Mapping Practices of Academic Game Development

This study examines academic game development as a collaborative and practical process, investigating the use of games as research tools through interviews with eight researchers and developers across multiple countries. Participants employed games to enhance motivation, immersion, or as necessary experimental contexts. Through a thematic analysis we identified nine key challenges and opportunities, including collaboration difficulties, communication barriers, and disparities in gaming experience. We highlight the need for improved documentation, structured collaboration strategies, and critical consideration of how game elements influence research validity. Additionally, we reflect on the potential role of an 'academic game developer' specialization to bridge the gap between research objectives and game design, supporting more effective interdisciplinary collaboration. This study serves as an initial exploration of the complexities of integrating game development into research, laying the groundwork for future studies to investigate these challenges in greater depth.