Deceptive pattern effects on user experience in first-person shooter video games : Insights from semi-structured user interviews using Thematic Analysis
Marisanna, Vepsä (2025)
2025
Tietojenkäsittelyopin maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Computer Science
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2025-09-22
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202509199401
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202509199401
Tiivistelmä
Designing interactive systems, whether digital interfaces or immersive video games, aim is to create experiences that are both functional and engaging. While traditional UX design emphasizes usability, accessibility, and efficiency, game design extends these principles to include challenge, immersion, emotion, and flow, fostering engagement and creating memorable experiences and social connections in online environments. However, these same design techniques can also be exploited unethically to manipulate users, particularly through monetization strategies such as freemium models, which integrate in-game purchases into core gameplay or emotional hooks and loss aversion as retention strategies. These manipulative tactics, known as deceptive patterns (formerly dark patterns), exploit cognitive biases and may negatively impact user behavior, satisfaction, and well-being.
This research investigates the impact of deceptive game design patterns on user experience in three popular first-person shooter (FPS) games: Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and PUBG: Battlegrounds. The research combined a theoretical framework with semi-structured user interviews, applying Thematic Analysis to reveal recurring patterns. Findings uncovered the presence of mild to semi-aggressive deceptive patterns such as artificial urgency, “grinding”, and fear of missing out pushing users to microtransactions and prolonged gaming sessions. These results show how monetization pressures can undermine fairness and autonomy while shaping player behavior and emotional engagement.
The research highlights ethical challenges in balancing engagement, satisfaction, and monetization in modern, freemium or free-to-play game design. It suggests that respecting transparency, user-centered approaches, and policy interventions are needed to protect players from manipulative practices, as well as informing players about these kinds of design techniques. Overall, these findings show that ethical design should prioritize player autonomy and long -term well-being over short-sighted exploitation, placing the responsibility on companies and designers.
This research investigates the impact of deceptive game design patterns on user experience in three popular first-person shooter (FPS) games: Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and PUBG: Battlegrounds. The research combined a theoretical framework with semi-structured user interviews, applying Thematic Analysis to reveal recurring patterns. Findings uncovered the presence of mild to semi-aggressive deceptive patterns such as artificial urgency, “grinding”, and fear of missing out pushing users to microtransactions and prolonged gaming sessions. These results show how monetization pressures can undermine fairness and autonomy while shaping player behavior and emotional engagement.
The research highlights ethical challenges in balancing engagement, satisfaction, and monetization in modern, freemium or free-to-play game design. It suggests that respecting transparency, user-centered approaches, and policy interventions are needed to protect players from manipulative practices, as well as informing players about these kinds of design techniques. Overall, these findings show that ethical design should prioritize player autonomy and long -term well-being over short-sighted exploitation, placing the responsibility on companies and designers.