User Experience in Board Games: An Agentive Semiotic Evaluation in Higher Education Settings

Educational board games function as complex mediation devices that shape learning outcomes through specific material, symbolic, and procedural design configurations. By employing an agentive semiotics framework, this research evaluates how design decisions in Colombian higher education settings influence player agency and meaning-making. The analysis reveals that board games are not neutral tools but are instead structured environments where the interplay between rules and physical components dictates the trajectory of the user experience.

Comparative analysis of the games Guanga and Construyendo la Autopista demonstrates that distinct design paradigms lead to divergent engagement metrics. Construyendo la Autopista utilizes a technical-sequential configuration that prioritizes procedural logic and task execution, resulting in higher physiological arousal associated with structured learning objectives. Conversely, Guanga employs a cultural-symbolic design that fosters reflective agency, encouraging creative interpretation and higher levels of facial engagement. These findings indicate that while both games achieve high usability, they serve fundamentally different pedagogical functions based on their underlying materialities.

Ultimately, the research advocates for a multimodal methodological approach that triangulates qualitative interviews, structured observations, and psychophysiological data to capture the nuances of situated gameplay. Designers are encouraged to align specific material and symbolic configurations with intended educational goals, as these choices directly translate design intentions into distinct modes of interaction. By recognizing that user experience is an actualization of the possibilities for action configured by the game itself, developers can create more effective tools for higher education. Future development should focus on hybrid models that synthesize these symbolic and procedural strengths to optimize both engagement and knowledge acquisition.