I requested my testers to play the game while recording their playthroughs and, if possible, include a face cam for behaviour evaluation. The strategy involved providing specific respite mechanics to some testers while assigning different respite mechanics to others. This approach aimed to assess which respite mechanic had the most significant impact on emotional and spatio-temporal immersion. Although it proved challenging to precisely identify which mechanic had the greatest effect during tests where multiple mechanics were turned on simultaneously, I had initially intended to test each mechanic individually. However, due to time constraints, I opted for a batched approach, testing groups of three respite mechanics at once. In Batch 1, testers experienced checkpoints, loading screens, and HUD turned on, while in Batch 2, player health, static pausing, and static inventory were turned on.
Surprisingly, most testers preferred keeping the respite mechanics in the game, stating that their removal negatively impacted immersion, making the game excessively difficult. Players frequently exhibited a desire to thoroughly explore the mansion, hinting at a preference for narrative immersion over the challenge-based immersion discussed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book, "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience."
Additional noteworthy points include that, among ten testers, 40% expressed their intent to retain the toggles for the final game release, indicating a level of uncertainty among players regarding the experimental nature of the game. Furthermore, 50% of eight testers noted that the passage of time added suspense to the game. The diverse enjoyment experienced by different testers supports the notion that the game's various mechanics appeal to a wide audience.
Additionally, 40% of players from the pool of ten testers found the task of locating all seven skulls challenging, expressing satisfaction when successfully finding one, as indicated by their facial expressions. This valuable feedback played a crucial role in further developing the game. So, how did I go about adjusting the game to achieve a more balanced experience, allowing players to explore the house and face a challenge in finding skulls without making it too easy for them to locate all the skulls on the first day? It necessitated some modifications, as the review of user tester footage revealed that players were overlooking skulls even when they were clearly visible. I made adjustments, such as reducing the game speed by 40% to allow players to explore the mansion at a more reasonable pace. I also repositioned some skull spawn points to enhance accessibility. The full patch notes are available on the itch.io page.
Conclusion
In summary, my initial hypothesis, suggesting that the absence of respite mechanics would enhance immersion, was challenged during user testing, with the majority of testers expressing that their removal detracted from the experience and caused frustration due to the game's design. Nevertheless, the research findings have significant implications for game design and the horror genre. It appears that players are most engaged in a narrative-based spatio-temporal immersion, requiring occasional respite for optimal engagement, while excessive challenge and difficulty can detrimentally impact the overall experience. Considering this, I believe the game and its research would benefit more from a story-driven experience reminiscent of Amnesia: The Dark Descent rather than a game mode such as king of the hill.
Furthermore, with additional time, I would have implemented an automatic toggling feature for the respite mechanics based on player performance. For example, if a player regularly encountered difficulties navigating the pause screen because they were being attacked by the monster, I would automatically activate static pausing. This adjustment aimed to prevent frustration and enhance the immersive experience by tailoring the respite mechanics to individual gameplay needs. Moreover, I wished to evaluate each respite mechanic independently to determine its specific influence on emotional and spatio-temporal immersion when removed. However, I acknowledge that achieving this effectively would have required additional time and a larger pool of testers for thorough A/B testing. As it stands, my research primarily focused on understanding how the absence of respite mechanics impacts emotional and spatio-temporal immersion in a survival horror game, rather than pinpointing the specific respite mechanic with the most significant impact when removed.
This master's degree has been a valuable learning experience, allowing me to integrate and showcase the knowledge gained. The major project serves as a strong portfolio piece, reflecting my commitment to industry-standard coding with over 130 GitHub commits, establishing a bug-free and robust foundation for future research. Reflecting on this journey, my skills have developed alongside a supportive cohort. Moving forward, I plan to continue working on this project, contributing to new research in this ever-evolving industry.
References
Csikszentmihalyi, M., 1990. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. 1st ed. s.l.:HarperCollins
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