International Journal of Games and Social Impact

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    Guidelines for ludonarrative conversion : a case study for a children's book converted to a game
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Starks, Katryna; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Video games are a way to help children improve their communication and collaboration skills as well as engage them in the world of their favorite book characters. This paper explains the unique features of books and games, and how interactivity can enhance the reader experience in the game world. It then goes on to explain various design considerations for children, including age ratings and designs for screen time recommendations. Further, game mechanics are paired with Erickson’s stages of development to facilitate optimal design in various age group. Finally, a development framework is presented, and a case study features a prototype design which displays these principles in a real-world setting.
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    An analog game-based intervention and a playability analysis in the elderly : a pilot study
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Pincegher, Dara; Rosa, Marlene; Silva, Emanuel; Frontini, Roberta; ECATI - School of Communication, Architecture, Arts and Information Technologies
    Introduction: Gamed-based interventions (GBI) in old people is an interesting topic for aging-well purposes, however, few studies exist focused on the assessment of multimodal interactive experience (emotions, skills, engagement, etc), and most of them used digital games. Therefore, validation of analog GBIs, when implemented in the geriatric field, should be completed with a playability analysis. Aim: To characterise a multicomponent playability analysis, considering (i) emotional state changes, and (ii) the perceived experience during the implementation of an analog gamed-based short-term intervention in the institutionalized elderly person. Method: A pre and post-test study was conducted during four weeks of intervention through an analogue game. Participants were elderly people institutionalised in a Residential Home for the Elderly in the central region of Portugal. Playability is assessed before and after the sessions with analogue games, using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0-10) of emotions and a questionnaire about participants’ perceptions of game-based experience. Results: Thirteen elderly people (9 women/4 men) with a mean age of 80±9.32 years participated in the study. A total of 48 states of tiredness/excitement, calmness/anxiety, and sadness/joy were recorded: 44,4% of participants increased their level of excitement; 66,7% decreased their level of excitement. The serious aims of the game were well perceived while maintaining the perception of the playful and fun character. Conclusion: The positive emotional changes in the elderly might be a sign of self-perceived novelty and challenge in the game. A good perception of the serious purpose of the game is associated with a positive emotional state, which encourages the adoption of proficiency feedback mode in the game. This pilot study was a relevant contribution to the continuing progression of playability analysis in elderly therapeutic contexts.
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    Current and future opportunities for 3D printing in modern board games
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Simões, Ricardo; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a set of disruptive technologies where parts are no longer produced by removing material until the desired form is achieved, but rather build the intended product layer by layer. With significant benefits in the efficient use of resources, optimizing performance, and allowing individual customization of each print, 3D printing techniques have been more widely adopted worldwide, and modern board games are no exception. However, until now its use is mostly hobbyists creating and sharing 3D models for improving player experience in two aspects: customization (upgrade) of game components, and solutions for organization/setup/logistics. Nevertheless, 3D printing opens opportunities also for game designers/developers and publishers. This paper presents a glimpse of the current use of 3D printing in modern board games and discusses opportunities for the future, highlighting how both players and professionals can take advantage of this technology.
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    Public interest and the potential social impact of board games : the role of the strategic twist, definition and scope
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Antunes, Paulo; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Modern board games – precisely after what has been dubbed the “renaissance” of analog games since the publication of Catan and the consequent affirmation of the “German games” – have served for a vast reflection in the field of metagame. In this text it is considered that the effects following what is called “strategic twist” in modern board games, allow reflecting about the dynamics of the field of leisure/ludicity from two aspects: the orientation of games towards strategy; and the strategic character of the transition of/in the milieu. One must understand how the “twist” can be thought about and what can be thought about the political-philosophical reflections that address the “public interest”, and how these two fields can be broadly intertwined. With this theoretical-societal connection, the aim here is to move on from the role that the “strategic twist” plays in calling the “public interest” attention for the practice of this type of activity (the impact of a new dissemination of games), to the “public interest”, that may have reciprocally provided it; and to how something like this “interest” can be treated in the games themselves. Finally, also how some light can be shed on it by the combination and choice of some game mechanics. The intersection of these two domains also prepares us to talk about serious issues in the future.
