Asymmetric game design and player location: An empirical study on mobile play experiences

The emergence of new hardware and software tools for game design and play provides an important opportunity to study how players interact and what new modes of play experiences achieve the highest overall player experience. This study examines an asymmetric game design - wherein players choose different roles in a one-against-many scenario. We empirically validate asymmetric game design through a formal usability study that measures how location (co-location vs. distributed location) and role selection influence overall player satisfaction. Results demonstrate that players enjoy asymmetric games and appreciate the ability to select their desired role without being constrained by other players´ selection. Additionally, this study finds that real-world placement/location significantly influences play style. This study contributes to the field by defining the viability of this emerging game design pattern and points to novel opportunities for future research.