Presentation held at the GameOn 2013 conference in Brussels. We introduce a specific focus for heuristic evaluations of games, where the interface can be excluded and the gameplay isolated. The heuristics used in this article are based on heuristics sited as the most used heuristics of the game industry

1. Evaluating Game Heuristics
For Measuring Player
Experience
Björn Strååt
Magnus Johansson (magnus@dsv.su.se)
Henrik Warpefelt
Department of Computer and Systems
Sciences/ Stockholm University
11/25/13

2. Outline
• Gameworld interaction (Gi) and Support interaction (Si)
• Challenges, immersion and flow
• Why work with heuristics?
• The Net heuristics list
• Results from pilot test
• Analysis and discussion
• Future work
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

3. Game interaction
Game world
Support
What the developer intended for you to do
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se
FarCry, Crytek Studios, published by Ubisoft,2004

4. Game world:
Challenges
Perform the task!
Explore the options…
Chess pieces… Duh!
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se
Mario Tennis Open, Nintendo, 2012

5. Game world:
Flow and immersion
Flow model based on concept by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

6. the game world experience
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

7. Heuristic Evaluations of Game world
experience

8. Jakob Nielsen –
heuristic evaluations of interaction
Not suitable for games!
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

9. Game heuristics
Federoff
Desurvire et al.
Desurvire &Wiberg
Pinelle et al
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se
Well researched
Used by the industry
Based on Nielsen
Based on best practice
Used as design guidelines

10. Game heuristics
experience
Federoff
Desurvire et al.
Desurvire &Wiberg
Pinelle et al
•
•
•
•
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New list with heuristics
Focus Game world
experience
Adhere to the gameplay or game world
Adhere to in-game challenges
Not allow for immersion break
Not allow for break of flow
Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

11. The Net Heuristics list

12. Heuristic from Pinelle et al
1. Provide visual representations that are easy to interpret and
that minimize the need for micromanagement. Visual
representations, such as radar views, maps, icons, and
avatars, are frequently used to convey information about the
current status of the game. Visual representations should be
designed so that they are easy to interpret, so that they
minimize clutter and occlusion, and so that users can
differentiate important elements from irrelevant elements.
Further, representations should be designed to minimize the
need for micromanagement, where users are forced to
interactively search through the representation to find
needed elements.
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

13. Heuristics from the HEP list
1. Make effects of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) clearly
visible to the player by ensuring they are consistent with the
player’s reasonable expectations of the AI actor.
2. The Player has a sense of control over their character and is
able to use tactics and strategies.
3. Provide consistency between the game elements and the
overarching setting and story to suspend disbelief.
4. The game transports the player into a level of personal
involvement emotionally (e.g., scare, threat, thrill, reward,
punishment) and viscerally (e.g., sounds of environment).
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

14. Heuristics from the PLAY list
1. The game is paced to apply pressure without frustrating the
players. The difficulty level varies so the players experience
greater challenges as they develop mastery
2. Changes the player make in the game world are persistent
and noticeable if they back-track to where they have been
before
3. There is an emotional connection between the player and the
game world as well as with their “avatar.”
4. The game utilizes visceral, audio and visual content to
further the players’ immersion in the game
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

15. Heuristics from the PLAY list
5. Status score Indicators are seamless, obvious, available and
do not interfere with game play
6. Game provides feedback and reacts in a consistent,
immediate, challenging and exciting way to the players’
actions.
7. The game gives rewards that immerse the player more
deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities, capacity
or, for example, expanding their ability to customize.
8. Players should be given context sensitive help while playing
so that they are not stuck and need to rely on a manual for
help
9. Game story encourages immersion (If game has story
component).
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

16. Relation between GI criteria and Net
heuristics
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

17. Results from the game evaluation test
• A total of 12 issues could be found using the Net list
• 10 resulting from designers not adhering to the heuristics
• One issue followed the heuristics but still had a negative
effect on the immersion
• The last issue not part of any heuristic, negative effect on
immersion
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

18. Analysis and Discussion
• The Net list, a tool for easy evaluations
• The results from the game evaluation indicated that the Net
list can be refined further.
• The strongest contribution is the definition of ”Gameworld
interaction”
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

19. Analysis and Discussion
• Existing heuristics useful but can be refined
• Combination of heuristic useful for pin-pointing softer values
of game experience
• Most heuristics written on a high level of abstraction
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

20. Future work
• No alternative heuristics
• Cooperation with the gaming industry to examine the concept
of Gameworld interaction further
• Further evaluation of heuristic principles
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se

21. Thank You for listening!
Questions?
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Magnus Johansson, magnus@dsv.su.se