Linking Player Types to User Experience: Considerations for the Design of a Platform for the Education on Sensitive Topics

Gamification has been widely applied in educational contexts to enhance students' motivation and engagement. Its effectiveness has been shown to vary based on individual user preferences, such as age, gender, and player type. This study investigates the relationship between player types and user experience in StandByMe, a gamified educational platform designed to raise awareness about gender-based violence. A total of 61 high school students used the platform for about 35 minutes and completed a user experience questionnaire and the Hexad scale for player types. Results indicate that Free spirits reported higher motivation and overall user experience, while Achievers exhibited lower engagement, possibly due to a lack of clearly structured challenges. Socializers and Disruptors showed no significant relation with user experience. Additionally, demographic factors such as age and gender were related to participants' fun levels and perception of challenge. These findings highlight how users' player type predicts the user experience of a gameful system and should be considered during the design phase. Future research should explore adaptive gamification approaches and specific design modifications to enhance user experience across all player types, both within the StandByMe platform and, more broadly, in gameful systems for the education of sensitive topics.