uAdventure aims to simplify serious games development for non-experts by providing an authoring tool built on Unity. It focuses on point-and-click adventure games which are effective for education. The tool includes a narrative model editor, simplified scene editor, and integrated learning analytics. An evaluation found non-technical users could create simple games using the tool after reading documentation, though some improvements were identified. The tool looks to further simplify serious games creation and analyze learning from the games.

1. uAdventure: Simplifying Narrative
Serious Games Development
Baltasar Fernández-Manjón
e-UCM Research Group
www.e-ucm.es
Víctor Manuel Pérez-Colado, Iván José Pérez-Colado, Manuel Freire-Morán,
Iván Martínez-Ortiz
@baltaFM

2. Introduction
Serious Games (SGs)
● Multiple benefits for students regarding learning [1], as better engagement.
● SGs still not widely used in formal education [2].
● Drawbacks: High costs: Purchase or develop is expensive.
● Sometimes non-developers have to create the games.
Popularity of free game engines:
● More possibilities for SGs market [3].
● Still not too much impact in SG compared with regular Games.
● SG Authoring Tools (SGAT) -> Simplify SG development [4], [5].
● Accessible for non programmers -> Teachers

3. Introduction
uAdventure:
● Serious Games Authoring tool built on top of Unity and intended for non-experts.
● Geolocalization features.
● Learning Oriented features (such as Learning Analytics).

4. Adventure genre for serious games
● "Point and Click" adventure games proven to be effective for SG [8]
● Interact with the environment (Scene, Items, Characters, etc.)
● Player needs to use knowledge to solve puzzles -> progress

5. uAdventure Release
https://github.com/e-ucm/uAdventure

6. e-Adventure
● SGAT free and open.
● Raised and developed to solve the issues.
● Built in java
● Produces Standalone games as Java Applets.
✓ Fits the genre: Point and Click Adventure games.
✓ Reduce the costs: Easy, simple and Free.
✗ Distribution: Java. Issues on Tablets and Smartphones (iOS and Android)

7. Unity
✓ Multiplatform: Major OS, Mobile (iOS & Android), Consoles.
✓ Generic functionalities: Animations, physics, cameras, effects.
✗ Scripting is needed -> non-experts
✗ Environment very complex -> cumbersome for non-experts
Unity Highly customizable
uAdventure on top of Unity
uAdventure

8. uAdventure Features
uAdventure (uA) is a framework built on top of Unity with the goal of simplifying the
creation of narrative “point and click” SGs by non-experts.
Why On top of Unity?
● Always supports latest technologies -> Not likely to become obsolete [13]
● Extending the lifecycle of the games created with uA too
Features:
● Narrative model editor
● Simplified scene editor
● Integrated experience
● Simplified Builder
● Learning analytics
● Extensions

9. Main Window
Narrative Model
Editing area (Chapter scenarios)
Project variables

10. Narrative model editor
Heavily based on narrative game elements:
● Scenes -> Where the action takes place, contains the elements
● Cutscenes -> Linear narrative sequences
● Interactive/non-interactive elements
● Characters
● Items
Conversation editor:
● Tree based editor
● Support nonlinear story if required
Converse,
move, give,
grab, use...
Effects

11. Narrative Model Options
Conversations Editor

12. Simplified Scene Editor
● Manages scenes and their elements
● Limited to 2D -> more common and way simpler
● Simplified compared with Unity Native editor
● Automatic Camera Control
● Background may have points of interest or barriers
● Unity-Like Inspector -> Affordable for native unity developers

14. Simplified Builder
Very important feature -> Multiplatform support
● Each platform require significant tuning:
● Improve performance: Quality, lighting, shaders…
● Video formats and locations
Simplified builder:
● Select all platforms desired
○ removed non-school feasible such consoles
● Export -> Build'o'matic running!
.mp4 ?
.mov ?
.avi ?

15. Transparent Integration of Learning Analytics
● Measure success/failure -> Understand causes.
● Gathering of main relevant events
○ Educational Objectives
● uA uses xAPI -> Profile for Serious Games [17].
● Tracked Events
○ Element Interactions
○ Scene changes
○ Questions and Answers
○ Progress and state of Completables
○ Scores and completion
● Additionally:
○ Changes in Flags and Variables

17. Extensions
Unity will evolve following the videogame industry
uAdventure has an extensible architecture to integrate new technologies (i.e. AR)
Two extensions are being developed so far:
● Geolocalization: with augmented maps and location-based mechanics
● QR code: with QR code based positioning and QR scanning.

18. Testing user experience
Objectives
Find out the difficulties and issues in uA.
Verify if any user is capable of:
i. Develop point and click game examples
ii. Create nonlinear stories & multiple endings
iii. Use the software autonomously
iv. Build their games
Experimental design
1. Define independent tasks
2. Make users do them
3. Ask users about difficulty
Guided examples
& documentation
creating a story

19. Experimental design: users taks
Provided users with: Software, quickstart guide, manual and examples
Users have to:
1. Read the manual
2. Make the examples
3. Complete a post-survey with
a. Narrative background
b. Questions about the manual
c. Questions about their goals
d. Individual tasks difficulty
e. Extra doubts and comments
1. Analyze the results
2. Verify the objectives
3. Release the software

