(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.

Spatialization of audio in the vertical plane has historically been limited. Instead, sound designers have used basic DSP to create pseudo height effects to explain the positions of corresponding objects. In recent years, binaural synthesis has become more widespread following an increase in the use of software rendering methods. With these advancements, uncertainty seems to be present around best practices when combining sound design with binaural synthesis for vertical placement of audio cues in games. This thesis compares the vertical localization performance between head related transfer functions (HRTFs) and stereo interaural level difference (ILD), when sounds have been designed with basic DSP to have auditory spatial schema (ASC). A sort of embedment of positional information. It was found that there was no significant time difference between the conditions, while hitcount, the number of correct directions selected, displayed a significant difference in some of the comparisons.

Videogames have been historically known for causing negative mood states in players, but there is still more research to be done about the potential for videogames to alleviate these induced negative mood states. Using an online repeated measures survey design, participants were asked to play a game with an impossible difficulty curve unbeknownst to them. They were then instructed to play one of three casual videogames (CVGs). It was hypothesized that increased levels of competency and autonomy would lead to a decrease in participants’ negative mood state as per Self-Determination Theory. In addition, the act of playing CVGs was also predicted to decrease participants’ negative mood state as per Mood Management Theory. To test for this, participants were asked questions regarding their feelings of competency, autonomy, and overall mood state throughout the experiment. Support was not found for competency and autonomy helping alleviate negative mood states, but support was found for CVGs and their healing potential towards negative mood states. The implications of these results as well as the potential for future research is discussed.

En esta investigación se abarca y profundiza en el tema del diseño interactivo para videojuegos de terror con una pregunta, ¿Cómo la interfaz gráfica contribuye con la usabilidad dentro de los ítems en los videojuegos Hello Neighbor (2018) y Poppy Playtime (2021)? En función del tema se propone como objetivo de investigación, analizar la interfaz aplicada en la usabilidad dentro de los ítems en los videojuegos de terror de Hello Neighbor (2018) y Poppy Playtime (2021). Además, la investigación parte de la hipótesis de que los ítems ayudan a balancear la dificultad de los videojuegos de terror dentro de la interfaz gráfica y contribuyen a la usabilidad, para lograr que el usuario termine de manera exitosa los niveles y disminuya la posibilidad de abandono. En este trabajo el tipo de investigación es de nivel descriptivo, no experimental, transversal descriptiva. También, se aplicaron herramientas donde se identificaron como resultados la relación entre: el énfasis dentro de la interfaz gráfica; el reconocimiento y familiaridad como elementos clave de la usabilidad; y el ítem como conjunción de iconicidad y legibilidad. Por último, se concluye que los ítems dentro de las interfaces gráficas tiene un impacto positivo dentro de la experiencia del jugador y contribuye junto a la usabilidad, para que se reduzca el tiempo de aprendizaje de las funciones y termine de manera exitosa los niveles. / This research covers and delves into the topic of interactive design for horror video games with a question, How the graphical interface contributes with the usability within the items in the video games Hello Neighbor (2018) and Poppy Playtime (2021)? Based on the topic is proposed as an objective, is to analyze the interface applied in the usability within the items in the horror video games of Hello Neighbor (2018) and Poppy Playtime (2021). In addition, the research starts from the hypothesis that the items help to balance the difficulty of horror video games within the graphical interface and contribute to the usability, to achieve the successful completion of the levels by the user and decrease the possibility of abandonment. In this work the type of research is descriptive, not experimental transversal descriptive. Also, tools were applied where the relationship between: the emphasis within the graphic interface; recognition and familiarity as key elements of usability; and the item as a conjunction of iconicity and legibility were identified as results. Finally, it is concluded that the items within the graphical interfaces have a positive impact on the player's experience and contribute together with the usability, to reduce the learning time of the functions and successfully complete the levels. / Trabajo de investigación

The vast majority of videogames is consisting of fiction. One of the ways of approaching fiction is the literary theory of fictional worlds. However, this begs a question if we would be able to use this theory. The purpose of our thesis is to determine how literary theorists define fictional worlds. Furthermore, we will look at the way that this concept is used by ludologists and how they work with it. If our hypothesis, that we can apply this theory to videogames, will be confirmed, then we investigate how those worlds are different from the literary ones. Then, with the help from the acquired knowledge, we will conduct case studies on selected games. Finally, we will demonstrate how researching of fictional worlds can be profitable for game studies and how to utilize the theory more.

