Abstract:

Games are emotionally driven experiences. Immersion theory states that game elements such as narrative determine whether or not players commit emotionally to the game world. Conversely, flow theory focuses on game mechanics and how they bring players to a feeling of heightened focus. However, until now, there existed a glaring disconnect between the game elements (narrative, mechanics) and the player’s emotional response (immersion, flow). This paper presents a playability test model that allows for quantifying player emotions, hence clearly linking cause and effect in games.