A Linear Programming Methodology for Evaluating Game Attributes in Serious Games

Serious games often lack standardized, objective evaluation frameworks, leading to subjective assessments of design effectiveness. To address this, a novel methodology utilizes linear programming to quantify the relative importance of specific game attributes, such as immersion, feedback, challenge, and autonomy. By applying this mathematical approach to survey data from 255 participants, the framework minimizes discrepancies between individual attribute ratings and overall user evaluations, providing developers and educators with a structured, data-driven tool to align design elements with intended learning outcomes.

The analysis reveals that users frequently rely on cognitive heuristics, disproportionately prioritizing specific factors like knowledge improvement and concentration while neglecting other essential design components. To counteract this bias, the methodology incorporates weighted constraints, ensuring a more balanced and comprehensive assessment of game quality. This systematic approach effectively identifies which attributes exert the greatest influence on user satisfaction and overall game efficacy, moving beyond simple qualitative feedback to offer a rigorous, quantitative evaluation model.

While this research establishes a robust foundation for assessing serious games, the findings remain context-dependent. The scope of the study focuses on the intersection of decision-making theory and educational game design, highlighting the necessity for future investigations to incorporate more diverse participant profiles and a wider array of game genres. By formalizing the evaluation process through linear programming, this methodology offers a scalable solution for optimizing serious game development, ensuring that design priorities are grounded in empirical evidence rather than intuitive or biased judgment.