1 research outputs found
Making Maps Available for Play: Analyzing the Design of Game Cartography Interfaces.
Maps in video games have grown into complex interactive systems alongside video games themselves. What
map systems have done and currently do have not been cataloged or evaluated. We trace the history of
game map interfaces from their paper-based inspiration to their current smart phone-like appearance. Read-
only map interfaces enable players to consume maps, which is sufficient for wayfinding. Game cartography
interfaces enable players to persistently modify maps, expanding the range of activity to support planning and
coordination. We employ thematic analysis on game cartography interfaces, contributing a near-exhaustive
catalog of games featuring such interfaces, a set of properties to describe and design such interfaces, a
collection of play activities that relate to cartography, and a framework to identify what properties promote
the activities. We expect that designers will find the contributions enable them to promote desired play
experiences through game map interface design