Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates how distinct emotion perception modalities influence player experience in cooperative multiplayer games, aiming to provide actionable insights for emotion-aware Methods: We designed a collaborative pinball game incorporating three experimental conditions: 1) Normal mode (no emotional cues), 2) Emoji mode (real-time emojis reflecting teammates' facial expressions), and 3) Video mode (live facial video stream). Seventy-two participants (grouped in pairs) engaged in all three modes under randomized order. Subjective evaluations (Game Experience Questionnaire and NASA Task Load Index) and objective facial expression data (captured via Py-Feat) were analysed to assess immersion, cognitive load, and emotional states. Results: Emoji mode elicited the highest Flow and Immerse scores, with participants displaying higher intensity of happy expression and lower negative expressions. Video mode induced elevated Challenge and Frustration, suggesting heightened pressure. Normal mode correlated with neutral/low-intensity expressions, indicating limited emotional engagement. Conclusion: Simplified emotional feedback (emojis) enhances the intensity of happy expression and induces higher Mental Demand, but it does not decrease the user experience. Furthermore, the video mode may increase stress and game challenge. This study also found that player personality influences game experience and preference for emotion perception modalities. The study bridges a critical gap in multiplayer experience design by demonstrating how emotion perception modalities impact player experience in a collaboration game.
Keywords
Emotion Perception; Cooperative Game; Game Experience; Emojis
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.27
Citation
Lu, Y., He, Z.,and Renke, H.(2025) Enhancing Cooperative Game Experience: A Comparative Study of Emotion Perception Modalities Through Emojis and Real-Time Video, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.27
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 3 - Design, Art & Technology
Enhancing Cooperative Game Experience: A Comparative Study of Emotion Perception Modalities Through Emojis and Real-Time Video
Purpose: This study investigates how distinct emotion perception modalities influence player experience in cooperative multiplayer games, aiming to provide actionable insights for emotion-aware Methods: We designed a collaborative pinball game incorporating three experimental conditions: 1) Normal mode (no emotional cues), 2) Emoji mode (real-time emojis reflecting teammates' facial expressions), and 3) Video mode (live facial video stream). Seventy-two participants (grouped in pairs) engaged in all three modes under randomized order. Subjective evaluations (Game Experience Questionnaire and NASA Task Load Index) and objective facial expression data (captured via Py-Feat) were analysed to assess immersion, cognitive load, and emotional states. Results: Emoji mode elicited the highest Flow and Immerse scores, with participants displaying higher intensity of happy expression and lower negative expressions. Video mode induced elevated Challenge and Frustration, suggesting heightened pressure. Normal mode correlated with neutral/low-intensity expressions, indicating limited emotional engagement. Conclusion: Simplified emotional feedback (emojis) enhances the intensity of happy expression and induces higher Mental Demand, but it does not decrease the user experience. Furthermore, the video mode may increase stress and game challenge. This study also found that player personality influences game experience and preference for emotion perception modalities. The study bridges a critical gap in multiplayer experience design by demonstrating how emotion perception modalities impact player experience in a collaboration game.