TAMAGO: Full Game Art Gameful System for Animation Thesis Supervision

The TAMAGO system reimagines academic thesis supervision by replacing conventional, administrative interfaces with a gameful design tailored specifically for animation students. By integrating high-quality game art and visual novel-style character interactions, the platform utilizes an egg-hatching metaphor to mirror the progression of animation production stages. The primary thesis posits that embedding rich, narrative-driven aesthetics into functional academic tools significantly enhances student engagement and creative inspiration without sacrificing the efficiency required for thesis management.

Formative evaluations involving seventeen animation students reveal strong performance metrics, with the system achieving a System Usability Scale score of 74.4 and high aesthetic ratings of 6.33 out of 7. Participants reported that the visual storytelling elements provided a necessary emotional counterweight to the sterile nature of traditional campus platforms. While the study indicates that these design choices foster enjoyment and creativity, researchers noted moderate Flow scores, likely attributable to the limited duration of the interaction. These findings suggest that for a visually literate demographic, the system functions effectively as both a practical administrative tool and a source of creative motivation.

Despite these positive outcomes, the research highlights critical design tensions, including the necessity for a dedicated focus mode and more transparent data reporting mechanisms. Because the study focused exclusively on animation students, the long-term efficacy of such gameful systems remains to be determined. Future research must address whether these engagement benefits persist over extended periods and if the model can be successfully adapted for students in non-creative academic disciplines. Ultimately, the integration of gameful design into educational infrastructure represents a promising shift toward more emotionally resonant and user-centric academic environments.