Search

With the improvement of the perfect information game research, people gradually turn their research focus to the study of imperfect information game. Mahjong AI is a relatively complex typical representative of imperfect information game, whether from the average size of information set or the number of information sets. Therefore, with mahjong as the starting point, we can better study the game of imperfect information in complex situations. Under this background, this paper first introduces the rules of Mahjong, next analyzes the challenges faced by Mahjong AI due to its complex game rules, then summarizes the current research status of Mahjong AI from the perspective of the opponent and its own, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Finally, the future development direction of Mahjong AI is proposed.

The field of game research is still very young. As such, unlike many research fields, it lacks an established or widely accepted set of methods and techniques. Methods are often taken from other fields while new tools tailored specifically to games are still emerging. We used a conceptual content analysis approach to review the methodology of papers published from 2013 to 2018 in four major publication venues related to game research: CHI Play, the Digital Games Research Association conference, the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, and the Games and Culture journal. We searched the papers to find all occurrences of words or phrases related to methods, tools or participants. The process was iterative as new keywords were found and informed subsequent searches. For instance, the names of specific questionnaires used by game researchers were found while searching for survey. Our findings offer an overview of the methods, tools and recruitment strategies currently used for game research. Through this review, we aim to contribute to the development of a set of well defined and commonly understood methods for game research.

We look back on two decades of academic research on audio games. During this time, a substantial amount of research has explored many facets of this special genre of computer games. However, despite many publications, there is a lack of review papers, which help delineate this growing research field. For this reason, we take one step back and investigate 20 years of audio game research by synthesizing a literature review adopting grounded theory methods. The resulting research map provides an overview of efforts into audio games with a special focus on how to design for audio games. We observed three important trends or tensions in audio game research. Firstly, audio games research depended heavily on technological advancements during the last two decades. Secondly, most studies about audio games were conducted with novices to audio games in lab situations, that is, based on artificial situations and not on real gamers and their genuine experience. Thirdly, the audio game design process per se has been greatly neglected in the literature so far. We conclude the paper by discussing design or research implications.

Co-located games that bring players together have strong potential for supporting children's collaborative competencies. However, there is a challenge how to make results from research work related to this within Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) field easily transferable to future CCI research. Pursuing this challenge, we combined levels of Collaborative Activity (CA) with the design tool gameplay design patterns (GDPs). This combination was used to support comparative play tests of a co-located game with children who have learning difficulties. We report our observations on using our approach, arguing that the possibility of making patterns based on CA concepts such as Reflective Communication points towards collaborative GDPs. Furthermore, this study presents an exemplar that as a flexible and extensible tool GDPs can be used with different theories and models in the CCI field.

Streakiness refers to observed tendency towards consecutive appearances of particular patterns. In video games, streakiness is oftentimes inevitable, where a player keeps winning or losing for a short period. However, the phenomenon remains understudied in present online game research. How do players perceive streakiness? How does it impact player experience (PX)? How should streakiness be taken into consideration for the design of PX? In this paper, we address these questions through a qualitative study of player discussions about streakiness in League of Legends. We found that players developed various ways to describe a streak. Both winning and losing streaks negatively impacted PX. Players devised numerous strategies to manage streakiness, among which disengagement was a primary means. We analyze streakiness as a social construct through which players coped with complex game systems. We discuss design implications for managing streakiness in online games.

Traditional gym and fitness exercise regimens are currently being enhanced with innovative technology and interactive gamification systems. Exergame gyms offer body-centered games, which are controlled by relating the level of the user's physical activity to interactive coordinative and cognitive game demands. This approach can further be enhanced by implementing dynamically adaptive game-balancing mechanisms, and specifically designed full-body-motion controllers, to yield an optimal play/training session. Building on results of interdisciplinary game research, we designed and evaluated a dynamically-adaptive fitness game environment for children and young adolescents. This setting increases the motivating effects of fitness training, and can be used in addition, or as alternative to standard fitness programs.

