Comparison of VR and Desktop Game User Experience in a Puzzle Game: “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes”

Abstract

Since the contemporary game production process is based on the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) applications, it is easier for developers to create multiple versions of their game for both VR and desktop platforms. This provided a great opportunity for researchers to conduct comparative studies to explore the user experience of the relatively novel virtual reality applications In this study, we evaluated a puzzle game through a within-subjects experiment design using objective measures of game success and gameplay duration, as well as plenty of subjective measures in order to assess game user experience, comparing desktop and VR. In addition to selected dimensions of GUESS (Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale), we employed MEC-SPQ (Measurement Effects Conditions - Spatial Presence Questionnaire) to measure presence. Furthermore, we employed NASA-TLX (NASA Task Load Index) to compare the perceived task complexity of the same task executed in VR and desktop gaming environments. Results revealed that there is not a significant difference in objective measures of player performance, comparing the VR and desktop gameplay. The Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale did not reveal any significant difference between the mean scores of VR and desktop experiences. The spatial presence related dimensions of MEC-SPQ revealed significantly higher scores of VR, for Possible Actions and Self Location dimensions. NASA-TLX weighted scores were significantly higher for VR in physical load and for desktop in frustration. Our results show that a puzzle-based game experienced in VR does not lead to a higher level of satisfaction in terms of game user experience but triggers a sense of spatial presence. Due to the different control schemes, players perceive that HMD based gameplay demands more physical task load. However, the gameplay duration and game success rate are not significantly different. The failure in desktop gameplay might have led to higher frustration, since the experience seems more familiar to players. Since the results are partially concordant with previous studies, it is not possible to make a strict conclusion on the effect caused by different immersive technologies on game user experience. Further studies are required through a more consistent methodology with a focus on game design components rather than game genre.