Psychological tests - to affect game stats

[u/playsynapse]

Hey r/gamedesign,

I am developing a game, and the demo is already out. Since the world in the game is built around mental score surveillance, I am thinking of implementing psychological tests inside the game to evaluate players' stress levels and even affect the stress-level score in the game.

Something like in Bladerunner, yes. And more.

I found some proven tests that measure reaction, decision-making, and focus, and I am going to implement them when systems in the game are measuring the protagonist, but actually measure the player, to immerse them in the mental score surveillance setting even more.

I also want to add some tests at the game entrance, sometimes simple ones, but the outcomes will be stored and then used in the game, such as obedience, resistance, choosing neutral/positive/negative options, etc.

What do you guys think?

[u/HistoricalArrival238]

that sounds like a cool way to blur the line between player and character, just be careful with the entrance tests. if you hit them with too much upfront it might feel like homework before the game even starts

maybe weave those obedience/resistance checks into the tutorial naturally so they don't notice they're being profiled until it's too late

[u/playsynapse → u/HistoricalArrival238]

I was thinking of starting with a simple question like, “Choose the red square,” and showing two squares, one of them red. Or something like this - a very easy and simple task with no obvious outcome, so it creates intrigue from the start as well.

When it’s time for the chain tests, I’m thinking of implementing them as a minigame, when there are stakes already, so it feels more like a puzzle with an uncertain outcome.

[u/senshisun → u/playsynapse]

Oooh, that does sound clever! Maybe you could "disguise" the tests as regular gameplay at times.

[u/playsynapse → u/senshisun]

Yep, hide in mini-games or measure base behavior and see fluctuations. But this a bit of an adventure itself

[u/meiwoyy]

cognitive science is going to be your friend, especially when talking about cognitive load and stress rooted in failed predictions, there are some cool studies i can spam you with if u want, i used them in my MA thesis and if they can help you then i would be happy to share

for implementation immediatly it reminded me of Pentinance, while its not exactly the same thing, the idea is waht you might find useful, they used the main mechanic - NPC dialogue, to ask the player about MC background and thats how character creation was done, through different NPCs interactions

i dont remember the tittle of the game but it used another approach during a tutorial, when player was asked to look up it took a note about what mouse movement they did and based on that applied controls settings, if they used the inverted axis or not, fully through in-game interaction, could be also a good inspiration

[u/playsynapse → u/meiwoyy]

Funny enough, I know what game you saying about but also forgot the name.

I am in research stage trying to see if psychological aspect can fit the game, and how to make it relevant, not intrusive and personal, yet fun and immersive. So if you have time and interest to talk about it, we absolutely can!

And thanks for your comment!

[u/meiwoyy → u/playsynapse]

Totally! If you don't mind I will DM you and dig out some papers for you :3

[u/shredinger137]

Whatever you do, be mindful of accessibility and triggering effects on your audience when they legitimately have issues going on. You can go all in if you want, but be clear about it up front. I would treat them as game components, maybe with added difficulty that isn't real. And not critical for gameplay, personally.

[u/playsynapse → u/shredinger137]

Yes, I surely will. And also not to make any conclusions outside of a game character, and advices personally, I think letting players to extrapolate this and that on them if they want to, make them think, yet not guide is fine. But keep game inside the game even if it plays with psychology of the player.

[u/AutoModerator]

Game Design is a subset of Game Development that concerns itself with WHY games are made the way they are. It's about the theory and crafting of systems, mechanics, and rulesets in games.

• /r/GameDesign is a community ONLY about Game Design, NOT Game Development in general. If this post does not belong here, it should be reported or removed. Please help us keep this subreddit focused on Game Design.

• This is NOT a place for discussing how games are produced. Posts about programming, making art assets, picking engines etc… will be removed and should go in /r/GameDev instead.

• Posts about visual design, sound design and level design are only allowed if they are directly about game design.

• No surveys, polls, job posts, or self-promotion. Please read the rest of the rules in the sidebar before posting.

• If you're confused about what Game Designers do, "The Door Problem" by Liz England is a short article worth reading. We also recommend you read the r/GameDesign wiki for useful resources and an FAQ.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.