Handheld Resonance

Based on research focusing on analysing the inner workings of attention and dissecting the term immersion, I present a collaborative case in the form of a hybrid casual mobile game, targeted towards a preteen audience with a lower attention span. Based on Gordon Calleja’s Player Involvement Model, I iterated on and incorporated different design choices corresponding to the dimensions of involvement into the project: kinesthic, spatial, narrative, shared, ludic and affective.

Even though the mobile screen is small, I explored ways to achieve an absorbing adventure in these limited confines. Inspired by fairy tales, I created an idyllic visual universe for a mobile game that could facilitate an immersive experience through the narrative as well as exploring playful interactions for the player to uncover the mysteries of the world. 

With immersion explored in a mobile game case, the term is multifaceted and has many dimensions. A designer can both facilitate a superficial engagement constituted by strategic cognitive challenges, that relies on superimposed ludic involvement to occupy the mind. In contrast, a more meaningful involvement can similarly occur when designing for a more healthy and responsible approach, by being aware of players’ limited attention spans and cognitive resources. 

Not only can media negatively affect our attention span, but its structure as well. Intentionally designing negative space, to let player finish tasks and take breaks. Alleviating tension while also creating meditative moments of reprieve so that they may internalise the aesthetic intricacies of the world. Teaching young players to master their own attention, by lending them agency over their own experience.