Engagement or Distraction? Examining the Impact of Narrative Elements and Player Audience on Experience of Logic Grid Puzzles

Fiona Shyne, Kaylah Facey, and Seth Cooper
Interactive Storytelling (ICIDS), 2025

Abstract

In this work, we explore different narrative modes for logic grid puzzles. We test these environments with a user study recruiting two audiences: crowd-workers on the Prolific platform and volunteers from social media groups related to mysteries and puzzles. While volunteers found puzzles easier, they enjoyed them less than the Prolific workers. Across both audiences, an increase in narrative increased the time taken on puzzles and the challenge of the puzzles. However, while some participants found the narrative immersive and enjoyable, others did not want any story or did not like the increased challenge.

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