research-article

If at First You Don’t Succeed: Helping Players Make Progress in Games with Breaks and Checkpoints

Authors:

Colby Johanson,

Brandon Piller,

Regan L. MandrykAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 7, Issue CHI PLAY

Article No.: 387, Pages 342 - 368

https://doi.org/10.1145/3611033

Published: 04 October 2023 Publication History

Abstract

Developing skill and overcoming in-game challenges is of great interest to both players and game designers. Players can improve through repetition, but sometimes practice does not lead to improvement and progress stalls. It would be useful if designers could help players make progress without compromising their long-term skill development. We carried out a study to investigate how two techniques—checkpoints and breaks—affect in-game progress and player skill. Checkpoints allow multiple attempts at a challenge without having to repeat earlier sections; this aids progress, but could potentially hinder skill development. Second, breaks in gameplay have been shown to accelerate skill development, but their effectiveness is unknown when the breaks are integrated into the game's design. Our study evaluated the effects of game-integrated breaks and checkpoints on players' in-game progress (when the techniques were present) as well as two test sessions (with all techniques removed). Our results showed that both checkpoints and breaks aid progress (combining both had the largest effect) and that neither technique reduced performance in the transfer task, suggesting that skill development was not hindered. Our work provides evidence that checkpoints and breaks are valuable techniques that can assist both player progress and skill.

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Cited By

Johanson CPoeller SKlarkowski MMandryk R(2024)Hexed by Pressure: How Action-State Orientation Explains Propensity to Choke in Super HexagonProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36770778:CHI PLAY(1-31)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3677077
Alexandrovsky DGerling KOpp MHahn CBirk MAlsheail M(2024)Disengagement From Games: Characterizing the Experience and Process of Exiting Play SessionsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36770668:CHI PLAY(1-27)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3677066

Index Terms

If at First You Don’t Succeed: Helping Players Make Progress in Games with Breaks and Checkpoints
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. HCI theory, concepts and models

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 7, Issue CHI PLAY

November 2023

1360 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3554313

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Apple, USA

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Published: 04 October 2023

Published in PACMHCI Volume 7, Issue CHI PLAY

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Cited By

Johanson CPoeller SKlarkowski MMandryk R(2024)Hexed by Pressure: How Action-State Orientation Explains Propensity to Choke in Super HexagonProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36770778:CHI PLAY(1-31)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3677077
Alexandrovsky DGerling KOpp MHahn CBirk MAlsheail M(2024)Disengagement From Games: Characterizing the Experience and Process of Exiting Play SessionsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36770668:CHI PLAY(1-27)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3677066

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