A Systematic Approach to Evaluate Player Experience in Project Management Serious Games

Serious Games (SGs) are increasingly used in Project Management (PMgt) education to support experiential learning. However, assessing player experience, particularly in multiplayer contexts, remains a complex and underexplored challenge. This study first conducts a structured review of existing literature on SG evaluation methods, revealing a lack of comprehensive frameworks specifically tailored to multiplayer PMgt games. In response, we developed a structured assessment tool designed to capture players’ experience across cognitive, emotional, and relational dimensions. The proposed framework was tested through a tailored questionnaire administered during a multiplayer SG case study involving master's students in Management Engineering. This instrument enabled the analysis of teamwork dynamics, communication processes, and role-specific learning outcomes. The results provided valuable insights into how students engaged with the game and how different roles influenced their perceptions and experiences. Although the study was conducted on a single class cohort, the close interaction between students and facilitators enriched the data collection process and supported iterative refinement of the questionnaire. Future research will expand the application to broader and more diverse populations, aiming to validate the framework and contribute to best practices for evaluating multiplayer SGs in PMgt and other educational domains.