Choosing the Dimension of a Serious Game: The HALT Case Study

Serious games are games that prioritize objectives other than amusement, enjoyment, or fun. In recent years, serious games have experienced substantial development, leading to an increasing number of articles that aim to classify them based on various features. An often employed criterion for categorizing serious games is their environment, which refers to whether they are 2D (two-dimensional), 3D (three-dimensional), or a combination of both. This study presents an instructional game called HALT, which was developed in both a 2D and 3D setting, and later evaluated by several users. The evaluation sought to identify any notable disparities in the learners' degree of enjoyment when interacting with the two versions of the game. Furthermore, the study investigates the correlation between individuals' frequency of participation in digital games and the two possible gaming settings. The sample comprises 82 participants who are undergraduate students enrolled in the computer science department. The statistical analysis indicated a substantial difference in enjoyment scores between the 2D and 3D versions of the game. However, enjoyment levels were consistent among groups identified by the frequency of playing games. Next phases involve obtaining a more varied sample and a comparative analysis of the games based on users' acquired knowledge.