Designing multiplayer serious games with science content

Abstract

Serious Games (SGs) could be enriched with collaborative learning techniques, an approach that has the potential to increase the players’ gaming and learning experience. However, the design of Multiplayer Serious Games (MSGs) with science content needs to be facilitated with methods and tools that provide coherent designs. This research proposes a methodology that employs the design technique of personas to effectively describe the multiplayer design patterns and the game narrative according to the content of a science school book and, at the same time, balancing the educational and the entertaining character of a SG. We evaluated the suggested methodology with two groups of professionals who were assigned with the task to design a MSG, integrating the same educational content according to the suggested methodology. The designs were qualitatively examined, confirming the potential of the Multiplayer Serious Game Methodology (MSGM) to facilitate the science content integration. We expect that the MSGM could assist groups of professionals, such as teachers and developers to create coherent MSG designs.