The Metaverse as a Game Ecosystem: Evaluating Player Interaction Through Mini-Game Integration and Experience Analysis

The metaverse represents a rapidly evolving digital frontier, offering unprecedented opportunities to blend immersive environments with interactive gaming elements. This study explores the integration of three mini-games into a single-player metaverse designed as a 3D adventure island, showcasing the metaverse as a dynamic game ecosystem. These mini games are embedded seamlessly within the virtual environment, creating an engaging and cohesive user experience. To evaluate the impact of this integration on player experience, the study employs the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), a robust framework for assessing dimensions such as immersion, engagement, and enjoyment. GEQ results provide valuable insights into player experiences, with the Positive Experience dimension achieving the highest score of 1.93, reflecting strong satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment during gameplay. The tiredness dimension scored 0.79, indicating minimal physical or mental fatigue, while negative affect scored just 0.63, suggesting very low levels of frustration or regret. A moderate score of 1.35 in the return to reality dimension highlights the immersive nature of the experience, with some players requiring time to reorient post-game. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of mini games in enhancing engagement and enjoyment while maintaining a balanced gameplay experience.