Re-framing engagement for applied games: A conceptual framework

Abstract

Although games are frequently described as ‘engaging’, what exactly this means
\ncontinues to be subject of debate in game literature. Engagement is often defined
\nthrough related concepts like immersion and positive emotions. However, this
\nneglects the fact that applied games aim to provide more than an entertaining
\nexperience, and that engagement with the applied purpose can exist separately
\nfrom engagement with the game’s systems. To make this di↵erentiation more apparent, this article introduces the Applied Games Engagement Model (AGEM),
\na theoretical model that distinguishes between an applied game’s systems and its
\nnon-entertainment purpose. It poses that game systems and purpose can overlap in varying amounts, both from game to game, and from moment to moment
\nwithin a single game. The value of the model is in the explicit acknowledgement
\nthat the attention necessary for engaging with content is a limited resource, and
\nthat measures for engagement in applied games need to consider that not all
\nengagement is purposeful. The article lays the conceptual foundation for the
\nstudy of engagement in applied games, and provides a framework for how to
\ndesign for an applied purpose. It illustrates its use in analysing applied games
\nand their designs through three case studies.