Calibration of game dynamics for a more even multi-player experience

Abstract

When designing a serious game it is paramount to take into account that the players' performance may greatly vary. In many types of games the performance will impact the game experience, as it is related to a point acquisition mechanic. In specific contexts, such as multi-player non-competitive or collaborative games, the designer may desire to minimize this variability, reducing the difference in game progression between low-performing and high-performing players. In this paper we detail such a context: an educational serious game for sustainability addressed to classes of a primary school, where the low performance of a class may not be necessarily related to the children's effort. We thus present and evaluate a novel approach for the calibration of the game dynamics for achieving a more even player experience.