Improving player experience using Flow in Tower Defense game Daidala : A case study on improving Flow according to Sweetser & Wyeth's GameFlow criteria

Abstract: Using a Research through Design approach, this research aims to utilize the criteria of Flow outlined by Csikszentmihályi in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (2014) and later adapted to videogames by Sweetser & Wyeth in GameFlow: a model for evaluating player enjoyment in games (2005) to improve the Tower Defense game Daidala by increasing players’ time spent in a state of Flow. This serves to provide future game designers with an example of how this model and these concepts can be applied when designing and developing a game. The research was conducted by exposing players to the game as it came out of development, collecting data from semi-structured interviews and utilizing said data to construct another iteration of the game with the goal of improving players’ experience by increasing the time spent in a Flow mental state. Lastly, this iteration was tested and the results were compared to the previous iteration to determine if the changes succeeded in extending the time players spent in a state of Flow. Our findings show that the GameFlow model by Sweetser & Wyeth (2005) is a powerful tool for game designers looking to improve the experience of the player base of their game through the informed use of Flow. The model provides a solid framework for collecting and evaluating data to guide the process of iteration towards increasing time spent by players in a state of Flow.