Investigating narrative in mobile games for seniors

Narratives are an intimate part of our lives. Based on behavioral research suggesting that older adults tend to process text better at discourse level, this study investigates the impact of narrative structure on the enjoyment level of older game players. Two variations of a casual memory mobile game were built, one with a narrative and the other one without. Nineteen senior citizens, differentiated according to their play orientation, play-tested the games. Results show that embedding narratives in mobile games enhances the play experience of older adults, irrespective of their play style. This may have implications both for game developers and for seniors’ acceptance of casual games.