Core or Chore? How Hybridity Impacts Player Experience

Tabletop gaming spaces are becoming increasingly hybrid, necessitating further study into the effects of hybridity on player experiences.Hybrid digital boardgames provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between technology and player experience in an atomic way.We present an exploratory mixed-methods A/B study (N = 16) comparing the player experience of Spy Guy: Fantasy, a published, non-hybrid boardgame, and a custom hybrid version which replaces the original game's deck of cards and sand timer with an app.The study contributes insights into player experience of hybrid games as well as into study of hybrid player experience.We found no statistical difference in player experience between the non-hybrid and hybrid versions.However, comparing responses based on play-order shows preference for the hybrid version, which is further supported by rich interview data.This reveals players' expectations about the "core" and "chore" elements of a game, and the role of technology in facilitating the "core" by handling the "chores".Future work examining the effects of hybridity on player experience should consider study design, the selection or development of appropriate measures of player experience, and participants' prior exposure to and literacy in boardgames.