# Investigating Perceived and Mechanical Challenge in Games Through Cognitive Activity

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.03524 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.03524/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 7 Jul 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Playing With Neuroscience: Past, Present and Future of Neuroimaging and Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.15413/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Game difficulty is a crucial aspect of game design, that can be directly influenced by tweaking game mechanics. Perceived difficulty can however also be influenced by simply altering the graphics to something more threatening. Here, we present a study with 12 participants playing 4 different minigames with either altered graphics or mechanics to make the game more difficult. Using EEG bandpower analysis, we find that frontal lobe activity is heightened in all 4 of the mechanically challenging versions and 2/4 of the visually altered versions, all differences that do not emerge from the self-reported player experience. This suggests that EEG could aid researchers with a more sensitive tool for investigating challenge in games.