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    Computer supported accessible dexterity-based board games
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Heron, Michael James; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Board game accessibility analyses conducted by the Meeple Centred Design project have identified a number of problem areas where there exist no accessible intersection of disability and game design paradigm. While there exist fun and innovative board games for most players, making use of most game mechanisms, there exists no identified dexterity game accessible to those with physical impairments. Indeed, it is hard to imagine what form a game of that nature might take. In this paper, we outline a technological solution making use of computer vision, digital representation, and accessible game design. In its proof of concept form, it serves as a way of making the game Crokinole playable by mixed-needs groups. Future work will generalise this solution to work for a wide array of flicking and pushing based dexterity games, along with investigating how existing digital accessibility support tools can be leveraged to expand the demographic that can benefit from this approach.
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    Current accessibility challenges and perspectives for people with visual impairments in tabletop games
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Léste, João; Farbiarz, Jackeline; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Much has already been discussed about the educational benefits of playing Tabletop games. However, as United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.5 points out, there still exist many disparities in the access to quality education by vulnerable groups. This paper aims to address some of the factors that contribute to this disparity in regard to people with visual impairments in Brazil. Beyond that, there is a much more dire barrier of access to: the majority of information about the games is presented visually. In practice, people with visual impairments have to rely on the “goodwill” of other people to try and adapt the games for them, who are generally their teachers, friends or relatives. Lastly, this paper presents some accessibility criteria to be considered when designing board games for people with visual impairments, as well as present the Design in Partnership approach as a viable method to design more meaningful games for this context.
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    Roundtable, analogue co-design : opportunities, challenges and other nuances
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Brand, Inka; C., Isra; Brand, Markus; S., Shei; Sousa, Micael; Sousa, Carla; Casimiro, Cátia; CICANT - Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Co-design is linked to a range of advantages, encompassing enhancements in idea generation, service or product development processes, decision-making, cooperation, creativity, as well as long-term satisfaction and loyalty among clients and users (Steen, 2013; Steen et al., 2011). Despite its widespread use as a strategic approach, co-design has received less scholarly attention, and critical discussions regarding its underlying concepts are infrequent. The occurrence of this particular circumstance can perhaps be attributed to the widespread practice of categorizing projects as co-design, which may lead to a dilution or confusion of conceptual understanding (Steen, 2013). In the field of games, especially at an academic level, the idea of co-design has been used mainly to describe processes of horizontalizing research design, aligned with participatory paradigms (Brown, 2022; Hall, 1975). Specifically, where the player no longer plays a completely passive role, but co-creates the gaming world together with the designers (De Jans et al., 2017; Loos et al., 2019; Pedersen & Buur, 2000). Or when the games (applied as a serious game) deliver a tool for ideation and the co-creation of projects and solutions to a specific problem (Sousa, 2021). Here, we have invited two of the most prominent duos of contemporary analog game designers – Isra/Shei and Inka Brand/Markus Brand – to reflect on how they complement and oppose each other in this process. Relational and gender characteristics, how they impact the creative process, and the players’ vision of the games created, among many other issues, will be reflected here.
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    Cognitive teleintervention with board games during the pandemic lockdown in school-age children
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Vita-Barrull, Nuria; Estrada-Plana, Verónica; March-Llanes, Jaume; Guzmán, Núria; Mayoral, María; Moya Higueras, Jorge; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Background. Playing modern board games has been linked to cognitive enhancement in children when playing face-to-face. However, because of the SARS-CoV-2, playing in an analog way was difficult. Objective. To test the efficacy of a cognitive intervention program with board games in school-age children (25 Spaniards; 5-12 years) delivered remotely through web conferencing. Methods. We performed a randomized controlled trial with a wait-list control group (n=10) and pre-post testing (updating, inhibition, flexibility, and verbal fluency). The study was preregistered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04823338). The experimental group (n=15) played commercialized board games adapted to an online format during 12 sessions. Results and Conclusions. We found higher flexibility and verbal fluency improvements in the experimental than in the control group. We also saw improvements in visuospatial updating solely in the passive control group. Board games played remotely could entail some cognitive benefits, though we found paradigmatic results too. Board games may benefit the most when played face to face.
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    Why have there been no great women board game designers?
