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The GUESS

The RUX Lab conducts research about video game user experience, player satisfaction, and player perceptions.

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One way we measure player experience is with the Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (GUESS), a psychometrically validated gaming scale that measures video game satisfaction. The GUESS can be applied across many types of video games and used as a tool to aid in debriefing users on their game experience.

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Since its release, the GUESS has been used in various domains such as healthcare simulation, mixed reality, social interaction, and virtual reality gaming.

The 9 GUESS dimensions
The Game User Satisfaction Scale (GUESS)

The GUESS is a psychometrically validated and comprehensive gaming scale with nine subscales (see below). In general, the GUESS is intended for any playtesting and game evaluation purposes. It was developed and validated based on the assessments of over 450 unique video game titles across a number of popular genres. Thus, it can be applied across many types of video games in the industry both as a way to assess what aspects of a game contribute to user satisfaction and as a tool to aid in debriefing users on their gaming experience.

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The GUESS is made of 55 questions, all are on a 7 point Likert scale from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. 

  • “I think the characters in the game are well developed.”

  • “I think it is easy to learn how to play the game.”

  • “I always know how to achieve my goal/objectives in the game.”

  • “I block out most other distractors when playing the game.”

Athlete with Amputated Leg
Man Trying App
Virtual Reality Goggles
Applications of the GUESS

The GUESS has been used in various domains such as healthcare simulation, mixed reality, social interaction, and virtual reality gaming.

 

In the healthcare simulation domain, researchers used the GUESS to evaluate the satisfaction of video games designed for training muscle action.

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Researchers have used the GUESS to evaluate a mixed reality escape room game, a motion-based rhythm game, and for development of a vocal training game.

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The GUESS has also been used to evaluate virtual reality video games compared to games played on traditional computer monitors.

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GUESS-18: A Shorter Version of the GUESS

While the development of the GUESS followed best practices and resulted in a versatile, comprehensive tool for assessing video game user experience, responding to 55 items can be cumbersome in situations where repeated assessments are necessary. A shorter version of the GUESS was created for use in iterative game design, testing, and research.

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Comparing Games with the GUESS

Comparing the overall and subscales scores the GUESS can provide insight into identifying strengths and weaknesses in video games. For example, an examination of Destiny, a first-person shooter game, scored higher in dimensions like visual aesthetics, audio aesthetics, and social connectivity than dimensions like creative freedom and narrative. Candy Crush, on the other hand, showed higher scores in usability, visual aesthetics, and personal gratification than dimensions like social connectivity, and audio aesthetics.

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GUESS & Other Game Scales

The GUESS has been examined with other experience scales like the ENJOY and UEQ-S in terms of predicting gameplay continuance and purchase intention of virtual goods. There were significant correlations between the three scales. All of the scales could be used to predict continuance and purchase intention in the games of interest.

Recent Studies Using the GUESS

  1. Carman, W., Ikuma, L., Nahmens, I., & Champney, R. (2023). Initial validation of the GUESS-18 for usability in virtual reality gaming environments: a pilot study. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 1-23.

  2. Caixado, D. M. F. (2019). The gamification features' effect on the training effectiveness in organizational context (Doctoral dissertation).

  3. Carroll, M., Osborne, E., & Yildirim, C. (2019, June). Effects of VR Gaming and Game Genre on Player Experience. In 2019 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

  4. Davidson, S. (2018). A Multi-Dimensional Model of Enjoyment: Development and Validation of an Enjoyment Scale (ENJOY).

  5. Fussell, S. G., Derby, J. L., Smith, J. K., Shelstad, W. J., Benedict, J. D., Chaparro, B. S., ... & Dattel, A. R. (2019, November). Usability Testing of a Virtual Reality Tutorial. In  (Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 2303-2307). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.

  6. Gómez Maureira, M. A., Kniestedt, I., Van Duijn, M. J., Rieffe, C., & Plaat, A. (2019, October). Shinobi Valley: Studying curiosity for virtual spatial exploration through a video game. In  (pp. 421-428).

  7. Guo, F., Jiang, J. Y., Tian, X. H., & Chen, J. H. (2019). Applying Event-Related Potentials to Measure Perceptual Experience toward the Navigation Interface of a Mobile Game for Improving the Design. Symmetry, 11(5), 710.

  8. Ibarra, F., Baez, M., Fiore, F., & Casati, F. (2018, May). Designing for Co-located and Virtual Social Interactions in Residential Care. In (pp. 129-134). ACM.

  9. Pierce, M. B., Young, P. A., & Doherty, S. M. (2017, September). Engagement and Competence in VR and non-VR Environments. In (Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 2082-2085). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.

  10. Shelstad, W. J., Smith, D. C., & Chaparro, B. S. (2017, September). Gaming on the Rift: How Virtual Reality Affects Game User Satisfaction. In (Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 2072-2076). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.

  11. Shelstad, W. J., Hosein, A. A., Chaparro, B. S., & Keebler, J. R. (2019, November). Using User Experience Scales to Predict Video Game Play and Purchasing Intent. In  (Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 1488-1492). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.

  12. Shelstad, W. J., Chaparro, B. S., & Keebler, J. R. (2019, November). Assessing the User Experience of Video Games: Relationships Between Three Scales. In  (Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 1488-1492). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.

  13. Smith, P. A., Dombrowski, M., Buyssens, R., & Barclay, P. (2018). The Impact of a Custom Electromyograph (EMG) Controller on Player Enjoyment of Games Designed to Teach the Use of Prosthetic Arms. (2), 131-147.

  14. Smith, P. A., Dombrowski, M., Buyssens, R., & Barclay, P. (2018, May). Usability testing games for prosthetic training. In . IEEE.

  15. Warmelink, H., Mayer, I., Weber, J., Heijligers, B., Haggis, M., Peters, E., & Louwerse, M. (2017, October). AMELIO: Evaluating the Team-building Potential of a Mixed Reality Escape Room Game. In (pp. 111-123). ACM.

  16. Xu, J., Paliyawan, P., Thawonmas, R., & Harada, T. (2019). Player Dominance Adjustment: Promoting Self-Efficacy and Experience of Game Players by Adjusting Dominant Power. In .

  17. Yang, X., Sadika, E. D., Pratama, G. B., Choi, Y., Kim, Y. K., Lee, J. Y., ... & Ko, M. H. (2019). An Analysis on Serious Games and Stakeholders’ Needs for Vocal Training Game Development. , (3), 800-813.

  18. Yildirim, C. (2019). Cybersickness during VR gaming undermines game enjoyment: A mediation model. Displays, 59, 35-43.

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