Gamification är appliceringen av spelmekanismer i icke-spelkontextuella miljöer för att skapa motivation som kan användas för att utföra uppgifter. Denna uppsats avsåg utforska hur det appliceras och utvecklas på djupet, med fokusering på hur spelmekanismer påverkar inre och yttre motivation. I denna studie intervjuades gamification-konsulter för sin erfarenhet inom området och Self-Determination Theory (SDT) användes som analysmodell. Resultaten visar att utvecklandet av ett gamification-system har två oberoende variabler från vilka flera beroende variabler stammar. För att bestämma de mekanismer som bör användas behöver dels tidshorisont bestämmas, dels spelartyp. Således är processen för att bestämma hur eller om gamification ska appliceras lång och komplex, men att bestämma vilken typ av motivation som ska skapas beroende på tidshorisont är ett första steg för att konkretisera gamification-processen. / Gamification is the application of game mechanics in non-game contexts to create motivation to accomplish tasks. This thesis sought to delve deeper into how it is applied and developed, with a focus on how game mechanics affect intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In the study gamification consultants were interviewed for their experience in the field and a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) view was applied in the analysis of their answers. The results show that the development of a gamification system has two independent variables from which several dependable variables spring. To determine the mechanics that should be used the time horizon has to be determined as well as player type. Thus, the decision of how or if to gamify a situation is long and complex in its application, but the determination of which type of motivation to induce is a first step to concretize how to gamify a system.

In the capitalistic landscape of games today there exists a paradigm where metrics rule over game design which constrains the creativity and diversity of game design. Realistic games have seen a surge in popularity under this paradigm and as an artist I look to the art movement of impressionism for answers. In 19th century France, impressionist painters managed to escape the conventional realism of their time and their work diversified art. I explore how game mechanics could be refined using impressionist painting techniques as inspiration. Existing definitions of game mechanics such as Sicart (2008) which sees mechanics as methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the game state and Lundgren et al. (2003) which see mechanics as any part of the rule system that covers one possible kind of interaction that takes place during the game, both definitions fail to recognize the context (game) in which they exist and looks at mechanics in isolation. Using the analogy of a game as a painting, the properties of a brushstroke is translated into six considerations (size, placement, angle, visibility, shape, and overlap) which can be used to explore game mechanics in a novel way. Through three case studies I learned that my approach to game mechanics can be complementary to existing definitions and provides a language to discuss game mechanics. The six considerations proved useful both in research and in practice and enables a designer to quickly explore game mechanics, embracing the context of the game they exist in. / I dagens spels kapitalistiska landskap existerar det ett paradigm där metrik styr över speldesign vilket stryper speldesignens kreativitet och diversitet. Realistiska spel har blivit mer populära under detta paradigm och som en konstnär så letar jag i konströrelsen impressionism för svar. Under 1800-talets Frankrike lyckades impressionistiska konstnärer fly från tidens konventionella realism och deras arbete diversifierade konst. Jag utforskar hur spelmekaniker kan förädlas med användning av impressionistiska målningstekniker som inspiration. Existerande definitioner av spelmekaniker som Sicarts (2008) ser spelmekaniker som metoder åberopade av agenter, designade för interaktioner med spelets tillstånd och Lundgren et al. (2003) som ser spelmekaniker som en del av det regelsystemet som täcker en möjlig interaktion som tar plats under spelets gång, både definitionerna misslyckas med att se på spelmekaniker i deras kontext och kollar på spelmekaniker i isolering.  Med analogin av ett spel som en målning, så översätts ett penseldrags egenskaper till sex överväganden (storlek, placering, vinkel, synlighet, form och överlappning) som används till att utforska spelmekaniker på ett originellt sätt. Genom tre studier har jag lärt mig att mitt tillvägagångssätt bevisar sig vara användbart både för forskning och i praktik samt att det tillåter designern att snabbt utforska spelmekaniker med spelets kontext i åtanke.

This PhD thesis explores gamification strategies concerning video games for crowdsourcing, in particular for linguistic annotation. First, a categorization of the current approaches is proposed. In doing so, a new framework is provided to analyse and understand different game design strategies and their impact on linguistic annotation tasks. Two artefacts are developed to test and validate the framework: Spacewords, a 2D space shooter game, and High School Superhero, a 3D role-playing game. In particular, research questions and hypotheses concerning so-called orthogonal mechanics are tested, which are defined by previous research as game mechanics that although being similar to those found in commercial games, can hinder the annotation process by adding a layer of challenge and unpredictability. The artefacts are employed for three tasks: synonymy, linguistic acceptability and abusive language annotation. It is found that some challenging game-like features slightly improves Precision measure in certain circumstances. Experiments also suggest that motivation to play may be improved by in-game resources or collectible elements. Finally, in High School Superhero a mismatch is observed between the judgements given by linguists and players. The approach adopted in this work is intended to pave the way to a more insightful use of gaming elements inspired by entertainment games in the context of games with a purpose for linguistic annotation.

