To Be or Not to Be Stuck, or Is It a Continuum?: A Systematic Literature Review on the Concept of Being Stuck in Games

To Be or Not to Be Stuck, or Is It a Continuum?: A Systematic Literature Review on the Concept of Being Stuck in Games

To Be or Not to Be Stuck, or Is It a Continuum?: A Systematic Literature Review on the Concept of Being Stuck in Games

By Tobias Drey, Fabian Fishbach, Pascal Jansen, Julian Frommel, Michael Rietzel, and Enrico Rukzio

Abstract

“Players can get stuck in video games, which impedes their process to their goal and results in unfavorableoutcomes like negative emotions, impediments of flow, and obstacles for learning. Currently, it is not easilypossible to assess if a player is stuck, as no widely accepted definition of "being stuck" in games exists. Weconducted 13 expert interviews and a systematic literature review with 104 relevant papers selected from4022 candidates. We present a definition of "being stuck" that conceptualizes the state as a continuum andcontextualize it within related concepts. Our stuck continuum can be applied to regulate the player’s stucklevel. We propose a taxonomy of measures that are useful for the detection of the level of stuckness and discuss the effectiveness of countermeasures. Our stuck concept is crucial for game developers creating an optimal player experience in games.”

Reference

Drey, T., Fischbach, F., Jansen, P., Frommel, J., Rietzel, M., &Rukzio, E. (2021). To Be or Not to Be Stuck, or Is It a Continuum?: A Systematic Literature Review on the Concept of Being Stuck in Games. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1145/3474656

Keyword

Computer games, interactive games, systematic literature review, survey, games, continuum, taxonomy, interviews, research