-structured qualitative online interviews with six informants from different backgrounds and English levels. During the interviews, informants were questioned about their experience with learning English while playing Final Fantasy XIV. The results suggested that they improved their vocabulary knowledge and their communication skills through using productive skills with other players. Furthermore, players had different experiences on how they have learned, a few of them learned through repetition and exposure to the game’s content.

The player experience (PX) of games can be inspected in various ways to help developers understand the essential ingredients for a successful and engaging game design. Users are even able to experience games on a variety of different gaming platforms, which presents more ways of interaction compared to games that are restricted to only a single gaming platform. The overall chain of interactions between games and platforms, becomes a central design target to understand the complex nature of digital games. However, there are a limited number of studies that investigate how the gaming platforms affects the general PX, and how to conduct an effective evaluation on a game that exists on several platforms. The purpose of this thesis is to research the general PX of these multi-platform games and to generate information about a topic of interest where there is not much prior knowledge. This was done through a single case study using participants and measure their overall PX when played on two different platforms. This process used playability heuristics based on literature focusing on PX and usability, along with semi-structured interviews and observations. The data from this case study would then be discussed to serve as a base for a future hypothesis to be studied, and to discuss how research around multi-platform gamescan be managed and assist game developers in their process of creating an enjoyable PX.Besides presenting how games developed for several platforms can affect the evaluation of the PX, the study also presents findings for how players personal preference for gaming platforms can impact both their performance, and their opinions of a games design.

Denna studie har försökt se om Lynchs (1960) navigationsprinciper går att applicera i en 3d-miljö för spel för att underlätta navigation. För studien så har en artefakt skapats som var gjord för att testa dessa principer; Paths, Edges, Nodes, Districts och Landmarks. Studien utfördes med hjälp av ett test i formen av ett navigationsmoment i Artefakten. Förväntade resultat var att deltagarna skulle ha klarat testet utan större problem, men det var inte vad som hände. Baserat på deltagarnas aktiva spelvanor så hade de antingen lättare eller svårare att klara navigationsmomentet. Beroende på deltagarnas erfarenheter med navigation i verkligheten och i spel så kunde man se olika former av navigationsstrategier. För fortsatta studier så skulle det vara intressant att göra navigationsmementet igen men med andra typer och upplägg på artefakten för att möjligen se styrkor och svagheter i navigationsprinciper. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p>

This thesis project examines social interactions in PvPvE Online Multiplayer Survival Shooters and proposes mechanics that promote connection among players, hooking rascal players who invent new ways to play the game, into the game spirit rather than engaging in toxic play. To do that, I followed a Research-through-design methodology, engaged with games, game designers, and gamers, and designed storyboards presenting examples of mechanics that promote players' connection. The results are Annotated Portfolios that frame the knowledge contribution as guides for designing mechanics for connection. The first annotation is “Helping or Asking for help” as a way to establish the purpose of communication, the second is “Temporarily teaming up” as a way to introduce a transitional state of sharing information such as knowledge and location, and the third one is “Risk and Reward” as the main aesthetic and motivation of target players.

Serious games are games that have a goal other than entertainment. These games can be found in multiple areas, one of which is geotourism. Geotourism uses these games on-site and off-site, to enhance the tourist experience. This case study aims to examine how participants experience serious games as an off-site tool for engaging with specific locations’ natural and cultural heritage. This study aims to examine if the intention to travel changes from playing the game. The result shows that the participants felt engaged and enjoyed playing the game, but that the game might be more suitable for children than adults. The result shows that players want to visit changed, but not their intention or plans to travel. Future work could include using a different demographic for the study, or looking at how many participants end up actually travelling to the locations. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p><p>There are other digital material (eg film, image or audio files) or models/artifacts that belongs to the thesis and need to be archived.</p>