La recherche scientifique sur les jeux vidéo s'est longtemps concentrée sur l'impact de ceux-ci sur le niveau d'agressivité des joueurs, avec un accent mis sur le contenu des jeux. Initialement perçus comme ayant une influence négative par le public et même un certain nombre de chercheurs, des résultats plus récents montrent que les jeux vidéo provoquent une expérience cathartique plutôt que directement stimulante. La motivation principale derrière la recherche ici présente est la possibilité d'employer des jeux vidéo pour développer l'empathie et autres comportements pro-sociaux. En effet, des études récentes montrent que les mécanismes d'interactions entre les joueurs (plutôt que le contenu du jeu en question) ont un impact certain sur leur comportement futur. Or, ces mécanismes sont généralement un sous-produit du mode de jeu visé, ils sont régis par une interaction émergente. On propose que, en appliquant des principes de design qui sont déjà appliqués dans d'autres objets ludiques (i.e. les jeux de société thérapeutiques), à la conception de jeux vidéo, un effet positif et durable pourrait être obtenu au sujet des comportements pro-sociaux des joueurs. Ainsi, en joignant des éléments narratifs et visuels à un mode de jeu qui promeut l'empathie, on pourrait transformer l'expérience traditionnelle du jeu en un outil psycho-pédagogique important. Une analyse d'un jeu vidéo commercial à travers la lentille du cadre théorique développé ici donne un aperçu de ce qui se fait actuellement dans l'industrie et de ce qui peut être fait pour améliorer davantage la conception de jeux vidéo. / Research regarding video games has long focused on the effects they have on the aggression levels of the players, with an emphasis on the content of games. These effects have generally been regarded as negative by early researchers and the general public, even though more recent findings have shown that they have a cathartic effect rather than pure arousal on the player’s emotions. The main motivation behind this work is the potential positive effects video games may have on empathy and other prosocial behaviours. Recent studies on video games have shown that the interactions between players and other social components present while playing have a greater influence on the players future behaviour than the content of the game. These interactions are often a by-product of the intended play patterns such as cooperative gameplay and are very few times elicited intentionally by the designers. It is proposed that by applying design principles that are currently present in other ludic artefacts, such as therapeutic board games, to the design of video game mechanics, a positive and lasting effect on the players prosocial behaviours can be achieved. Game mechanics that compel players to interact in positive ways in coordination with narrative and visual components have the potential to transform the ludo-narrative experience of video games into powerful psycho-educational tools to improve the development of empathy and other prosocial behaviours in children. An analysis of a commercially available video game through the lens of the theoretical framework developed here provides insight into what is currently done in the industry and what can be done to improve video game design further.

The order in which game mechanics are introduced to players can significantly impact their comprehension and enjoyment of the game. However, there is a lack of research on how player comprehension is affected by the sequence of introducing game mechanics. This paper aims to explore the effects of introducing game mechanics in different orders on player comprehension. The objective is to identify potential areas for further research and patterns that could inform game designers on how to introduce mechanics into their games. The research conducted involved designing a physical single-player board game with four different mechanics that could be added modularly. Controlled experiments were conducted with testers playing different versions of the game, each with a different mechanic introduced in a specific order. Testers rated their comfort level with each mechanic compared to the base game and provided feedback on their understanding of how to play with each mechanic. The research generated quantitative and qualitative data, which were analyzed to explain the patterns found. The results of this study provide a foundation for further research on the impact of game mechanics on player comprehension and have practical implications for game designers. It is important to note that the findings are not generalizable to all types of games, but they offer insights into some potential effects of introducing game mechanics in different orders.

В диссертации дана краткая историческая справка о происхождении настольных игр, их видах, существующих на сегодняшний день игровых механиках, представлены данные опроса среди продавцов настольных игр. Проанализированы особенности наиболее популярных настольных игр и создана новая уникальная настольная игра, которая является дополнением книги А. С. Ярцова «Российская горная история». / The dissertation provides a brief historical background on the origin of Board games, their types, existing game mechanics, and provides survey data among sellers of Board games. The features of the most popular Board games are analyzed and a new unique Board game is created, which is an addition to the book by A. S. Yartsov "Russian mountain history".

