Video Game Selection Procedures For Experimental Research

Videogames are complex stimuli, and selecting games that consistently induce a desired player experience (PX) in an experimental setting can be challenging. The number of relatively high-quality games being released each year continues to increase, which makes deriving a shortlist of plausible candidate games from this pool increasingly problematic. Despite this, guidance for structuring and reporting on the game selection process remains limited. This paper therefore proposes two approaches to game selection: the first leverages online videogame databases and existing PX research, and is structured with respect to widely-applicable videogame metadata. The second process applies established game design theory to serve researchers when insufficient connections between desired PX outcomes and recognisable game elements exist. Both methods are accompanied by example reports of their application. The present work aims to assist experimental researchers in selecting videogames likely to meet their needs, while encouraging more rigorous standards of reporting in the field.