2019/07/19 by Phoebe O. Toups Dugas, Nicolas LaLone, Nicolas Lalone +3 · 4 citations
Computer Science · Social Sciences · #Geographic Information Systems Studies #Innovative Human-Technology Interaction #Usability and User Interface Design
paper · pdf · doi:10.1145/3336144
openalex publication_date 2019/07/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Maps in video games have grown into complex interactive systems alongside video games themselves. What map systems have done and currently do have not been cataloged or evaluated. We trace the history of game map interfaces from their paper-based inspiration to their current smart phone-like appearance. Read-only map interfaces enable players to consume maps, which is sufficient for wayfinding. Game cartography interfaces enable players to persistently modify maps, expanding the range of activity to support planning and coordination. We employ thematic analysis on game cartography interfaces, contributing a near-exhaustive catalog of games featuring such interfaces, a set of properties to describe and design such interfaces, a collection of play activities that relate to cartography, and a framework to identify what properties promote the activities. We expect that designers will find the contributions enable them to promote desired play experiences through game map interface design.