Development and evaluation of the collaborative three-player game ZooBreak based on game-design theory

Abstract

Video games are an important part of society, providing leisure, social connections, and improved problem solving skills. Video games have traditionally focused on competition, but there is a growing demand for collaboration: games where players work together towards a shared goal. This thesis looks at the design challenges of collaborative play between three players. A player count of three adds more complexity compared to two-player games and remains mostly un-explored in existing research. The purpose of this project is to analyze collaborative game design for three players using a research-through-design approach. An original game titled ZooBreak was developed, building on a theoretical foundation of game design patterns. The game’s levels are based around several collaborative game patterns, notably asymmetric roles, concurrency, and asymmetric information. The game was evaluated through playtesting, where qualitative data is gathered via direct observations and semi-structured interviews with participants. A thematic analysis of the data shows how different design choices affect communication and collaboration. The study then concludes that the implementation of asymmetric roles and concurrency are highly effective for engaging three players, while other patterns, such as separation gates, should be used with caution to avoid player frustration. These findings offer design recommendations for the future development of three-player collaborative video games.