Technologies to Support Adaptable Game Design: A Systematic Mapping Study

Abstract

Designing games accessible and inclusive to a broader audience requires considering social, technical, and cultural aspects that recognize the diversity of the target audience. One strategy to foster inclusion is through adaptability, allowing games to be adapted based on the needs of their users. In this context, a Systematic Mapping Study was conducted to identify and document existing studies focusing on the adaptation of digital games. Aiming at creating a structured and wide panorama of the scientific literature, this paper draws on the 5W2H Framework to answer the following research questions: (1) What game characteristics are being adapted? (2) Why is it being adapted? (3) For whom is it being adapted? (4) When does the adaptation occur? (5) Who is carrying out the adaptation? (6) What technologies are present? (7) Where are the technologies used? (8) How were the technologies evaluated? (9) What was evaluated? (10) Who evaluated? and (11) What theories and methodologies support the study? Beyond presenting the current state-of-the-art in digital game adaptation, the mapping study highlights a prevailing trend in research on adaptive systems. Notably, Patients and Health Professionals emerge as the primary target audience, although many studies did not specify their target audience. The results also indicate that the evaluation of technologies commonly employs Proof of Concept, Experiment, and Case Studies, with Patients and Students frequently considered as the target audience, albeit as secondary participants in the adaptation and evaluation processes. Finally, the findings reveal that most papers lack explicit grounding in a theoretical or methodological foundation, suggesting the need for further investigation.