Don’t Hit The Wall, Just Squeeze The Ball: How Tangible Interactive Devices Can Help Manage Frustration In Online Games
Michel Wijkstra, Remco C. Veltkamp, Julian Frommel · 2026
Frustration in games can have negative consequences for both players and those around them. Despite these effects, methods for supporting frustration management in hectic gameplay are scarce. In this paper, we present Frustration Buddy, a novel tangible intervention system aimed at managing frustration during play. Frustration Buddy leverages distraction and soothing techniques to help players control their emotions. Our paper provides an artifact contribution, complemented by exploratory findings from semi-structured interviews with nine participants on frustration in games, how they manage it, and their opinions on Frustration Buddy’s design and applicability in their gaming environments. The results suggest participants were open to the idea of a device supporting frustration management and that the use of a tangible device like a stress ball was well-received. We provide insights on how to design such a device based on our design decisions and the preferences expressed by the gamers in our interviews.