Attractiveness of Single-Agent Game: Case Study Using Sliding Puzzle

Abstract

The 8-sliding puzzle game, with its characteristic, is beneficial to human logical training and well-known single-agent game worldwide. This study is interested in determining the attractiveness of the game by analyzing the inner mechanism of the game. By adopting total steps to solve the game and the success rate as the game progress model, the game sophistication can be quantified by utilizing the game refinement theory and law of motions in mind. The game's sophisticated zone, engagement, movement freedom, and entertainment depths for different levels of player can be determined for both AI (via A* algorithm) and human players. The 8-sliding puzzle game was also analyzed as a board game and sports game for its attractiveness. Such findings could contribute to the evolutionary changes in the sliding puzzle games.