20. Experiment results
10 people: 2 non-tech, 2 artists and 6 programmers
Regarding difficulty:
● 95% of examples completed
● 65% of tasks found simple
● Artists have more difficulty (no dev. background)
Regarding goals 7 out of 10 people created stories & mult endings
Narrative experience → less doubts in the model
Doubts → less simplicity in tasks perceived
Additionally 29 software or manual issues to fix or clarify

21. Discussion
Software development has grown, SG not so much.
● uA tries to impulsate SGs -> Simple, Easy and Free.
uA: Unity heavily modified -> Native unity High-level concepts
● Still impossible to hide every unity feature -> Distractions
● Overall results are very promising
Pilot -> non-programmers can create (simple) games.
● Users care about the narrative
● Generate new revision of the manual

22. Conclusions
Preliminary evaluation of SGAT uAdventure: Evolution of eA.
● uA: non-experts -> start developing adventure SGs
● uA: Simplifies development:
○ Simplifying the model -> easy to understand
○ Simplifying the interfaces -> genre-focused windows
○ uA is neither an Unity Extension or an independent AT but an environment for non-experts.
To improve the AT:
● Formally evaluated with different users.
● Very promising results -> non-experienced people in SG development
● Feedback -> Improved user experience.

23. Future Work
● New iteration of the tool based on the analysis and observations
● uA in a formal course on Interactive Narrative for Graphic Designer
● Current Development of uA features
○ Location Based Games
○ Improving Learning Analytics
Games connected with Real World and easy to integrate in the
learning cycle with Learning Analytics

24. References
[1] S. De Freitas, “Are Games Effective Learning Tools? A Review of Educational Games,” Educ. Technol. Soc., vol. 21, no.
2, pp. 74–84, 2018.
[2] R. Dörner, S. Göbel, W. Effelsberg, and J. Wiemeyer, Serious Games Foundations, Concepts and Practice. Cham:
Springer International Publishing, 2016.
[3] A. Kovanto, “The Improvements for Indie Game Development,” KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES, 2013.
[4] E. J. Marchiori, J. Torrente, Á. Del Blanco, P. Moreno-Ger, P. Sancho, and B. Fernández-Manjón, “A narrative metaphor
to facilitate educational game authoring,” Comput. Educ., vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 590– 599, 2012.
[5] Á. del Blanco, J. Torrente, E. J. Marchiori, I. Martínez-Ortiz, P. Moreno-Ger, and B. Fernández-Manjón, “A framework for
simplifying educator tasks related to the integration of games in the learning flow,” Educ. Tech. Soc., vol. 15, no. 4, pp.
305–318, 2012.
[6] R. Aust, M. Nitsche, and J. Pelka, “Digital game-based learning and video games in teacher training. Conception,
evaluation and results from Leipzig University,” Perspect. Innov. Econ. Bus., vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 113–131, Sep. 2014.

25. References
[7] Center for Technology Implementation in Education, “Learning with Computer Games and Simulations,” Am. Institutes
Res., 2014.
[8] M. D. Dickey, “Game Design Narrative for Learning: Appropiating Adventure Game Design Narrative Devices of
Interactive Learning Environment,” Educ. Technol. Res. Dev., vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 245–263, 2006.
[9] U. Spierling, “Models for Interactive Narrative actions,” in Proceedings of the Sixth Australasian Conference on
Interactive Entertainment - IE ’09, 2009, pp. 1–8.
[10] K. Q. Omnipedia, “Dead end.” [Online]. Available: http://kingsquest.wikia.com/wiki/Dead_end.
[11] J. Torrente, A. del Blanco, E. J. Marchiori, P. Moreno-Ger, and B. Fernandez-Manjon, “<e-Adventure>: Introducing
educational games in the learning process,” in IEEE EDUCON 2010 Conference, 2010, pp. 1121–1126.
[12] Á. del Blanco, E. J. Marchiori, J. Torrente, I. Martínez-Ortiz, and B. Fernández-Manjón, “Using e-Learning standards in
educational video games,” Comput. Stand. Interfaces, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 178–187, 2013.

26. References
[13] I. J. Perez-Colado, V. M. Perez-Colado, I. Martínez-Ortiz, and B. Fernández-Manjón, “uAdventure: The eAdventure
reboot,” in IEEE Education Engineering EDUCON 2017 Conference, 2017.
[14] A. Salter, What Is Your Quest?: From Adventure Games to Interactive Books. University of Iowa Press, 2014.
[15] G. Disterer and C. Kleiner, “BYOD Bring Your Own Device,” Procedia Technol., vol. 9, pp. 43–53, 2013.
[16] I. Škorić and M. Milić, “Computers in school: A student’s perspective,” in MIPRO 2010 - 33rd International Convention
on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics, Proceedings, 2010, pp. 1056–1061.
[17] M. Freire, Á. Serrano-Laguna, and B. Iglesias, Game learning analytics: Learning analytics for serious games. 2016.
[18] V. M. Pérez-colado, I. J. Freire-morán, I. Martínez-Ortiz, M. FreireMorán, and B. Fernández-Manjón, “Simplifying
location-based serious game authoring.”

29. Introduction
To Simplify the development:
● Facilitate high level tasks
● Reduce flexibility in game mechanics -> 1 genre
● Adventure games fit educational games = narrative + puzzles -> learning [8]
VS

30. Integrated experience
+ =
Specific layout that prevents user info overflow
● Adapt the interface to our specific genre
Unity interface hooks = native buttons for our own purposes
● Control what we cannot take off
Automatic asset importing and configuration