This Game SUX: Why & How to Design Sh@*!y User Experiences
Michelle V Cormier, Shano Liang, Bill Hamilton, Nicolas James LaLone, Rose Bohrer, Phoebe O. Toups Dugas · 2025
While normative - "good"- game design and user experiences have been established, we look to games that challenge those notions. Intentional frustration and failure can be worthwhile. Through a reflexive thematic analysis of 31 games we identify how intentionally non-normative design choices lead to meaningful experiences. Working within the established Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics (MDA) Game Design Framework, we lay out themes to design Shitty User Experiences (SUX). We contribute SUX MDA themes for designers and researchers to counter the status quo and identify new forms of play and interaction.