    (Lusofona University, 2023) Dias, Carolina Magalhães; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Board Games are becoming increasingly popular, and yet the Board Game designer population continues to be primarily made up of white men. This article intends to present the factors that may have held women and non-binary people back from occupying the Board Game community as intensely as men and which contribute to the homogeneity of Board Game designers today. Firstly, supported by the relevant literature, this article starts by establishing a connection between implicit stereotypes and the way we choose to spend our free time. Secondly, data from studies performed in different countries shows that, even when choosing to play Board Games, women have tendentially less free time than men to play – and, therefore, less time to develop ideas for new Board Games. Lastly, this article focuses on the women who play and how their experiences in Board Game events and conventions may prevent them from participating further in the hobby and its community, including in Board Game design.
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    See me play! : self-portraiture in pseudo-museums as immersive playscapes for adults
    (Lusofona University, 2023-01-01) Heljakka, Katriina; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    This article analyzes and deconstructs interactive and immersive ‘pseudo-museum’ environments, which seem to be all about making the self-documenting player the main exhibit, or spectacle. The research material collected through a visual autoethno graphic approach consists of photoplays and videos evidencing the author’s visits and adult play in four museums dedicated to selfies during pre-pandemic times (2019-2020), namely the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco and New York, Happy Place and The Selfie Museum in Las Vegas. Findings of the autoethnography demonstrate that the play experience based on selfie-taking is both a solitary and social form of play, and to some degree dictated and directed by the exteriors, interiors, rules of engagement and the hosts assisting. Finally, it is argued that self-portraiture in the ‘pseudo-museum’ context is about the creation of ‘playfies’, and making a toy out of oneself.
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    Playing with fake news : state of fake news video games
    (Lusofona University, 2023-01-01) DeJong, Scott; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Employed almost synonymously with disinformation and misinformation, fake news refers to the increasing discourse of mis configured news and information being shared online which has prompted global concern. Calls for digital literacy have come from researchers, governments, and public interest groups who developing an array of resources for the public. Games are one intervention. This article explores what it refers to as ‘fake news games’. Not focusing on a specific game genre, it considers video games that discuss or present fake news as central to their play or design. This paper evaluates how fake news is being presented in games and asks how the concept understood across these games. By analyzing the content, skills, and goals in these games, it situates fake news alongside digital literacy skills to see how the term is being re-framed by the medium of games. Twenty-two games were studied from a larger sample collected in late 2020. Through play analysis of twenty-two fake news video games collected in 2020 this paper provides an overview of game’s that discuss fake news. Games were play-tested and recorded to see the range of content, skills and central themes that were invoked in these games. These led to findings dis cussing the design, core premise, and general discourse around fake news that was promoted through play. The findings in this article offer value for future directions of discussion and game design focused on fake news. By pointing to gaps and differences in games in the field, this article offers potential information for designers while also highlighting how fake news is re-framed by these games. It emphasizes which points of interest around fake news are commonly being brought up, and points to future design and implementation considerations for scholars and designers.
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    Mastering modern board game design to build new learning experiences : the MBGTOTEACH framework
    (Lusofona University, 2023-01-01) Sousa, Micael; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Games have proven to be engaging tools for learning. Digital games dominate, but analog games are not obsolete. Modern board games provide new opportunities for teachers. This paper proposes the MBGTOTEACH framework as an introduction and on going process for teachers to use, adapt, and develop modern board games for learning purposes. This framework aims to help teachers profit from these games to build their game-based approaches. The MBGTOTEACH framework was tested during two sessions with teachers and education researchers. It increased the awareness of the potential of game-based learning and the design characteristics of modern board games. Sessions results show that participants might need a more solid game culture and experiences to recognize how to explore games’ potential. Modifying and developing new learning games based on modern board games is not achieved rapidly, although recognizing the games’ potential in introducing sessions is achievable.
