Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game

Dmitry Alexandrovsky; Maximilian Achim Friehs; Jendrik Grittner; Susanne Putze; Max V Birk; Rainer Malaka; Regan L. Mandryk

doi:10.1145/3411764.3445689

Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game

Dmitry Alexandrovsky, Maximilian Achim Friehs, Jendrik Grittner, Susanne Putze, Max V Birk, Rainer Malaka, Regan L. Mandryk

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Many serious games are most efective when played regularly; however, little is known about how individual game elements support player adherence over time. This work draws on evidence from existing frameworks and game design theories as well as from the design of casual games to investigate how individual game mechanics afect player attrition in a serious game. We implemented a math-learning game in which we could individually layer various game mechanics, and over the course of 3 weeks, 99 participants played one of six versions: Baseline, Rewards, Novelty, Completion, Waiting, or Blocking. We compared the game versions by analyzing the players' performance as well as behaviour. Using survival analysis, we identifed that the addition of Completion and Blocking mechanics facilitated the strongest sustained engagement. These fndings are congruent with existing theories of player experience and promote the development of guidelines on designing for sustained engagement in serious games.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	CHI 2021 - Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Subtitle of host publication	Making Waves, Combining Strengths
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)	9781450380966
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445689
Publication status	Published - 6 May 2021
Externally published	Yes
Event	2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths, CHI 2021 - Virtual, Virtual Conference, Japan Duration: 8 May 2021 → 13 May 2021

Conference

Conference	2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths, CHI 2021
Abbreviated title	CHI 2021
Country/Territory	Japan
City	Virtual Conference
Period	8/05/21 → 13/05/21

Keywords

Adherence
Blocking
Design
Game mechanics
Missions
Novelty
Rewards
Snacking
Waiting
n/a OA procedure

Access to Document

10.1145/3411764.3445689

Cite this

Alexandrovsky, D., Friehs, M. A., Grittner, J., Putze, S., Birk, M. V., Malaka, R., & Mandryk, R. L. (2021). Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game. In CHI 2021 - Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths Article 113 Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445689

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title = "Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game",

abstract = "Many serious games are most efective when played regularly; however, little is known about how individual game elements support player adherence over time. This work draws on evidence from existing frameworks and game design theories as well as from the design of casual games to investigate how individual game mechanics afect player attrition in a serious game. We implemented a math-learning game in which we could individually layer various game mechanics, and over the course of 3 weeks, 99 participants played one of six versions: Baseline, Rewards, Novelty, Completion, Waiting, or Blocking. We compared the game versions by analyzing the players' performance as well as behaviour. Using survival analysis, we identifed that the addition of Completion and Blocking mechanics facilitated the strongest sustained engagement. These fndings are congruent with existing theories of player experience and promote the development of guidelines on designing for sustained engagement in serious games.",

keywords = "Adherence, Blocking, Design, Game mechanics, Missions, Novelty, Rewards, Snacking, Waiting, n/a OA procedure",

author = "Dmitry Alexandrovsky and Friehs, {Maximilian Achim} and Jendrik Grittner and Susanne Putze and Birk, {Max V} and Rainer Malaka and Mandryk, {Regan L.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 ACM.; 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths, CHI 2021, CHI 2021 ; Conference date: 08-05-2021 Through 13-05-2021",

year = "2021",

month = may,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1145/3411764.3445689",

language = "English",

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Alexandrovsky, D, Friehs, MA, Grittner, J, Putze, S, Birk, MV, Malaka, R & Mandryk, RL 2021, Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game. in CHI 2021 - Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths., 113, Association for Computing Machinery, 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths, CHI 2021, Virtual Conference, Japan, 8/05/21. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445689

Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game. / Alexandrovsky, Dmitry; Friehs, Maximilian Achim; Grittner, Jendrik et al.
CHI 2021 - Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths. Association for Computing Machinery, 2021. 113.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Putze, Susanne

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AU - Malaka, Rainer

AU - Mandryk, Regan L.

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AB - Many serious games are most efective when played regularly; however, little is known about how individual game elements support player adherence over time. This work draws on evidence from existing frameworks and game design theories as well as from the design of casual games to investigate how individual game mechanics afect player attrition in a serious game. We implemented a math-learning game in which we could individually layer various game mechanics, and over the course of 3 weeks, 99 participants played one of six versions: Baseline, Rewards, Novelty, Completion, Waiting, or Blocking. We compared the game versions by analyzing the players' performance as well as behaviour. Using survival analysis, we identifed that the addition of Completion and Blocking mechanics facilitated the strongest sustained engagement. These fndings are congruent with existing theories of player experience and promote the development of guidelines on designing for sustained engagement in serious games.

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ER -

Alexandrovsky D, Friehs MA, Grittner J, Putze S, Birk MV, Malaka R et al. Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game. In CHI 2021 - Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Making Waves, Combining Strengths. Association for Computing Machinery. 2021. 113 doi: 10.1145/3411764.3445689

Serious snacking: A survival analysis of how snacking mechanics afect atrition in a mobile serious game

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