EmoEcho: Designing Emotion Mimicry Mechanics for Enhancing Social Engagement in Digital Games
Jiaming Sun, Zhuying Li, Xiaolan Peng · 2024
Social interaction plays a critical role in enhancing player experiences in bodily play. Although previous research has extensively explored physical mimicry in movement-based games for social engagement, the incorporation of emotional expressions, a significant aspect of bodily interaction, remains underexplored. This study aims to broaden the understanding of bodily play by integrating emotion mimicry, examining its impact on enhancing social connections. We present “EmoEcho”, a two-player 2D side-scrolling game that embeds emotion mimicry into its core gameplay. EmoEcho allows players to dynamically alter the game environment using facial expressions, fostering a unique shared interactive experience. A pilot study compares emotion-based and keyboard inputs, revealing that emotion input significantly enhances the social dynamics of gameplay. This paper contributes to digital play by highlighting the potential of emotion mimicry in enhancing social connections, paving the way for more emotionally engaging and socially resonant gaming experiences.