Question

When designing games for children, what considerations must a designer have with respect to the complexity of a game?

A) The game should be highly complex to challenge children's cognitive abilities.
B) The game should have simple and intuitive controls for ease of use.
C) The game's storyline should be intricate to engage children's imagination.
D) The game should have a high degree of violence to appeal to children's interests.

Answer 1

Game designers must consider children's cognitive development and create games with simple and intuitive controls, avoiding overly complex or violent content.

Step-by-step explanation:

When designing games for children, one must consider their cognitive development stages to determine the complexity of a game. It is crucial to balance the challenge to engage a child's cognitive skills and imagination while ensuring the game is not overly complex or contains inappropriate content.

For preschool children aged 3-5 years, cognitive abilities are growing, but the game should have simple and intuitive controls (Option B) to ensure they can play without frustration and enjoy humor and storytelling, which contribute to their cognitive development. The goal is to engage and foster imagination while balancing their cognitive skills and capabilities.

Research regarding video game violence (Option D) suggests it leads to an increase in aggressive thought and behavior, which is not appropriate for children’s games. Hence, game narrations for this age group should be engaging, fostering their creativity and imagination without being overly intricate or violent.