HCI Games Group

HCI Games Group is a renowned research group focusing on information and communication technologies, design, psychology, and human-computer interaction in the context of games and gamification. As part of Waterloo HCI, they are located at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business and the Games Institute. Their expertise lies in various areas, including gamification, games user research, games for human health and fitness, HCI for games, affective gaming, and social relationship-building games.

In the field of gamification, HCI Games Group applies game design principles to non-game systems, enhancing fun, engagement, and motivation. They have played a significant role in defining gamification and leading the academic discourse. Additionally, they develop novel methods and tools to improve player testing and user research in games and entertainment systems.

Moreover, HCI Games Group focuses on creating playful applications for sports, exercise, health, and wellbeing, capitalizing on sensor technologies and the quantified self movement. They also explore innovative interaction paradigms and sensors that enhance meaningful and engaging computer interactions. With their research, HCI Games Group aims to understand player sentiments, engagement, cognition, and emotions through psychophysiological analysis and physiological sensors.

They also develop games and installations for public spaces, fostering social interaction and relationship-building. HCI Games Group is involved in numerous projects, including player preferences and experience scales, gamified digital solutions for improving physical and cognitive functions, gameful design for medical test data accessibility, and impact analysis on play and purchase decisions for tabletop games. By combining expertise in various disciplines, HCI Games Group continuously contributes to the advancement of human-computer interaction and the gaming industry, addressing the needs of players and users in innovative and engaging ways