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    Moral complexity in videogames : a pragmatist approach
    (Lusofona University, 2023-01-01) Hanussek, Benjamin; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    The field of videogame ethics has already achieved a differentiated view on many ethical questions in regards to videogames, their players and the industry. However, most of these approaches have neglected the benefits of a less abstract, more pragmatic view on videogame ethics. Thus, in this paper, I will introduce the concept of moral complexity to formulate a device that allows a pragmatic identification, categorisation, discussion, and design of moral content in videogames. Moral complexity is defined as (or by) the degree to which a game offers alternatives and/or commentary to violence and deceit to players and is exclusively referring to how the issue of morality is implemented in past and contemporary game design. It is a reductionist approach, which treats morality as a game design element and shall help to understand the experience of morality in a closed player/game circuit. To introduce and explain the notion of moral complexity, this paper will begin with a brief overview of fundamental developments and perspectives in the field of videogame ethics. Further, moral complexity is introduced based on a rendering of Kantian metaphysics into virtual space. Then, elements of Aristotle’s ethics, Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow and Habermas’ principles of communicative action are defined to articulate the phenomenological aspect of experiencing moral complexity in game. Based on these theoretical building blocks, a comprehensive definition of moral complexity is presented. To illustrate this construct, cases of videogames (Grand Theft Auto V, Spec Ops: The Line and Detroit: Become Human) are introduced to exemplify different degrees and manifestations of moral complexity in contemporary game design. Moreover, a discussion on issues shall forward a differentiated picture of the concept. In the end, a conclusion presents prospects and chances for the notion of moral complexity.
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    School as playground : discussing a play structure for higher design education
    (Lusofona University, 2023-01-01) Belo, Marta Guerra; ECATI - School of Communication, Architecture, Arts and Information Technologies; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    In this paper we intend to discuss the main elements of play – rules, order, freedom, pleasure, competition, representation, sep aration and uncertainty – as key elements of a new alternative learning structure in higher design education centered on ludic thinking. From the assumption that play is a free movement within a more rigid structure and that playful thinking is intrinsic to us, we draw on Aldo van Eyck and the City as Playground text by Merijn Oudenampsen (2011) and make an analogy between school and playground to discuss play process as learning process and study alternative pedagogies to traditional teaching which seek to foster self-learning through the work Homo ludens. School is observed as a playground where learning takes place through the transgression that results from the strong engagement with the context, the free exploration of space and matter and the ongoing dialogic interactions of the participants. This work is developed by cross-referencing data from different sociol ogists, educators, designers, and game theorists in connection with the data collected from an open talk with the author and four guests: Luís Alegre da Silva (designer, researcher, and lecturer in the field of communication design), Miguel Vieira Baptista (de signer and lecturer in the field of product design), Filipe Luz (researcher and lecturer in the field of Multimedia and Videogames) and Ana Jotta (Visual artist) – that took place in the 1st Games and Social Impact Media Research Lab Conference (Glow2021) hosted by Lusófona University as a joint initiative between the CICANT and HEI-Lab research centers.
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    Enhancing brain health and cognitive development through sensorimotor play in virtual reality : uncovering the neural correlates
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) Lekova, Anna K.; Tsvetkova, Paulina; Andreeva, Anna; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Brain health is a critical part of well-being because it is a foundation for the ability to communicate, make decisions and solve real-life problems. Virtual reality games involve motor and sensory activities that can help to improve brain connectivity by pro-viding an immersive and interactive experience that engages multiple brain regions simultaneously. Reinforcing sensorimotor activities influences cognitive skills and improves brain health. Sensorimotor play in virtual reality is a relatively new concept that is gaining attention as a tool for promoting brain health and cognitive abilities. It is believed that this type of play can have positive impact on brain health and cognitive function, such as improving memory, enhancing focus, and reducing stress and anxiety. The aims of the current paper are (1) - to present evidence, based on neuro correlates, of the importance of the sensorimotor play to the brain health and (2) - to propose a conceptual model for a personalized VR game design using neurocognitive feedback obtained through Brain-Computer Interface that assesses brain areas during sensorimotor stimulation.Keywords: virtual reality, sensorimotor play, neurocognitive evidences, brain development, serious games.
