Analysis of Immersion and Flow in Cozy Games --Take Journey and Gris as Examples

Abstract

Flow and immersion are essential criteria for evaluating a game's design quality. In recent years, with the development of society, the design and thinking of games have changed in line with the trend of The Times. People are increasingly seeking ways to release pressure from work and life pressure. Besides battle games creating excitement, cozy games have received more attention from the public. This thesis analyzes the relevant literature to summarize the internal relationship between flow, immersion, and cozy game design and takes the two cozy games, Gris and Journey, as examples. The visuals, the game soundtrack, and the narratology of the two games will be analyzed to prove the excellence of their design and how to make players get a good flow immersion experience. This thesis finds that cozy games, compared to extreme games, prioritize enhancing players' spiritual well-being, and most of these games pay more attention to exploring social issues and the beauty of life. Finally, this thesis will refer to game addiction and how game designers will rethink game design in the future.