emotion evoking game design: evaluating induced emotions among individuals with healthy, problematic, and disordered gaming

Background: individuals diagnosed with gaming disorder (gd) often exhibit increased arousal during gameplay. objectives: this study aims to compare arousal levels among individuals with gd, problematic gamers (pg), and those with healthy gaming habits (hg) using a 14-stage hyper-casual racing game. it further investigates how game difficulty affects emotional responses. methods: we developed a detailed game and involved 146 participants to evaluate their feelings of dominance, arousal, and valence at each game stage, utilizing the self-assessment manikin test. results: problematic gamers and those with healthy gaming habits displayed similar emotional fluctuations throughout the game, whereas individuals with gd demonstrated a stable emotional pattern, regardless of game difficulty. an increase in game difficulty was associated with enhanced positive emotional experiences and a decrease in feelings of dominance. stages 4, 12, and 13 of the game were identified as particularly emotionally engaging. conclusions: individuals with gd may possess a distinct emotional profile, providing valuable insights into the psychology of gaming and emotional well-being in today's digital era.