Affective Tabletop Game: A New Gaming Experience for Children Abdullah Al Mahmud 1 , Omar Mubin 1 , Johanna Renny Octavia 1 , Suleman Shahid 1 , LeeChin Yeo 1 , Panos Markopoulos 2 , Jean-Bernard Martens 2 , Dima Aliakseyeu 2 1 User-System Interaction Program, 2 Department of Industrial Design Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands {a.al-mahmud, o.mubin, j.r.octavia, s.shahid, l.c.yeo, p.markopolous, j.b.o.s. martens, d.aliakseyeu} @ tue.nl Abstract In this paper, we discuss various options for enhancing the gaming experience in augmented tabletop games. More specifically, we propose to incorporate psychophysiological measurements as a part of the gaming experience, and to integrate a desktop game within its real surrounding (i.e., the entire room) in order to promote more physical activity. Such design options, together with other game rules, aim at promoting social interaction between participating players, as this is considered to be a major characteristic of any good multi-player game. We concretized and informally evaluated the above aspects within a specific tabletop game that we designed for children aged 7 to 11 years. Our findings indicate that psychophysiological feedback in a tabletop game does indeed facilitate social interaction and adds to the fun element. Our results also reveal that children appreciate the involvement of the real world environment in a tabletop game. 1. Introduction Augmented tabletop technology is an approach towards multi-player gaming that combines traditional board games with computing technology. It is a way of offering richer gaming experiences that are well-established in the realm of computing technology [8], and presenting them in a context that is more socially binding, as is for instance evidenced by the popularity of traditional board games. Tabletop games provide co-located, collaborative and face-to-face interaction, while the tangible interaction elements that are often part of such an environment provide an enjoyable user experience through more natural interactions. However, the static nature of conventional tabletop games limits the scope of realizable games [7], so that further extensions of the augmented tabletop concept are worth exploring. The potential of tabletop gaming has been well substantiated within several research prototypes [15]. Most existing applications are however targeted towards adult (experienced) players. In order to better illustrate the potential impact of augmented tabletop gaming, and in order to improve accessibility for a broader audience, more applications that appeal to non-expert users, such as children, are required. There are some recent examples of tabletop applications for children within research prototypes such as READ-It [16] or SIDES [10]. The READ-It game was created to enhance the development of reading skills of five-to-seven-year-old children. The SIDES tool was designed to provide social group therapy for adolescents having Asperger’s syndrome. It is evident that most tabletop games have been built either for educational purposes or for social skills development within special groups of children. We are aware of relatively less established work in the area of tabletop gaming for children, solely for the purpose of entertainment and fun. Therefore, we feel that there is uncharted potential for utilizing tabletop technology within such a context. In traditional games where players sit face-to-face, individual players interpret the facial expressions and physical behavior of their co-players. It could be beneficial if, as part of the gaming experience, this subjective judgment could be complemented by a prediction of the other player’s emotional state, for instance based on breathing or heart rate. The use of skin conductance response (SCR) for lie detection within the polygraph is of course well-known [2, 3]. It has been established that psychophysiological signals are also potentially useful within entertainment computing [14]. More specifically, physiological data have been used to objectively measure human enjoyment and fun when playing games [9], i.e., as an evaluation metric. We however do not know of any examples where physiological signals have been used as explicit input into a game environment [7], i.e., as an extra input modality that can augment the interaction and hence the overall game experience. Currently, there is no existing research in the game domain that analyzes the use of real time physiology as an element of fun. Most of the work focuses on game metrics or applications for adults whereas computer games for children that incorporate real-time physiological feedback are yet to be explored.