This study explores the design and effectiveness of a serious board game aimed at promoting energy literacy in the context of residential energy consumption. With electricity consumption and energy conservation being highly relevant and pressing topics today, there is a growing need to address the lack of knowledge and awareness surrounding household energy consumption. Serious games, recognized as effective educational tools for active learning, offer a promising avenue for teaching energy-related concepts. Through a thematic analysis, this thesis examines the impact of different game mechanics on players’ development of energy literacy. The findings demonstrate that integrating these game mechanics facilitates knowledge acquisition, evokes emotional responses, and prompts self-reflection. By incorporating elements for data physicalization, such as a hand-gripper to represent energy consumption, user engagement, and learning outcomes are enhanced. The study highlights the potential of educational games in fostering energy literacy and shaping individual energy consumption habits. Future research can explore combining digital and physical components in serious games to optimize educational impact further and advance energy literacy initiatives. / Denna studie utforskar designen och effektiviteten hos ett serious game med syfte att främja energy literacy. Elkonsumtion och energisparande är högaktuella ämnen och idag finns det ett växande behov av att åtgärda bristen på kunskap kring energikomsumptionen i hushåll. Serious games har klivit fram som effektiva pedagogiska verktyg för aktivt lärande och erbjuder en lovande väg för att undervisa om energirelaterade begrepp. Genom en tematisk analys undersöker denna avhandling effekten av olika spelmekanismer på spelarnas utveckling kring energy literacy. Resultaten visar att integrering av dessa spelmekanismer underlättar lärade, leder till känslomässig respons samt stimulerar självreflektion. Inlärning och engagemang förbättras genom att inkludera objekt för att representera data fysiskt, såsom en handtränare. Studien lyfter fram potentialen hos serious games för att främja energy literacy och forma goda energikonsumtionsvanor. Framtida forskning kan utforska om kombinationen av digitala och fysiska komponenter i ett serious game ytterligare hade förbättrat läroeffekten och främjat vidareutveckling av ens energy literacy.

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This report describes my work with developing a game for a gaming platform that enables hybrids between board games and computer games. My ambition has been to develop a game that takes advantage of the novel possibilities that this platform permits. Among those are to operate with a combination of the computer game traits of complexity in the games and ease of playing; as well as the board game / card game traits of combining social dynamics around a game session with ability to keep information hidden from other players. This is accomplished by a combination of mobile phones and a computer connected to the Internet. The screen of the computer will serve as board and the phones will display cards and other private information to the players, as well as functioning as the players' means for interaction with the game. The game developed, Wind Bugs, takes advantage of the complexity of game states that a computer easily can handle. Effort has been put into finding mechanics with a level of complexity while still implementing them in way that makes them both playable and enjoyable. Rather than focusing on immersion, which has become common in the design of computer games, hopes are that games for this platform, including the game developed in this project, will give room to social dynamics among the players. Though operating with the use of mobile phones, the platform will not support "mobile gaming"; the proposed setting is a group of players surrounding a big screen.

Das Thema Information Retrieval hat insbesondere in Form von Internetsuchmaschinen eine große Bedeutung erlangt. Retrievalsysteme werden für eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Rechercheszenarien eingesetzt, unter anderem für firmeninterne Supportdatenbanken, aber auch für die Organisation persönlicher E-Mails. Eine aktuelle Herausforderung besteht in der Bestimmung und Vorhersage der Leistungsfähigkeit einzelner Komponenten dieser Retrievalsysteme, insbesondere der komplexen Wechselwirkungen zwischen ihnen. Für die Implementierung und Konfiguration der Retrievalsysteme und der Retrievalkomponenten werden Fachleute benötigt. Mithilfe der webbasierten Lernanwendung Xtrieval Web Lab können Studierende praktisches Wissen über den Information Retrieval Prozess erwerben, indem sie Retrievalkomponenten zu einem Retrievalsystem zusammenstellen und evaluieren, ohne dafür eine Programmiersprache einsetzen zu müssen. Spielemechaniken leiten die Studierenden bei ihrem Entdeckungsprozess an, motivieren sie und verhindern eine Informationsüberladung durch eine Aufteilung der Lerninhalte. / Information retrieval has achieved great significance in form of search engines for the Internet. Retrieval systems are used in a variety of research scenarios, including corporate support databases, but also for the organization of personal emails. A current challenge is to determine and predict the performance of individual components of these retrieval systems, in particular the complex interactions between them. For the implementation and configuration of retrieval systems and retrieval components professionals are needed. By using the web-based learning application Xtrieval Web Lab students can gain practical knowledge about the information retrieval process by arranging retrieval components in a retrieval system and their evaluation without using a programming language. Game mechanics guide the students in their discovery process, motivate them and prevent information overload by a partition of the learning content.