In recent years, computer games have become a leading form of entertainment. To stand out in the market, developers seek tools to enhance gameplay experience. One way to improve the players' overall perception of the game is to provide the appropriate design and balance of game mechanics. The effective approach to this problem, though challenging due to the distributed nature of modern games, is to use process mining to discover player behavioral patterns. This paper proposes the player behavioral miner algorithm, which analyzes distributed gameplay logs to identify such patterns. The resulting process models support automated improvement of game balance and immersion. Moreover, such algorithmically derived model can be seen as a digital twin that emulates player behavioral dynamics, enabling large-scale meta-analysis of gameplay patterns and performance strategies across diverse player cohorts. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that the proposed method outperforms existing solutions in terms of prediction accuracy.
Sim racing has recently become a highly notable activity, both as a leisure pursuit and as a professional esports career. The aim of the study is to identify the factors that determine the realism experience in sim racing. Qualitative research methods were employed to collect and analyze the study data. A phenomenological approach was chosen for the research design, allowing for an in-depth examination of the concept of realism in sim racing, which is otherwise only superficially recognized. As a result, it was revealed that realism in sim racing can be examined under five different themes: physics engine, environmental conditions, equipment, effects, and content variety. Considering this result, the parameters that influence the perception of realism in sim racing are better understood. Thus, the study offers insights that could serve as valuable guidelines for game developers to update and improve their games.
Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has been widely used in agent research across various video games, demonstrating its effectiveness. Recently, there has been increasing interest in DRL research in complex environments such as Roguelike games. Among them, the game NetHack has gained research attention. In this study, we aim to train a DRL agent for efficient learning with reduced training costs using the NetHack Learning Environment (NLE). A variational autoencoder (VAE) can efficiently transform input states into latent representations. Therefore, we propose a method utilizing VAE, considering it as a potentially efficient DRL model. Additionally, because the rewards provided by NLE are sparse, we train a DRL agent with additional rewards. As a result, we find that providing additional rewards to the agent is effective for tackling NLE, where the reward space is sparse. Furthermore, our results suggest that directly using the latent representation of the VAE as input to the DRL model can be effective.
Reinforcement learning (RL) has become a central paradigm for developing intelligent gaming agents capable of learning optimal strategies through interaction with dynamic environments. This review provides a structured analysis of RL applications in gaming, beginning with core principles such as Markov decision processes, value functions, and policy optimization. It distinguishes between classical value-based methods like Q-learning and deep RL approaches, including deep Q-networks (DQNs), policy-gradient algorithms such as REINFORCE and proximal policy optimization (PPO), and actor-critic frameworks. The manuscript further contextualizes foundational algorithms including DDPG, TRPO, and soft actor-critic to present a broader methodological landscape. Through a comprehensive literature survey, major achievements such as AlphaGo and OpenAI Five are examined, alongside persistent challenges including reward design, scalability, and training stability. A conceptual framework illustrating RL integration within gaming pipelines is also presented. Overall, this study clarifies algorithmic distinctions and highlights future research directions for robust and adaptive game intelligence systems.
This study analyzed 1159 Genshin Impact reviews using quantitative content analysis, sentiment analysis, and fsQCA. It examined how Mihoyo, the game's developer, employed online ratings, webpage, and heuristic evaluation strategies to influence user sentiments. Key findings revealed that mobility was the most discussed feature, while diversity was the least mentioned. Sociability and the absence of contact links or diversity were core to high positive sentiments. Younger platforms benefited more from enhanced webpage strategies, while older platforms thrived with refined heuristics. This research provided a holistic perspective on how gaming firms can tailor strategies to optimize user sentiment across platform contexts.
The phenomenon of online gaming, particularly its effects, has been the subject of numerous scholarly studies. League of Legends (LoL) is a game that has attracted a lot of attention due to its widespread appeal and impact on players and is a leading example of the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre. This study explores how LoL ranks affect toxicity levels, self-esteem, emotional affection, and the desire to quit the game in multicultural contexts, namely, Italy, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea. Our findings highlight a positive correlation between player rank and toxic behavior, self-esteem, and positive emotional affectivity in all four countries (N=1528). Additionally, it is found that higher ranked players are less likely to quit the game due to toxic behavior. These insights highlight the importance of promoting positive player interactions and implementing intervention strategies to address toxic behavior in competitive online gaming environments, especially for high-ranked players.
