The Schema is Still Mightier than the Sword - How Cognition Predicts Player Spatial Coding Systems

Explore how players navigate game environments through spatial mapping schemas, mental rotation, and feature detection in this 35-minute GDC 2019 talk. Delve into cognitive processes like accommodation, top-down processing, and endogenous thinking that influence player navigation. Examine game examples illustrating conceptual fluency, attentional blink, and schema violation. Investigate cognitive mapping, survey mapping, and mapstaligia's impact on player expectations. Learn about category judgment, template feature matching, and component schemas using examples from games like Mario, Limbo, and Overwatch. Understand the importance of configurable models and the consequences of violating schemas on player immersion. Gain valuable insights into creating intuitive and engaging game environments that align with players' cognitive processes.