The Effects of a Soundtrack on Board Game Player Experience

The Effects of a Soundtrack on Board Game Player Experience

The Effects of a Soundtrack on Board Game Player Experience

By Timea Farkas, Alena Denisova, Sarah Wiseman and Rebecca Fiebrink

Abstract

“Board gaming is a popular hobby that increasingly features the

inclusion of technology, yet little research has sought to understand how board game player experience is impacted by digitalaugmentation or to inform the design of new technology-enhancedgames. We present a mixed-methods study exploring how the presence of music and sound efects impacts the player experience ofa board game. We found that the soundtrack increased the enjoyment and tension experienced by players during game play. Wealso found that a soundtrack provided atmosphere surroundingthe gaming experience, though players did not necessarily experience this as enhancing the world-building capabilities of the game.We discuss how our fndings can inform the design of new gamesand soundtracks as well as future research into board game playerexperience.”

Reference

Farkas, T., Denisova, A., Wiseman, S., & Fiebrink, R. (2022). The effects of a soundtrack on board game player experience. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/17930/1/chi22b-sub3868-cam-i16.pdf

Keyword

Player experience, soundtrack, music, board games, enjoyment, tension, thematicness, atmosphere, research