This study explores the development and evaluation of the Infinity Masters Board Game, a hybrid digital board game designed to enhance arithmetic proficiency, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills among computer students. Employing the system development life cycle (SDLC), specifically the rapid application development (RAD) model, the game was developed to provide engaging, secure, and interactive learning experiences. It integrates innovative features such as an “infinity piece,” strategic turn-based gameplay, and modules for real-time scoring, matchmaking, and user authentication. A total of 319 respondents from five campuses of North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) participated in the study. Using a 5-point Likert scale, the game was assessed across seven software quality attributes: functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, portability, security, and compatibility. Results revealed a moderately acceptable rating in all dimensions, with strong positive responses particularly in functionality (4.51) and compatibility (4.51). Moreover, the game was rated strongly agree in enhancing arithmetic skills (4.38), critical thinking (4.35), and strategic planning (4.29). While minor issues in data processing and connectivity were noted, the game’s overall performance suggests its potential as a practical educational tool. Its replayability, adaptability, and accessibility both online and offline also support sustained engagement and learning retention. This study recommends the game’s integration in educational contexts and future improvements based on user feedback.
Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the impact of a 1-month exergaming intervention (Fitness Boxing 2: rhythm and exercise), performed for 150 min per week, on blood glucose levels, strength, and body composition in sedentary office workers with overweight or obesity. Methods: Then, 21 sedentary participants (age: 38.0 +/- 7.5 years, BMI: 30.8 +/- 4.9 kg/m(2)) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 11; 4 men and 7 women) or a control group (n = 10; 2 men and 8 women). The experimental group completed 20 sessions, each consisting of 30 min of exergaming, 5 days per week. The control group was instructed to maintain their usual daily activities. Before and after the intervention, blood glucose, strength, and body composition were measured. Results: The average daily energy expenditure was 330.7 +/- 86.9 kcal, with a maximum perceived effort of 12.7 +/- 1.8 arbitrary units. An interaction effect between group and time was found in the experimental group in blood glucose (%Delta = -7.8; p = 0.027; d = 0.590), grip strength of the nondominant hand (%Delta = 14.1; p = 0.006; d = 0.383), and back-leg-chest strength (%Delta = 41.5; p = 0.001; d = 0.662). No differences were found in any of the outcome variables of interest for the control group over time (pre vs. post; p > 0.05). Additionally, no differences in groups (experimental vs. control) and time (pre vs. post) were yielded for weight and body composition. Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate that engagement with exergames can improve blood glucose and strength in sedentary office workers with overweight or obesity.
This study is aimed at developing and validating a measurement scale for motivations behind in-game purchases, integrating economic and psychological aspects. Two separate samples of Italian gamers were used to develop a five-factor scale (utility, enjoyment, investment, reputation, and self-realization) capable of explaining a substantial portion of in-game spending behavior. In the first study, 573 gamers were recruited, and an initial four-factor scale measuring psychological motivations behind in-game purchases was internally and externally validated, explaining 5.4% of the variance in in-game purchases. In the second study, conducted with 284 gamers, the self-realization factor was added, increasing the scale’s explanatory power to 8% for the amount of money spent on in-game purchases. When controlling for variability attributed to the game type (i.e., analyzing just participants who spent money over a specific game), we observed an increase in the explanatory power of the scale from 5.4% to 12% for the initial four-factor model in Study 1 and from 8% to 27.5% for the evolved five-factor model in Study 2. The results indicate that gamers who purchase virtual items are driven by diverse psychological motivations that play a critical role in their spending behavior. This study provides a tool for identifying risk factors for potentially problematic purchase behaviors and offers insights for game developers and marketing professionals interested in optimizing user engagement strategies.
Games for social impact have the potential to influence children’s attitudes on sensitive topics, such as intractable intergroup conflicts. Changing the hostile perspectives of young people in such conflicts is critical to transforming the conflict. Only a few digital games for social impact that target young children exist, and those had mixed but overall positive results. The Fact Finders game empowers school children to engage with ongoing conflicts (Cyprus war in 1974). To examine its impact on student perceptions of conflicts, researcher‐facilitated interventions involved 144 Greek‐Cypriot students (11–12 years old) in playing the game. The main data source was a questionnaire on how participants perceived intractable conflicts, administered before and after students played the game. The game positively and significantly affected students’ understanding of the credibility of historical sources ( t 143 = −2.42, p = 0.017) and children’s perceptions of multiple perspectives in conflicts ( t 146 = −2.03, p = 0.044). The game did not significantly change children’s perceptions of how history is “constructed” or their views on whether the conflict can be overcome, allowing the two communities to live harmoniously together in the future. The study demonstrated the value of prosocial games in supporting young children’s understanding of historical source credibility and multiple perspectives. At the same time, it highlighted the unsolved challenge of how to influence children affected by a war conflict toward a peaceful solution to the conflict. Design guidelines and instructional implications are provided for prosocial games that support multiperspectivity.
