Effects of game interactivity on perceived emotional challenge, mixed-affect emotional experiences and physiological responses

Introduction As game genres have evolved, digital games have introduced a distinct type of user experience known as perceived emotional challenge, emerging from the integration of emotionally compelling narratives and interactive elements. While existing research has explored emotional challenge, the specific role of game interactivity in shaping this experience remains unclear, particularly regarding whether it amplifies subjective perceptions, mixed-affect emotional responses, and multimodal physiological reactions. Methods A between-subjects experiment was conducted in which 28 participants with prior 3D game experience were allocated into two groups: a GamePlay group ( n = 14) who actively played a carefully constructed scenario from Fallout 4 featuring emotionally compelling narratives, and a GameWatch group ( n = 14) who passively watched a screen recording of the same scenario. Perceived emotional challenge (CORGIS), emotional responses (48-EARL), IDN-related user experiences, and immersion (IEQ) were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Peripheral physiological signals including electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), respiratory activity (RSP), electromyography (EMG), and skin temperature (TEMP) were continuously recorded using Biopac MP150 sensors. Multimodal physiological features were extracted and subjected to both group-level t-tests and logistic regression with 10-fold cross-validation for condition discrimination. Results Interactivity heightened perceived emotional challenge and significantly amplified specific hedonic emotional responses including contentment, joy, and pride, while reducing boredom and disappointment. GamePlay participants also reported stronger impression, role identification, emotional involvement, and challenge dimensions. At the physiological level, the GamePlay group exhibited higher heart rate, reduced beat-to-beat variability, shallower and less stable breathing, and stronger phasic electrodermal responses. A multimodal logistic regression model discriminated between the two conditions with 82.69% accuracy under 10-fold cross-validation, remaining robust after the removal of EMG (81.12%) and combined EMG and EDA features (76.06%). Discussion These findings confirm that while emotionally compelling narratives alone can elicit perceived emotional challenge, game interactivity acts as a key amplifier, deepening hedonic and mixed-affect emotional experiences and producing a distinct and measurable physiological state. The multimodal physiological biomarkers identified in this study support the use of game-based paradigms for objective emotion assessment and provide empirical grounding for the development of adaptive systems aimed at personalized mental health monitoring and intervention.