The Purpose of Play

TLDR

Play is a common activity for all humans, yet HCI game research increasingly focuses on creating games for neurodivergent players. The study critically reviews 66 publications to assess how existing games address populations, methods, play types, and purpose goals, aiming to map the current state and highlight future opportunities that avoid deficit framing. The authors conduct a critical review of 66 studies, guided by Disability Studies and Self‑Determination Theory, to analyze populations, methods, play types, and purpose goals of existing games. The review reveals that most games target children in a top‑down, educational or medical context, driven by extrinsic factors and a medical model that undermines neurodivergent players’ self‑determination and immersion, highlighting the need for future work that reframes differences without deficit language.

Abstract

Play presents a popular pastime for all humans, though not all humans play alike. Subsequently, Human–Computer Interaction Games research is increasingly concerned with the development of games that serve neurodivergent 1 players. In a critical review of 66 publications informed by Disability Studies and Self-Determination Theory, we analyse which populations , research methods, kinds of play and overall purpose goals existing games address. We find that games are largely developed for children, in a top-down approach. They tend to focus on educational and medical settings and are driven by factors extrinsic to neurodivergent interests. Existing work predominantly follows a medical model of disability, which fails to support self-determination of neurodivergent players and marginalises their opportunities for immersion. Our contribution comprises a large-scale investigation into a budding area of research gaining traction with the intent to capture a status quo and identify opportunities for future work attending to differences without articulating them as deficit.