Dissertation Project: Navigational Tools

For my dissertation project, I examined the effects that navigational tools in games, such as mini-maps and compasses, have on the player's experience. My hypothesis was that while navigational tools can greatly help the player to navigate through non-linear spaces, they can also in certain situations, distract the player from the gameplay or trivialise the act of navigating.

This was tested by creating a maze-like level in which the player must collect a certain amount of collectables to win. This level was then playtested by many players, some with the use of a mini-map and others with the use of a compass. An eye tracker was used to track how much the player looked at their navigational tool, and other stats were recorded such as how long the player took to complete the level.

Another similar playtest also took place in which players must collect of the collectables in a large "outdoor" space, and then do the same in a tight maze-like "indoor" space, this time with both a mini-map and a compass. Altogether, over 100 people took part in the 2 playtests.

The results of the playtests showed that in "indoor" areas, mini-maps slightly increase navigational efficiency compared to compasses, but players often spend twice as much time looking at the mini-map than the compass. In "outdoor" areas, players often will look at the compass more, but the difference is not quite as much.

These results show developers that much consideration should be taken when deciding which navigational tool to implement, as they often invoke different behaviours from players. The types of environments found in the game should factor in, as well as how much navigation is used as a gameplay mechanic. If navigation is a core mechanic, perhaps it would be best to implement a navigational tool that does not take up too much of the players attention, or makes navigating too simple and easy.