Diegetic Connectivity: Blending Work And Play With Storytelling In Serious Games

In this exploration of serious game design, we posit that, too often, fun and play require compromise in terms of task. Addressing this challenge, we articulate a story-driven approach to single-player serious game design called "diegetic connectivity," where task, mechanics, and story are tightly bound through conceptual relationships and aesthetic presentation. To explore the challenges and opportunities of this approach, we present a purpose-built second language acquisition (SLA) game called Arena, and discuss results from a preliminary mixed-methods study directed at motivation, engagement, and task outcomes. Finally, we discuss some of the critical aspects of diegetic connectivity, as well as opportunities for future research.