Collect That Coin: Efficacy Testing of Platformer Game Mechanics with Adult Learners

This study examines whether platformer game mechanics can support higher-order learning among adult students, using a prototype game called Biomes Rescue deployed in an introductory undergraduate world regional geography course at the University of Missouri. The game is a 2D platformer in which a player collects clues and reassembles biomes damaged by pollution-representing enemies, and the research asks how adult players recognize and align platformer mechanics with learning and enjoyment. Grounded in Knowles' principles of andragogy and Gee's principles of games-based learning, the work argues that platformers are underexplored in adult education and that their simple mechanics, such as collecting and racing, are typically associated with lower-order learning.

The mixed-methods exploratory study drew on 78 volunteer participants from a class of 124 students, who played the game for roughly fifteen to thirty minutes in week 12 of the course, then completed a short quiz and an ungraded survey with three five-point enjoyment items and two open-ended questions. Responses were analyzed through inductive and deductive coding, axial coding, Fisher's Exact Tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests comparing quiz scores and enjoyment ratings across mechanic categories. The enjoyment scale showed moderate reliability (Cronbach's Alpha of 0.68), and the authors note that one quiz question was dropped from analysis due to incompleteness and that an unplanned time constraint affected performance, limiting the strength of conclusions.

Key findings indicate that the complex mechanic Classify the Pieces was associated with significantly higher quiz scores (p < 0.001), while the simple mechanic Reward was associated with significantly lower enjoyment ratings (p = 0.010). Participants widely described the game as fun and engaging, but frequently criticized its difficulty, lack of checkpoints, and insufficient guidance, and several expressed a desire for more overt assessment and clearer learning objectives. The authors conclude that combining simple and complex mechanics can support several aspects of adult learning, while noting that the tension between self-directed exploration and the expectation of guidance remains an open design challenge.