Analyzing the Impact of Player Engagement on Story and Unpredictable Events in Modified Classic Pac-Man Game

Rahmah, Syalbia Noor Analyzing the Impact of Player Engagement on Story and Unpredictable Events in Modified Classic Pac-Man Game. Analyzing the Impact of Player Engagement on Story and Unpredictable Events in Modified Classic Pac-Man Game. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Player engagement is a critical factor in modern game design, influencing player immersion, emotional involvement, and long-term interest. While the classic Pac-Man game remains one of the most influential arcade games, its gameplay relies heavily on predictable mechanics and repetitive objectives. This research investigates the impact of narrative elements and unpredictable gameplay events on player engagement through a modified Pac-Man game entitled Pacs: Fractured Reality. The modified game preserves the core gameplay structure of Pac-Man while introducing narrative progression, psychological horror elements, glitch-based effects, altered item behaviors, dynamic environmental changes, and random gameplay disruptions. A mixed-method approach was employed involving gameplay testing and post-game questionnaires with 25 participants of varying gaming backgrounds. Gameplay telemetry data, including playtime, death count, and level completion, were collected alongside subjective measures of immersion, curiosity, satisfaction, and engagement. Level 1 was designed as a baseline condition replicating the original Pac-Man experience, while Levels 2–9 progressively introduced narrative and unpredictable gameplay elements. The results indicate that narrative progression and controlled unpredictability contributed positively to player engagement by increasing curiosity, emotional involvement, tension, and immersion. However, excessive unpredictability occasionally resulted in confusion and frustration among some participants. The findings suggest that integrating storytelling and controlled unpredictability into classic arcade game designs can enhance player engagement while preserving the core identity of the original game.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	T Technology > T Technology (General) > T59.7 Human-machine systems.
Divisions:	Faculty of Information and Communication Technology > Informatics
Depositing User:	Syalbia Noor Rahmah
Date Deposited:	22 Jun 2026 01:37
Last Modified:	22 Jun 2026 01:37
URI:	http://repository.its.ac.id/id/eprint/133952

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