Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Mental State Transition in Gaming Experiences

"Mental State Transition in Gaming Experiences" proposes a framework for understanding how players move between distinct mental states during play, integrating established theories of gaming enjoyment such as flow, player typologies, and MMOG motivation models.

• The authors propose a framework of how players move between mental states during play, combining flow theory, player typologies, and MMOG motivation models, with reward mechanics and invested mental effort as the main drivers of those transitions.
• Sustained engagement depends on dynamic balance, meaning difficulty and progression must rise in step with player growth; imbalances in challenge, or in the mix of teamwork and individual achievement, push players into other mental states or out of the game entirely.
• The framework is primarily conceptual and literature-based, supported by qualitative evidence from two case studies, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy and Heroes of the Storm, built from live stream observation and interviews with eight players.