With the accelerated development of digital education, traditional online teaching methods face challenges in providing immersive and interactive experiences. This study addresses these challenges by designing a metaverse teaching space architecture, integrating key learning theories to explore its potential in enhancing the quality of online education. This framework has been applied at Zhejiang University (ZJU), developing the “Learning in ZJU” metaverse teaching space, which supports innovative activities such as online teaching and academic seminars. Through questionnaire surveys, SPSS software data analysis, and SWOT analysis, the research shows that the metaverse teaching space significantly enhances immersive learning experiences, student engagement, and richness of instructional resources and promotes collaborative learning among students. Simultaneously, it faces challenges such as technological barriers, the need to enhance teachers’ information literacy, and cybersecurity issues. This study provides a reference for other educational institutions to explore and implement the metaverse teaching space and its applications, highlighting its enormous potential in personalized learning and stimulating students’ interest in learning. In the future, the metaverse teaching space is expected to become a key component of online education, but ongoing attention to technological advancement and educational innovation is necessary to overcome existing challenges.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can create icons, skins, and camouflages for games. An optimal implementation of such a concept might provide new and more advanced features that benefit the user experience. This project investigates the use of an evolutionary algorithm for texture generation and allows users to choose and manipulate camouflage patterns. This enables users to create camouflage patterns that could theoretically be implemented in a video game. This study is supported by user testing to gather insight into usability and the users’ ability to replicate a target pattern. The result is an evaluation of gathered data showing user tendencies and how they engage with the system. These tendencies include significantly different completion times for target patterns varying in complexity. Additionally, participants mostly agreed that the tool is helpful for future games and objects other than camouflage skins. The findings suggest potential applications for AI in enhancing user customization and design flexibility. Further research is needed to address technical limitations and explore broader game industry implications. A brief introduction to the system described in this paper was published as a short paper in the IEEE Conference on Game (CoG) (Ploug et al. 2024).
Background: Role-playing games (RPGs) have long attracted scholars because of their interactive and immersive attributes. The areas of studies on RPGs are various, from computer science to sociology and psychology. Nevertheless, there is a notable absence of comprehensive systematic literature that traces the trends, changes, and developments in RPG research.Purpose: This paper is aimed at undertaking a systematic review of RPG research by analyzing the Scopus database, covering the period from 1986 to 2023.Method: The analyzed dataset comprises 1152 documents, filtered through the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) screening method from an initial pool of 2908 data points. This data was subjected to analysis using descriptive statistics and bibliometric techniques to discern trends in RPG research and identify influential documents shaping studies in this domain.Findings: This research systematically analyzes RPG research, providing insights into growth patterns, global interest, and influential contributors. By synthesizing diverse research strands, the study contributes valuable knowledge for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers as well as guiding future research in RPGs.Contribution: This research provides valuable insights into the evolving RPG landscape, offering guidance for future research.
This study employs machine learning to assess the relative impact of major platforms—Steam, Twitch, and Metacritic—on video game revenue. Through an integrated analysis of three comprehensive datasets comprising commercially successful titles on Steam, key predictors of financial performance were identified. My analysis establishes Steam-derived metrics as primary revenue drivers, with follower counts, peak concurrent users (peak CCU), and total reviews exhibiting the strongest predictive power and positive correlation with game earnings. Steam follower counts serve as a significant prelaunch indicator. Further analysis reveals game attributes like Early Access participation generate substantial revenue benefits, while supported languages, genres, and multiplayer features show comparatively weaker effects. Beyond Steam, both Twitch metrics (peak viewers/channels) and Metacritic critic scores exhibit significant positive revenue relationships. This association provides evidence that critical reception and livestreaming visibility collectively substantiate their roles in shaping player behavior to drive game revenue growth. These findings offer actionable insights for developers: prioritize Steam player engagement, supplemented by strategic Twitch marketing and Metacritic outreach. As the first integrated cross-platform analysis in gaming economics, this research provides a foundation for exploring multiplatform dynamics.
Game development studios deal with numerous challenges to achieve the publication of games that are acclaimed by the public. The difficulties range from a simple choice of color for a particular object within the game to mechanics and narratives. In this way, user experience (UX) techniques provide a better perception of the player’s experience. UX techniques are consolidated in the context of software engineering industries and literature. However, few works in the literature (which will be presented in this work) address this knowledge and treat digital games as a specific type of software. In this sense, we aim to explore and present innovative approaches and best techniques adopted by game development studios to integrate UX into their processes. The research included the participation of 41 digital game development studios from all regions of Brazil, of which 31 were interviewed and 10 chose to participate via questionnaire. The analysis revealed that many participants work in small companies (up to five employees) and apply UX techniques intuitively without formal knowledge and justification for using them. Furthermore, we noticed that many studios are unclear about their techniques and confuse them with game design. However, most understand that UX is fundamental for designing a successful game with community support and buy-in. In addition, most of the justifications for not using UX techniques converged on a lack of knowledge. Finally, we developed a visual scheme to assist studios and future research, capable of consolidating the information extracted from participants about the UX techniques adopted, the benefits and challenges of applying them to the development process, the justifications for not adopting UX techniques (when not adopted), the test instruments implemented, and the UX dimensions evaluated by them.