Detta är en studie för examensarbete i Informationsdesign med inriktning Informativ Illustration. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka hur minoriteten ickebinära spelkaraktärer representeras i dagens spelvärld, hur de kan illustreras med fokus på karaktärens narrativ, egenskaper och design. Genom att inte hamna i samma mönster av könsstereotyper som illustreras i spel och representera en minoritet som inte fått tillräcklig plats på spel scenen, belysa karaktärens kommunikation av personlighet, design och egenskaper den besitter i spelet. Illustrationerna baseras på spelet Valorant. Teorier om narrativ, perception, abstraktion och kognition är grunder till gestaltningen av illustrationen. Även forskning kring hur stereotyper och könsnormer har en stor betydelse när vi tolkar det vi ser. Metoder som använts är expertintervju, målgruppsintervju, enkät för utprovning och formanalys. Det redogörs i rapporten hur designprocessen går till samt hur intervjuerna och enkäten lagt grunden till resultatet av den färdiga illustrationen. Resultatet av studien är en digital illustration som är färglagd, samt följer spelets manér och röda tråd.  Slutsatsen blir att det skulle behövas göras en studie på en större grupp människor, fler som tillhör minoritetsgrupper, kring frågan om relationen som vi knyter an till spelkaraktärer och varför, för att kunna skapa ett nytänkande sätt att skapa karaktärer som inte fixerar på stereotyper och den hypermaskulina spelvärlden vi har idag. Nyckelord: minoritetsgrupp, icke-binär, videogames, gaming, sexism, inkludering, exkludering, informationsdesign, informativ illustration, dataspel, spelkaraktärer, hypermaskulinitet, karaktärsskapande, könsstereotyper. / This is a study for a degree thesis in the field of Information Design with a focus on Informative Illustration. The goal of the thesis is to investigate how the minority of non-binary game characters are represented in today's gaming world, how they can be illustrated with a focus on the character's narrative, characteristics, and design. By not falling into the same pattern of gender stereotypes illustrated in games and representing a minority that isn’t shown enough in the gaming space, highlight the character's communication of personality, design, and characteristics it possesses in the game. The illustrations are based on the game Valorant. Theories about narrative, perception, abstraction, and cognition are the basis for the design of the illustration. Also research on how stereotypes and gender norms have a great importance when we interpret what we see. Methods used are expert interview, target group interview, questionnaire for testing and form analysis. The report explains how the design process works and how the interviews and the survey laid the foundation for the result of the finished illustration. The result of the studies is a digital illustration that is colored and follows the game's mannerisms and common thread. The conclusion is that it would be necessary to conduct a study on a larger group of people, more who belong to minority groups, around the question of the relationship we attach to game characters and why, new ways of creating characters that are not fixed on stereotypes and the hypermasculine gaming world we have today. Keywords: minority group, non-binary, videogames, gaming, sexism, inclusion, exclusion, information design, informative illustration, computer game, game characters, hypermasculinity, character creation, gender stereotypes.

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Immersive simulations beskrivs ofta som spel som betonar spelarens immersion genom att uppmuntra problemlösning inom mekaniskt konsekventa spelvärldar. Studien syftar på att kartlägga gemensamma drag hos immersive simulations genom spelmekanisk analys med målet att minska allmän oklarhet kring termens innebörd. En enkät publiceras online som efterfrågar de speltitlar som bäst representerar immersive sims inom sex olika kategorier. De populäraste titlarna per kategori analyseras med mål att besvara en uppsättning frågor som formuleras genom granskning av litteratur. Listan av frågor utökas under analysens gång för att fånga upp så många mekaniska egenskaper som möjligt. Likheter och skillnader mellan spelen presenteras och diskuteras med syfte att etablera egenskaper som verkar mer eller mindre viktiga för genren. Studiens resultat pekar på många gemensamma aspekter inom navigering, strid och till viss del smygning hos samtliga verk. Skillnader syns i spelvärldens uppbyggnad och mängden interaktiva system. En framtida studie skulle kunna utföra en liknande analys på ytterligare verk för att få en mer enhetlig bild av genrens mekaniska egenskaper.

