Exit 53: Physiological Data for Improving Non-player Character Interaction

Non-player characters (NPCs) in video games have very little information about the player's current state. The usage of physiological data in games has been very limited, mainly to adjustments in difficulty based on stress levels. We assess the usefulness of physiological signals for rapport in interactions with story characters in a small role-playing game, Exit53. Measurements of electrodermal activity and facial muscle tension serves as estimate of player affect which is used to adjust the behavior of NPCs in so far as their dialogue acknowledges the player's emotion. An experimental evaluation of the developed system demonstrates the viability of the approach and qualitative data shows a clear difference in the perception of the system's use of physiological information.