“DISTRAINT for Research” (D4R)

Abstract This paper presents D 4 R: an openly available and adaptable online resource based on “DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition”, which can be applied to streamline designing and running user-oriented studies (and more). D 4 R can be customised to fit your research or didactic needs. It is run in the browser via linking a URL to the main game file on a hosting server. The software has more robust applications, but it was originally designed for examining how in-game linguistic parameters interface the user–game dynamics. We describe D 4 R’s constituents and how they need to be set up. The process of collaborating with the creator of D 4 R and DISTRAINT is also detailed — demonstrating the productivity of joint industry-academia endeavours. Having reviewed studies that similarly employ games as stimuli in research and training, we discuss prospects for implementing D 4 R. The game files use common formats and are available through a designated data repository for “(D 4 R) DISTRAINT For Research”.