Augmented Adventures: Using Different Perspectives to Design Novel Tabletop Game Experiences

This research explores the design space of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into tabletop gaming to move beyond simple digital overlays and create meaningful, novel gameplay mechanics. By employing a research-through-design methodology, the study identifies that AR is often underutilized as a mere visual gimmick. To address this, the authors propose a framework for categorizing game perspectives—first, second, third, and fourth-person—to help designers better integrate AR into the core mechanics of tabletop experiences.

The study highlights the second-person perspective as a particularly under-explored and potent design space for AR. To test this, the authors developed a collaborative adventure game titled Eye of the Cyclops, where players use a smartphone as a viewport to see the game board from the perspective of the antagonist. This design choice allows players to gain unique information, such as the location of hidden treasures, while simultaneously managing the threat posed by the cyclops.

Playtesting involved two iterations of the game with four participants each, utilizing the Player Experience Inventory (PXI) and the Gameful Experience Questionnaire (GQ) to measure engagement. Results indicate that the second-person perspective significantly enhances immersion, audiovisual appeal, curiosity, and meaning compared to traditional board game benchmarks and existing AR titles like Pokémon GO. The findings suggest that shifting perspectives during gameplay generates heightened tension and empathy. While the study notes that grid-based constraints can sometimes feel unintuitive with 360-degree AR views, it concludes that using AR to provide distinct, character-based perspectives offers a viable path for creating deeper, more innovative tabletop experiences.