A Comprehensive Analysis and Design of Addictive Educational Mobile Games

Abstract

Mobile game addiction is a significant aspect of consideration as there has been notable growth in mobile game usage. However, game developers face numerous obstacles with respect to educational mobile games in terms of engagement, commitment, likeability and usage. This study proposes an approach to understanding the contributors to addiction in mobile games, with the intent of designing educational games that overcome the aforementioned obstacles. These contributors were extrapolated upon analysis of the most popular games as seen from an accordingly curated questionnaire. A general user flow framework was proposed to leverage the underlying mechanisms of addiction in mobile games to make educational games more effective. Furthermore, this study expands on the general guidelines for designing addictive educational mobile games.