To strengthen the emotional responsiveness of Violet’s Dates, where players interact with rude characters, I explored relevant psychological principles that influence how players interpret feedback and make decisions. Since the game’s core mechanics revolve around selecting dialogue options and observing character reactions, I focused on theories such as emotional contagion, immediate feedback, and facial feedback hypothesis. These helped me shape my programming approach to dynamically changing facial expressions based on player input.
Emotional Contagion
Emotional contagion is the psychological phenomenon where people unconsciously mimic and absorb the emotions of others. In games, players often mirror the emotions of on-screen characters, especially through facial expressions. I used this by programming characters to visibly react, based on the player’s choices.
Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(3), 96–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770953
Immediate Feedback and Player Agency
I implemented instant facial expression changes in response to the player’s choice to give player’s immediate feedback. This ties into basic UX design and cognitive psychology, where immediate cause-and-effect responses reinforce a sense of control. In dating sims, player agency is critical; if there’s a delay or no reaction, choices feel meaningless. By giving an instant visual reaction from characters, players can read the emotional tone of their choices in real-time.
Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things. Revised and Expanded Edition. MIT Press.
(Specifically on feedback systems and user agency)Facial Feedback Hypothesis
The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that seeing facial expressions can influence a person’s own emotional state. I used this principle to subtly guide player emotions throughout scenes. Even when no words are spoken, expressions provide context and create mood, which is especially effective in a genre that relies heavily on tone and personality.
Strack, F., Martin, L. L., & Stepper, S. (1988). Inhibiting and facilitating conditions of the human smile: A nonobtrusive test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 768–777.
These psychology principles helped me make technical decisions that were not only fuctional but also enhanced the emotional tone of the game.
F-Pattern
Before Maja looked into UI herself, I have been researching how players visually interact with screens. A key principle I’m considering is the F-shaped reading pattern, a behaviour identified in eye-tracking studies on web users.
The F-pattern describes how users typically scan a screen. First they scan horizontally across the top, then a shorter horizontal scan below, followed by a vertical movement down the left side of the screen.
This is relevant in terms of where the UI should be placed. For example the best location for text to be is the bottom right or centre.
By understanding how players visually process text and images, I can design a layout that is most effective for players.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/