Research Profile
My research focuses on player agency, systemic game design, emergent play, and the relationship between game structures and player behaviour. I am particularly interested in how games create room for player-directed action, how players appropriate systemic possibilities, and how these forms of openness can be studied from both design and player perspectives.
What motivates players to seek and construct emergent routes in immersive simulation games?
M.Sc. Thesis
University of Skövde, 2026
M.Sc. in Informatics, Games User Experience
Mixed-method online survey, n = 140
Summary
My master’s thesis investigated why players deliberately seek or construct emergent routes in immersive simulation games. Using a mixed-method survey combining Likert-scale items with open-ended critical incident reports, the study examined motivations behind player-created approaches to problems and traversal. The findings highlighted systemic interaction, discovery, creativity, self-directed play, boundary-testing, and individual motivational pathways.
Player agency
Systemic game design
Emergent play
Player appropriation
Game UX and player motivation
Design lineages and production discourse
Research Interests
Mixed-method surveys
Critical incident methods
Directed content analysis
Thematic analysis
Semi-structured interviews
Comparative game analysis
Paratextual analysis