Exploring Asymmetry of Information in Cooperative Games

Abstract

Digital gaming has the potential to prompt feelings of togetherness through a shared, challenging and immersive activity. Games designed to specifically induce social interaction positively affect players. We argue that asymmetry can act as an important catalyst in generating feelings of trust and cooperation through more frequent and heightened social interactions. Asymmetry can be applied to many facets of a game. In our work, we focused on asymmetry of information, more specifically in the context of cooperative games, which presumes the distribution of information among players. Prior work categorised this dimension as a form of asymmetry, as well as the dimensions that affect it, however, the way this distribution is implemented can vary significantly, as it is unclear what these are and how different implementations of this design strategy lead to different interactions. Our aim was to understand how different types of information asymmetry affect the player experience. To achieve this, we expanded upon previous research and propose an extension to the concept of asymmetry of information through a devised framework. This framework was applied to the design and development of a collaborative prototype game based on information asymmetry. In a laboratory study with 10 player pairs, we sought to understand the impact of asymmetry of information on the players’ perceived connectivity with their play partner, communication, overall experience, fun and sense of challenge, through a mixed-methods approach. Our results suggest that players could perceive the presence of asymmetry of information and its various subcategories, and that these differences shaped social interactions between players.