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Disengagement From Games: Characterizing the Experience and Process of Exiting Play Sessions

Dmitry Alexandrovsky, Kathrin Gerling, Merlin Steven Opp, Christopher Benjamin Hahn, Max V. Birk, Meshaiel Alsheail

TL;DR

This paper investigates disengagement from games as a constructive, regular aspect of play rather than solely a problem to mitigate. It employs a two-phase design—qualitative interviews with 16 players and a larger online survey of 111 participants—to characterize exit experiences, the process of disengagement, and the role of player agency. The study identifies three core themes: positive disengagement involves satisfaction and closure, disengagement is a complex, multi-faceted process influenced by players, games, and the environment, and agency is central to positive exits. It then derives practical design reflections aimed at enhancing self-determined exits (e.g., explicit exit options, save mechanics, and transparent game states) and situates these insights within the broader HCI and PX/UX literature, highlighting ethical considerations in game design. Overall, the work expands the understanding of disengagement and offers actionable guidance for designing games that respect player autonomy while facilitating balanced, meaningful play.

Abstract

The games research community has developed substantial knowledge on designing engaging experiences that draw players in. Surprisingly, less is known about player \textit{dis}engagement, with existing work predominantly addressing disengagement from the perspective of problematic play, and research exploring player disengagement from a constructive designer perspective is lacking. In this paper, we address this gap and argue that disengagement from games should be constructively designed, allowing players to exit play sessions in a self-determined way. Following a two-phase research approach that combines an interview study (n=16) with a follow-up online survey (n=111), we systematically analyze player perspectives on exiting play sessions. Our work expands the existing notion of disengagement through a characterization of exit experiences, a lens on disengagement as a process, and points for reflection for the design of games that seek to address player disengagement in a constructive way.

Disengagement From Games: Characterizing the Experience and Process of Exiting Play Sessions

TL;DR

This paper investigates disengagement from games as a constructive, regular aspect of play rather than solely a problem to mitigate. It employs a two-phase design—qualitative interviews with 16 players and a larger online survey of 111 participants—to characterize exit experiences, the process of disengagement, and the role of player agency. The study identifies three core themes: positive disengagement involves satisfaction and closure, disengagement is a complex, multi-faceted process influenced by players, games, and the environment, and agency is central to positive exits. It then derives practical design reflections aimed at enhancing self-determined exits (e.g., explicit exit options, save mechanics, and transparent game states) and situates these insights within the broader HCI and PX/UX literature, highlighting ethical considerations in game design. Overall, the work expands the understanding of disengagement and offers actionable guidance for designing games that respect player autonomy while facilitating balanced, meaningful play.

Abstract

The games research community has developed substantial knowledge on designing engaging experiences that draw players in. Surprisingly, less is known about player \textit{dis}engagement, with existing work predominantly addressing disengagement from the perspective of problematic play, and research exploring player disengagement from a constructive designer perspective is lacking. In this paper, we address this gap and argue that disengagement from games should be constructively designed, allowing players to exit play sessions in a self-determined way. Following a two-phase research approach that combines an interview study (n=16) with a follow-up online survey (n=111), we systematically analyze player perspectives on exiting play sessions. Our work expands the existing notion of disengagement through a characterization of exit experiences, a lens on disengagement as a process, and points for reflection for the design of games that seek to address player disengagement in a constructive way.
Paper Structure (36 sections, 3 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 36 sections, 3 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Engagement and Disengagement in Games
  4. Disengagement as the Absence of Engagement
  5. Disengagement as Unique Part of the Player Experience
  6. Existing Tools and Strategies to Facilitate Disengagement
  7. The Engagement Cycle
  8. Phase 1: Interview Study
  9. Method
  10. Procedure
  11. Participants
  12. Data Analysis
  13. Positionality
  14. Results
  15. Theme 1: Positive Disengagement Experiences Come With Satisfaction and Closure, Negative Ones With Rage and Regret
  16. ...and 21 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Violin plots showing probability densities and box-plots of participants' ratings of characteristics of general disengagement on seven-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree): (\ref{['fig:disengagement_plot_exp']}) positive and negative disengagement experiences, (\ref{['fig:disengagement_plot_process']}) the disengagement process, and (\ref{['fig:disengagement_plot_game']}) game characteristics affecting disengagement.
  • Figure :
  • Figure :