Le succès commercial des jeux vidéo nous montre qu’ils sont devenus une alternative non négligeable en matière de loisir et de divertissement. En observant les tendances, on constate que les concepteurs de jeux vidéo cherchent à transposer ou adapter les loisirs comme la danse, l’interprétation de la musique ou la pratique d’un sport dans le contexte de jeux vidéo (l’univers virtuel) et ceci est devenu encore plus évident depuis l’apparition des nouvelles technologies intégrant le mouvement comme mode d'interaction. En rapport aux activités dont les jeux vidéo s’inspirent, ces tendances entraînent des changements considérables sur l’aspect formel de l’activité ludique et notamment l’interaction. Dans le cas particulier du tennis de table, ou ping-pong dans le langage courant, il semble y avoir des différences en terme de plaisir lors de la pratique de ce loisir de façon traditionnelle ou en mode virtuel dans ses différentes adaptations. Le but de cette recherche est de mettre en évidence les différences entre l’appréciation de l’interaction avec le contrôleur multifonctionnel Wiimote et une raquette traditionnelle de ping-pong et de découvrir les implications sur l’expérience du plaisir de la transposition du jeu ping-pong traditionnel comparé aux adaptations sur la console Wii. Ainsi, en regard du CLASSIC GAME MODEL de Juul (2005) et du modèle THE FOUR FUN KEYS de Lazzaro (2008) nous comparons les deux modes d’interaction, jeu traditionnel avec le jeu virtuel, sur le plan formel du jeu et sur les dimensions du plaisir que chacun procure. Les résultats obtenus par l’observation des tests de jeu et l’entremise des autres outils permettent de souligner le rôle déterminant des interfaces dans l’engagement des joueurs et de montrer les limites des interfaces digitales par rapport à celle des jeux traditionnels. / The market success of Video games shows us that they have become a significant alternative for leisure and entertainment. While observing the trends one can realize that game designers tend to transpose or adapt leisure activities such as dance, playing music or sports to the context of video games which has become even more obvious with the appearance of input devices incorporating physical movement as a mode of interaction. Inspired by these different forms of leisure, video game user interfaces have considerably changed the formal aspect of play, especially in terms of interaction. In the particular case of table tennis, also known as ping-pong, there are significant differences with respect to pleasure when playing a traditional game or its virtual adaptations in form of video games. The purpose of this research is to highlight the difference in appreciation of the interaction with the Wiimote controller and a traditional ping-pong racket and discover the implications on the fun experiences of traditional table tennis and its adaptations for the Wii console. Thus, based on Juul's CLASSIC GAME MODEL (2005) and Lazzaro' model of THE FOUR FUN KEYS (2008) we compare both interaction modes, traditional game with the virtual game, in terms of formal level of the game and the notion of fun that each provides. The results obtained through observation and testing through other tools allow us to highlight the importance of interfaces and their role in the players' commitment as well as to show the limit of video games compared to their traditional counterpart.

The focus of this thesis is research of interaction which takes place between players and computer games. Specifically on ethical and moral aspects of such interaction in which the players are required to make moral decisions that in any way affect the progression of the story, shaping of the virtual world, or have any other effect on the in-game narration. The goal of this text is to describe context in which such moral decisions are made and factors that influence them. The theoretical part of this thesis has the form of a summary of relevant game studies topics, which influence the moral decision making issue. Research was conducted on a group of ten respondents, who played The Walking Dead game and who shared their experiences by answering questions concerning moral decision making. The gathered data was thereafter analysed using a grounded theory method, which allowed me to identify and contextualize the researched phenomena. The main output of this text is the grounded theory itself and the answers provided by its application in context with research questions.