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    Learning engagement in a pre-alpha version of an educational game : evaluation and proposed solutions
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) MARCELINO, LÍLIA SOFIA FERREIRA LOPES; Fernandes, Pedro Miguel Alves; Cerqueira, Ricardo João Ramos; FCSEA - Faculty of Social Sciences, Education and Administration; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Game-based learning focuses on engaging and immersing students in playability, and User Experience is a good opportunity to improve the game experience and to engage students in real learning. A theoretical five-factor model of learning engagement is used to analyse the overall sense of engagement in primary and secondary school students in a playtesting setting in the early stages of developing an inclusive educational mathematics video game mainly designed for deaf and hearing students. A meas-uring engagement usability playtest was conducted to answer the following research questions: a) What do students perceive as a sense of engagement? b) What information about the engagement is worthwhile to improve the game design and game experience? Twenty-three hearing students (15 boys and eight girls) participated in the study. The participants are 2nd to 12th graders, with a mean age of 13.7. After students played the pre-alpha version of a video game, most agreed that the prototype was challenging, reporting motivation to undertake the game's mathematical challenge. They perceived the game activity as clear and achievable. The students also reported having control over different types of actions in the game, and nearly one-quar-ter of the students perceived the game activity as not immersive. Also, the older students expressed that the game's purpose seemed irrelevant to their age group, which ultimately affected the game's general rating on the clarity of the game's purpose. The playtesting sessions reveal that players need help separating the game from its educational goal, and the misalignment between the character's movements affects the game's action control. After collecting engagement problems in playtesting sessions, the study proposes solutions, including changing interface elements. The current work demonstrates the importance of evaluating engagement in playtesting sessions in the early stage of development to improve the game experience long before the final version.Keywords:video game, game-based learning, mathematics, engagement, playtesting
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    Playful by design : a third space community of practice for game studies & design
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) Pitar, Judith; Bievenue, Lisa; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    This paper traces the history and development of Playful by Design, a cross-campus initiative at the University of Illinois Urba-na-Champaign from which the interdisciplinary Game Studies & Design program emerged. Interdisciplinary collaborations bridge differences between academic cultures and can spur innovative research and new programs and initiatives. Games, under-stood both as objects of study and as a methodology for conducting research on topics other than games, are moving into the mainstream within multiple academic disciplines; that doesn't mean that interdisciplinary game studies must disappear as an intellectual endeavor. Playful by Design has become a local and global community of practice in which shared and overlapping interests in game-relevant research of all kinds, but also in design, pedagogy, and technology, provide a durable interdiscipli-nary third space. As a network, it can welcome multidisciplinary activities pursued by teachers, scholars, artists, and designers within their own disciplines and in their own ways. Through creative collaborations, the sharing of resources, and the growth of team-based studio work and other experiential learning, this approach facilitates the emergence of transdisciplinary and glocal aspirations. These include shared values of accessibility and inclusion, reflected in how we teach and conduct research, and in the design and creation of games, simulations, and other interactive and immersive experiences that address the critical shared challenges of our times.Keywords: Game Studies, Game Design, Game Development, Community of Practice, Third Space, Glocal, Collaboration, Accessi-bility, Emerging Technologies, Playful by Design
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    Editorial - playful by design : transformative approaches to game studies
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) de Sousa, João Alves; FCAATI - Faculty of Communication, Architecture, Arts and IT; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
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    Playful PHI : using cognitive behavioral game design (CBGD) to create a COVID-19 prevention game, vaccine nation
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) Starks, Katryna; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    During the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists and public health organizations such as the CDC and the WHO promoted health guide-lines to the public. However, social media misinformation, social stigma, and a drastic change in lifestyle lead to reduced com-pliance or non-compliance with these measures. As a result, playful public health messaging emerged as an attempt to increase health literacy around Covid-19 preventative practices, one of which was the tower defense game, Vaccine Nation. This article outlines the design principles of Cognitive Behavioral Game Design (CBGD) and how they were used to design the tower-defense game Vaccine Nation, incorporating recommended health interventions including isolating, hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks, and eventually getting vaccinated. Keywords: games, public health, Covid-19, disease prevention, health literacy, play, health promotion, Vaccine Nation
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    "Meeple-Centred Design" to assess collaborative play : the case of team3
    (Lusofona University, 2024-01-01) Barros, Joana Mourato Sardinha Figueiredo de; Casimiro, Cátia Sofia Fernandes; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab; CICANT - Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies
    The social model of disability refers to the fact that disabilities occur when the surrounding environment isn’t prepared to accommodate the needs of People with Disabilities. Since accessibility has been given more importance in several areas of social life, we argue here that board games can also contribute to promoting the social life of People with Disabilities, since they can help combat their social isolation. As such, we will be doing an analysis of a game based on its accessibility.Keywords: Board game accessibility; Team3; Accessibility guidelines; Accessibility evaluation; Inclusion