Motivation and flow experience as crucial factors in the completion of narrative games

Abstract

Keeping players in a video game until its completion has been a challenging task for the industry since there are many reasons for quitting video games. Motivation and the experience of flow are important factors in game completion, as they contribute to the enjoyment and retention of players' attention. Consequently, players who reach a state of flow become highly engaged and motivated to continue playing. Based on this context, this paper reviews the literature on player motivations, the flow experience, and narrative as an element of flow. Methodologically, an analysis of the most completed games between 2020 and 2022 on Steam and Playstation platforms was performed. The results show that the most completed games in 2022 were: The Last of Us Part II, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. In addition, a flow and motivational analysis was performed on The Last of Us Part II and God of War games to understand the elements and characteristics that make them so that the player remains motivated until its completion.