Gamification and card games have gained increased popularity across diverse educational domains, particularly in the field of foreign language learning (FLL). They offer potent tools that can transform the learning process into an engaging, interactive, and enjoyable experience. Currently, numerous instances of gamified or card game–based language learning methods have demonstrated their significant impact on sustaining learners’ engagement and advancing their proficiency levels. However, it is noteworthy that these approaches often prioritize the motivational aspect while neglecting the imperative need to enhance student learning outcomes (SLOs). The latter holds pivotal importance not only in determining the success of academic courses but also in evaluating the effectiveness of e-content. To address this gap, the primary objective of this work is to enhance the achievement of SLOs within the context of foreign language courses. A novel framework is proposed for learning foreign languages, harnessing the potential of gamification and card games. This framework, developed through the integration of contemporary technologies used in e-learning systems and foreign language applications, encompasses agent technology and the microlearning strategy. A case study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in SLOs. This study contributes significantly to the advancement of both gamification and game-based learning, presenting a promising pedagogical paradigm for language teaching and learning.
Recently, gamification has emerged as an effective approach to captivate users, particularly in the context of online education. Although there has been a rise in the recent surge of articles on gamification, there is still a lack of research on the impact of replayability. We conducted a systematic literature review to address this gap by elucidating the impact of replayability in educational games on learners’ behaviour in e-learning. The analysis of the investigations reveals the game elements that are predominantly utilised in the literature, and their corresponding effects on learners are identified and mapped. Moreover, we categorise these observed impacts of replayability on learners into six components: variety and performance, experience and nostalgia, learning, goals and completion, social aspect, and difficulty. Additionally, this study also examined the cognitive and affective behaviour of users in relation to replayability. The results of our comprehensive analysis of existing literature indicate that the study of replayability in educational games and its effects on learning is still at the outset. There is a scarcity of experimental tests and evidence in this area, with a prevailing tendency to primarily utilise educational games as external rewards. The study’s findings indicate that educational games that can be played multiple times have a substantial positive impact on learning outcomes and engagement. The study suggests that educators and game developers should prioritise the creation of games that include features supporting repeated play and diverse learning experiences.
This study investigated the usability of an electronic learning administration system for learners, aiming to explore their perspectives on technology-integrating teaching and learning at Hawassa University. The study employed both quantitative and subjective strategies. We collected quantitative data from 50 students using a Google survey. Additionally, we purposely selected two ICT professionals to participate in the interview. We used descriptive statistics (frequency count, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) to analyze quantitative data, as well as narration to qualitative data to identify the ease of use and extent of electronic learning management systems at Hawassa University. The study’s findings concluded that an e-learning system is most useful for saving time because of its simplicity and ease of use, is available at any time and place, assists in obtaining knowledge from various sources, and provides assistance in obtaining course materials without time waste or cost. The university administration and teachers should play an important role in improving the e-learning management system’s usability and conducting further advanced investigations in the area.
Difficulty is one of the key drivers of player engagement and it is often one of the aspects that designers tweak most to optimise the player experience; operationalising it is, therefore, a crucial task for game development studios. A common practice consists of creating metrics out of data collected by player interactions with the content; however, this allows for estimation only after the content is released and does not consider the characteristics of potential future players. In this article, we present a number of potential solutions for the estimation of difficulty under such conditions, and we showcase the results of a comparative study intended to understand which method and which types of data perform better in different scenarios. The results reveal that models trained on a combination of cohort statistics and simulated data produce the most accurate estimations of difficulty in all scenarios. Furthermore, among these models, artificial neural networks show the most consistent results.
The widespreadness of video games, particularly among digital natives, requires ongoing exploration of their profound effects. This study aligns with this need, investigating video games as possible tools for positive societal influence and exploring their potential to address sensitive social issues. Transportation theory underscores the transformative potential of video games, casting players as “travellers” who, traversing stages of reality dissolution, emotional connection, and altered return, present a pathway for attitude transformation. Participants (N=98) engaged with “Survival,” “Paper, Please,” and “Against All Odds” to explore the effectiveness of video games in addressing the refugee crisis, increasing awareness of the issue at hand, changing perceptions, and encouraging them to take action in real life. The study’s results align with integrated threat theory, revealing that immersive gaming experiences can induce significant changes in attitudes, decrease denial, and increase empathy. The results highlight the potential of video games to educate people about pressing global issues and invoke empathy without trivialising problems. Consequently, while this study extends the current body of knowledge, it offers some promising directions for further research to validate the affirmative impact of video games in this realm.
