Towards Generating Surprising Content in 2D Platform Games
Article No.: 71, Pages 1 - 7
Abstract
Surprise is a key factor for driving engagement in video games. By incorporating unexpected elements, games can create a sense of excitement and curiosity, leading to a more immersive and enjoyable experience. In this paper, we propose a framework for generating levels in 2D platform games with embedded surprising content. Building upon the VCL (Violation of Expectation, Caught Off Guard, and Learning) model, we use it as a conceptual foundation to curate surprise by altering specific game elements (called metrics) during the level generation process. We developed a tile-based parametric level generator for Super Mario Bros., creating customized levels based on metrics such as linearity, enemy density, and pattern variation, among others. 393 participants in our study played 2 generated levels, with the first setting expectations and the second intentionally violating them by altering chosen metrics. By comparing player responses and gameplay data with the VCL model, we explore the phenomenon of surprise in games. Our findings reveal statistically significant correlations between certain metrics and player responses, teasing at the potential for automatically generating surprising levels in 2D platform games.
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Index Terms
- Towards Generating Surprising Content in 2D Platform Games
Index terms have been assigned to the content through auto-classification.
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Published In
May 2024
644 pages
ISBN:9798400709555
DOI:10.1145/3649921
Copyright © 2024 Owner/Author.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives International 4.0 License.
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Association for Computing Machinery
New York, NY, United States
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Published: 05 July 2024
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