Children's approaches to solving puzzles in videogames

Abstract

Puzzles are a core component of many videogames. While research has explored the potential of using puzzles in games to provide players with challenges they enjoy, little is known about how children seek information while solving puzzles in videogames. Using a constructivist grounded theory method, this study examines children's (ages 11–14) puzzle-solving approaches within a game titled GEM of the Forest [name anonymized]. The results show that children relied on two sources of information to solve puzzles: (1) information from the out-of-game world including players' prior game experiences, and (2) information within the game world including instructions, hints, inventory, and feedback. We present an empirically grounded theoretical model to understand children's information seeking behaviors while solving in-game puzzles. This paper contributes a theoretical understanding of children's information seeking behavior and strategies to solve puzzles in games. Additionally, we provide a description of the utility of this framework through design implications for the design of information in technologies that seek to engage children in puzzles.