Fundamental Components of the Gameplay Experience: Analysing Immersion

TLDR

The model was inspired by observations of game‑playing children and their parents, prompting a closer look at the complex nature of gameplay experience. This paper presents a gameplay experience model, evaluates its potential as a research tool, and outlines directions for future work. The authors developed a heuristic SCI‑model comprising sensory, challenge‑based, and imaginative immersion components, and validated it with self‑evaluation questionnaires from players of popular games. The study found that gameplay experiences varied as predicted across the three immersion components of the SCI‑model.

Abstract

This paper presents a gameplay experience model, assesses its potential as a tool for research and presents some directions for future work. The presented model was born from observations among game-playing children and their non-player parents, which directed us to have a closer look at the complex nature of gameplay experience. Our research led into a heuristic gameplay experience model that identifies some of the key components and processes that are relevant in the experience of gameplay, with a particular focus on immersion. The model includes three components: sensory, challenge-based and imaginative immersion (SCI-model). The classification was assessed with self-evaluation questionnaires filled in by informants who played different popular games. It was found that the gameplay experiences related to these games did indeed differ as expected in terms of the identified three immersion components.