Don’t Hit The Wall, Just Squeeze The Ball: How Tangible Interactive Devices Can Help Manage Frustration In Online GamesFrustration in games can have negative consequences for both players and those around them. Despite these effects, methods for supporting frustration management in hectic gameplay are scarce. In this paper, we present Frustration Buddy, a novel tangible intervention system aimed at managing frustration during play. Fr…2026MWMichel Wijkstra et al.Utrecht UniversityTangible User Interface DesignGame UX & Player BehaviorAffective Feedback & Emotion Regulation InterfacesCHI
Effects of a Gaze-Based 2D Platform Game on User Enjoyment, Perceived Competence, and Digital Eye StrainGaze interaction is a promising interaction method to increase va- riety, challenge, and fun in games.We present “Shed Some Fear”, a 2D platform game including numerous eye-gaze-based interactions. \shedSomeFear includes control with eye-gaze and traditional keyboard input. The eye-gaze interactions are partially bas…2024MCMark Colley et al.University of UlmEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionGame UX & Player BehaviorCHI
Was it Real or Virtual? Confirming the Occurrence and Explaining Causes of Memory Source Confusion between Reality and Virtual RealitySource confusion occurs when individuals attribute a memory to the wrong source (e.g., confusing a picture with an experienced event). Virtual Reality (VR) represents a new source of memories particularly prone to being confused with reality. While previous research identified causes of source confusion between realit…2024EBElise Bonnail et al.Institut Polytechnique de ParisEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionImmersion & Presence ResearchCHI
Toxicity in Online Games: The Prevalence and Efficacy of Coping StrategiesToxicity is pervasive in online multiplayer games, exposing players to disruptive and harmful behaviours. Players employ various approaches to cope with exposure to toxicity; however, game designers and researchers lack guidance on how to implement coping support within games. In this paper, we first conduct a formati…2024JFJulian Frommel et al.Utrecht UniversityMultiplayer & Social GamesCyberbullying & Online HarassmentCHI
The Effect of Spatial Audio on Curvature Gains in VR Redirected WalkingRedirected walking (RDW) is a technique that allows users to navigate larger physical spaces in virtual reality (VR) environments by manipulating the users' view of the virtual world. In this study, we investigate the effect of adding spatial audio elements to curvature gains in RDW aiming to increase the perceptual t…2024MGMaarten Gerritse et al.Utrecht UniversityImmersion & Presence ResearchContext-Aware ComputingCHI
DungeonMaker: Embedding Tangible Creation and Destruction in Hybrid Board Games through Personal Fabrication TechnologyHybrid board games (HBGs) augment their analog origins digitally (e.g., through apps) and are an increasingly popular pastime activity. Continuous world and character development and customization, known to facilitate engagement in video games, remain rare in HBGs. If present, they happen digitally or imaginarily, oft…2024ESEvgeny Stemasov et al.University of UlmDigitalization of Board & Tabletop GamesDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCHI
(Don't) stand by me: How trait psychopathy and NPC emotion influence player perceptions, verbal responses, and movement behaviours in a gaming taskSocial interactions are an essential part of many digital games, and provide benefits to players; however, problematic social interactions also lead to harm. To inform our understanding of the origins of harmful social behaviours in gaming contexts, we examine how trait psychopathy influences player perceptions and be…2022MDMartin Johannes Dechant et al.University of SaskatchewanGame UX & Player BehaviorRole-Playing & Narrative GamesCHI
Assessing Social Anxiety Through Digital Biomarkers Embedded in a Gaming TaskDigital biomarkers of mental health issues offer many advantages, including timely identification for early intervention, ongoing assessment during treatment, and reducing barriers to assessment stemming from geography, age, fear, or disparities in access to systems of care. Embedding digital biomarkers into games may…2021MDMartin Johannes Dechant et al.University of SaskatchewanSerious & Functional GamesMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesCHI
Gathering Self-Report Data in Games through NPC Dialogues: Effects on Data Quality, Data Quantity, Player Experience, and Information IntimacySelf-report assessment is important for research and game development, e.g., to gather data during play. Games can use dialogues with non-player characters (NPCs) to gather self-report data; however, players might respond differently to dialogues than questionnaires. Without guidance on how in-game assessment affects…2021JFJulian Frommel et al.Utrecht UniversityGame UX & Player BehaviorPrototyping & User TestingCHI
Don't You Know That You're Toxic: Perceptions of Toxicity in Online GamingVideo game toxicity, endemic to online play, represents a pervasive and complex problem. Antisocial behaviours in online play directly harm player wellbeing, enjoyment, and retention—but research has also revealed that some players normalize toxicity as an inextricable and acceptable element of the competitive video g…2021NBNicole A Beres et al.University of SaskatchewanGame UX & Player BehaviorSocial Platform Design & User BehaviorCHI
ShARe: Enabling Co-Located Asymmetric Multi-User Interaction for Augmented Reality Head-Mounted DisplaysHead-Mounted Displays (HMDs) are the dominant form of enabling Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) for personal use. One of the biggest challenges of HMDs is the exclusion of people in the vicinity, such as friends or family. While recent research on asymmetric interaction for VR HMDs has contributed to so…2020PJPascal Jansen et al.University of UlmSocial & Collaborative VRMixed Reality WorkspacesUIST
Recognizing Affiliation: Using Behavioural Traces to Predict the Quality of Social Interactions in Online Games[object Object]2020JFJulian Frommel et al.Utrecht UniversityGame UX & Player BehaviorMultiplayer & Social GamesCHI
Exploring Interaction Fidelity in Virtual Reality: Object Manipulation and Whole-Body MovementsHigh degrees of interaction fidelity (IF) in virtual reality (VR) are said to improve user experience and immersion, but there is also evidence of low IF providing comparable experiences. VR games are now increasingly prevalent, yet we still do not fully understand the trade-off between realism and abstraction in this…2019KRKatja Rogers et al.University of UlmFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputImmersion & Presence ResearchGame UX & Player BehaviorCHI
Conveying the Perception of Kinesthetic Feedback in Virtual Reality using State-of-the-Art HardwareIncluding haptic feedback in current consumer VR applications is frequently challenging, since technical possibilities to create haptic feedback in consumer-grade VR are limited. While most systems include and make use of the possibility to create tactile feedback through vibration, kinesthetic feedback systems almost…2018MRMichael Rietzler et al.Institute of Media InformaticsForce Feedback & Pseudo-Haptic WeightImmersion & Presence ResearchCHI
KickAR: Exploring Game Balancing Through Boosts and Handicaps in Augmented Reality Table FootballWhen player skill levels are not matched, games provide an unsatisfying player experience. Player balancing is used across many digital game genres to address this, but has not been studied for co-located augmented reality (AR) tabletop games, where using boosts and handicaps can adjust for different player skill leve…2018KRKatja Rogers et al.University of UlmSocial & Collaborative VRSerious & Functional GamesCHI