The games research community at CHI has become an ever-growing significant part of the conference, demonstrated by the SIGCHI-sponsored CHI PLAY conference and the inclusion of a games subcommittee at CHI 2016. Given the increase in quantity and variety of submissions, and the involvement and engagement of practitioners within the community, it is important for the community to have this SIG as a forum. We plan to give a brief overview of the history of game research at CHI as well as its current state. Then, we want to engage the community in a discussion about the scope that games research at CHI should have and where we want to take this community from here. We want to vibrantly explore new outlets for academic dissemination, community outreach, and collaborations with practitioners.

Playing video games with a partner can be fun, but are the players in flow? The study of flow, a state of intense immersion in an activity, is an important element of game research. Recently, partners in multiplayer games have been shown to impact a player's flow state. However, as flow can be difficult to assess during a game, brain activity, measured with electroencephalography, has recently been employed as a tool to evaluate flow state continuously and without bias. Thus, this paper investigates the relationship between two partners' flow states and brain activity. We carried out a preliminary empirical study in which participants played doubles in a tennis game, while EEG data and psychometric measures were acquired. Our results show an interaction between a player's neurophysiological activity and a partner's flow state. In the long run, this work opens the door for games designed to optimize positive emotional contagion.

Gameplay design patterns are semiformal interconnected descriptions features of gameplay. While most previous patterns have been identified through analyzing existing games, this paper proposed how patterns can be identified using theories as starting points. More specifically, we propose three different approaches to harvesting gameplay design patterns: 1) using theories as analysis foci, 2) distilling patterns from theories, and 3) using theories to understand the consequences of having or not having patterns present in a game design. The three approaches are presented together with examples of their use, and based upon this the concept of Theory Lenses as an analytical tool is introduced as a way of allowing theories independent of their research field to be applied to research on gameplay design.

There is a growing level of interest in games in the iSchools. Some schools are teaching courses focused on the creation of games, while others schools have researchers exploring game topics. In order to engage with game programs and researchers from outside the iSchools, it is important to understand the different areas of game education and research, and how concepts from information science can be used to advance game research.

A large volume of neurobiological research has been conducted in recent years, almost all of which has been considered solely from the perspective of biology. However, most of the insights gained through this research are also valuable for the game research field. This paper discusses the implications of existing research in neurobiology to the play of games (including, but not restricted to digital games), and connects neurobiological perspectives with models of play aiming to construct superior player satisfaction models built upon biological foundations. Connections are presented between already recognized patterns of play and recent research on the brain (in particular, the limbic system). By providing a framework for understanding how the brain responds to recurrent patterns inherent to play, we aim to provide a platform for future experimental player-game interaction research (for which possible directions are briefly explored), and a propaedeutic to biologically-grounded player satisfaction models.

The development and validation of tools and measurements for gaming experiences is an ongoing challenge for game studies researcher. This paper describes a questionnaire that collects information on fine-grained gaming preferences across genres. The data is analyzed quantitatively. Results obtained from this tool point out to what specific aspects of games are preferred.

Native environments are of particular importance in game research, where findings depend even more than usual on the user's mood and comfort level. Using remote voice chat to moderate game research sessions enables researchers to remove the distracting and discomforting physical presence of the moderator, providing a more convincing native environment. This paper describes the benefits and addresses the methodological pitfalls of this approach.

Deployment of wearables for games has attracted the interest of designers and researchers both in academia and industry. However, few of these projects treat wearables as an integral part of the gameplay, often considering them as an extension of the central on-screen experience. While preliminary forays into wearable play show promise, we see a need for a rigorous design framework to illuminate the possibilities for the future of wearables for playful interaction design. In this paper we propose a Design Framework for Playful Wearables stemming from our extensive research and hands-on experience in leading four long-term game research projects incorporating wearables. We divide our framework into three high-level categories: the performative, the social and the interactive. We contend that this design space can be both a design tool for creators of wearable playful activities, as well as an analytical lens for evaluating existing wearable systems. acceptedVersion