Using Physiological Response Data to Examine Horror Video Game Enjoyment

This study examines how physiological and eye-movement data can reveal the experience of enjoying horror video games, an entertainment genre that deliberately induces fear and other negative emotions. The authors argue that interactive horror games differ from horror films because players control their own pacing, can prepare for anticipated shocks, and increasingly consume the genre through streaming platforms where viewers share fear and make joint suggestions. These shifts raise design questions about how pauses and player decision points affect immersion and flow.

The researchers recorded eye movements, heart rate, eye blink frequency, and pupil constriction from players of the horror game "The House," integrating these measurements with mouse actions across different horror event stages. Participants also completed a questionnaire assessing their motivations and preferences for horror games. The analysis focused on how immersion changed during high-suspense periods and how players with different motivations behaved.

The key findings are that the combination of heart rate and pupil constriction provided an accurate measure of immersion and enjoyment, and that fixation frequency rose while average fixation duration fell as immersed players progressed through the game. This pattern runs counter to previously reported immersion patterns in non-horror genres. Immersed players attended closely to narrative clues during high-suspense moments while staying alert to possible shocks, whereas less immersed players focused on event triggers that might prompt them to stop playing.

The study's scope is limited to a single horror title and a relatively small participant group, with the work presented at a 2019 DiGRA conference. The authors suggest their results can inform developers and virtual reality hardware manufacturers who wish to embed eye-tracking capabilities and use gaze data for real-time feedback to heighten suspense.