Remote Wavelength: Design and Evaluation of a System for Social Connectedness Through Distributed Board Game Play

Document Title

Remote Wavelength: Design and Evaluation of a System for Social Connectedness Through Distributed Tabletop Gameplay

Document Information

• Topic Area: Remote tabletop game design and social connectedness
• Keywords: social connectedness, friends, tabletop games, remote, distributed, tactile, prototype, design

Research Background and Problem

• Identified Issues or Challenges:

  • Existing remote tabletop games lack support for tactile and social interactions, which are essential to gameplay.
  • Players face challenges such as insufficient player awareness, lack of physicality, and difficulties in cross-household synchronization when using current tools for remote gaming.
  • Although previous studies have explored the design space of social connectedness and remote gaming, research on the design and user experience of complete remote gaming systems remains limited.

• Significance:

  • Remote tabletop games can help distant friends stay connected, especially in contexts like the COVID-19 pandemic, where such systems become particularly valuable.
  • Maintaining social connections is crucial for health, with impacts comparable to risk factors such as smoking and obesity.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • The authors aim to design a remote tactile gaming system to better support social connectedness and address research gaps through prototype development and user studies.
  • Related work includes shared activities, hybrid tabletop game design, and social interaction design in existing remote gaming systems, but exploration of more comprehensive remote tabletop game systems remains insufficient.

Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution:

  • Developed a prototype system called "Remote Wavelength" for the distributed tabletop game "Wavelength," designed to enhance social connectedness.
  • Research questions include:
    1. How do players socialize and play tabletop games together using a remote tactile gaming system?
    2. How does a remote system with a tactile game board affect players' experience of social connectedness?
    3. What are the key design considerations for connecting friends in remote tactile gaming?

• Innovative Features:

  • The prototype system includes synchronized physical game boards and audio-video connections, enabling players to interact in real-time and share game states.
  • Extends existing remote tools by improving awareness and integration of remote player interactions to enhance user experience.

• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:

  1. Research Through Design (RtD):
     • Conduct design exploration step by step, selecting the game (Wavelength) and creating the prototype.
     • Use research findings on social connectedness and tactile interaction to guide design goals.
  2. System Design and Development:
     • Develop synchronized physical game boards (hardware and software integration), visual design for local and remote view synchronization, and integration of audio-video communication tools.
  3. User Testing:
     • Conduct laboratory studies to observe how players use the system and its impact on social connectedness.

Research Findings

• Specific Results:

  • Players reported that the tactile game board enhanced their sense of presence, communication efficiency, and awareness of remote players' activities.
  • Compared to existing systems, the tactile design of "Remote Wavelength" made players more engaged and fostered stronger physical and social connections with remote players.
  • Players used the game board for spontaneous interactions, such as humorous exchanges and informal expressions, enriching the social experience.

• Advantages Over Existing Solutions:

  • Unlike remote games relying solely on digital interfaces, the tactile game board reduced distractions and increased player engagement and enjoyment.
  • By integrating physical and digital elements into one system, the design improved focus and trust in remote interactions.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  1. Impact on Player Interaction:
     • Tactile elements enhanced players' "remote presence," such as perceiving remote object adjustments as more realistic.
  2. Feedback on Experience:
     • Players appreciated the flexible rule-based design, such as freely choosing rounds and supporting spontaneous team collaboration.
     • Expressed a need for improvements in "reading" remote players' emotions.
  3. Feedback on Integrated Design for Connectedness:
     • Players believed the integration of communication and game space visuals better supported remote reminders and attention focus.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations:
    • Testing was limited to one specific game (Wavelength), and some findings may not apply to other game types.
    • The prototype focused on two locations, with no testing of broader distribution or long-term use possibilities.
    • Participant groups were primarily friends aged 18-34, excluding other age groups or social relationships.
  • Future Directions:
    • Explore remote gaming system designs for other types of tabletop games.
    • Investigate the impact of long-term use of remote physical gaming systems on players' social experiences.
    • Optimize and adapt the system for broader age groups and social relationship contexts.

Conclusion and Contribution

This study explores social connectedness in remote tabletop gaming through innovative tactile game board design and comprehensive system development. By combining design and user research, it provides important design considerations and improvement suggestions, offering valuable guidance for enhancing remote interaction gaming experiences.