Investigating the Effect of Color Stimuli on Player Emotions in Games

Video games are an emotional experience, and their visuals have the potential to help evoke emotions. Therefore, understanding how visuals influence players’ emotions could be beneficial for the design of emotional game experiences. In this study, we focus on investigating the role of color applied to the game environment and non-usable objects. Hence, we reviewed literature on color, video games, and emotions, and conducted a preliminary study to test hypotheses derived. 21 Adolescents played a mobile platformer game with varying hue and saturation per level for approximately 25 minutes. We collected data on emotional states after each level using the Self-Assessment Manikin Questionnaire, recorded time spent in each level, and collected participants’ self-reports of their video game experience. Statistical tests, such as ANOVA, resulted in no significant effect of hue and/or saturation on the emotional state of our players. However, we did find a noticeable difference in responses between male and female players, with a significant interaction of hue and saturation for male players on valence ratings.