The Rhythm of Game Interactions: Player Experience and Rhythm in Minecraft and Don’t Starve

Abstract

This article investigates the impact that the rhythms of game interactions can have on a player’s experience of a computer game. Using a phenomenological approach, the research focuses on rhythmic experience within games and, in particular, on the rhythm of tree chopping within the games Minecraft and Don’t Starve. Graphic, aural, and embodied representations are used to closely analyze and compare a single-player experience within the two games. The analysis reflects on the efficacy of these methods and suggests some possible key factors for designing rhythmically expressive play experiences. It is suggested that combining real-time control with perceivable and performable repetition and variety can give the player expressive creative control over the rhythms of their performed interactions, potentially enriching their experience of repetitive tasks and extending the play life of a game.