Investigating Perceived and Mechanical Challenge in Games Through Cognitive Activity

TL;DR

This study explores how game difficulty perception and actual challenge can be measured through EEG, revealing that brain activity correlates with mechanical difficulty but not always with perceived difficulty.

Contribution

It demonstrates that EEG bandpower analysis can serve as a sensitive tool to objectively assess challenge in games beyond self-reported measures.

Findings

Frontal lobe activity increases with mechanical challenge

EEG detects challenge not always reflected in player reports

EEG may enhance understanding of game difficulty perception

Abstract

Game difficulty is a crucial aspect of game design, that can be directly influenced by tweaking game mechanics. Perceived difficulty can however also be influenced by simply altering the graphics to something more threatening. Here, we present a study with 12 participants playing 4 different minigames with either altered graphics or mechanics to make the game more difficult. Using EEG bandpower analysis, we find that frontal lobe activity is heightened in all 4 of the mechanically challenging versions and 2/4 of the visually altered versions, all differences that do not emerge from the self-reported player experience. This suggests that EEG could aid researchers with a more sensitive tool for investigating challenge in games.