Enhancing Social Interaction and Engagement Through a Cooperative Puzzle–Platformer

Wan Muhammad Aiman Firdaus, Fatin Aliah binti Yahya, Shafina binti Abd Karim Ishigaki, Che Ku Nuraini Che Ku Mohd and Ulka Chandini Pendit
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Wan Muhammad Aiman Firdaus: Pervasive Computing & Educational Technology, Department of Interactive Media, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
Fatin Aliah binti Yahya: Pervasive Computing & Educational Technology, Department of Interactive Media, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
Shafina binti Abd Karim Ishigaki: Pervasive Computing & Educational Technology, Department of Interactive Media, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
Che Ku Nuraini Che Ku Mohd: Pervasive Computing & Educational Technology, Department of Interactive Media, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
Ulka Chandini Pendit: Department of Computing, Faculty of Business, Technology and Engineering, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S11WB, United Kingdom

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 9, 6854-6865

Abstract: Cooperative puzzle–platformers promise strategy-rich, social play, yet many titles still lean on shallow or repetitive co-op mechanics that limit meaningful teamwork and replayability. This work designs and evaluates a 3D two-character cooperative puzzle–platformer, Mizu & Hee Adventure, to address that gap by embedding interdependent roles, coordination-first level design, and progressive challenges. We implemented the game in Unreal Engine and conducted a user study with 30 participants (ages 12–30) using the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) after a guided play session. Analysis focuses on cooperation, immersion, challenge, and post-game experience. Results show strong perceived cooperation (mean = 4.25), high challenge (mean = 4.40), and high immersion (mean = 4.42), with an overall positive post-game experience (mean = 4.41); participants also rated the cooperative mechanics as innovative (mean = 4.60). These findings indicate that the proposed mechanics effectively foster communication and joint problem-solving while maintaining engaging difficulty. We discuss design implications for co-op puzzle–platformers and outline future extensions to broaden content variety and scalability.

Date: 2025
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