The Purpose of Play: How HCI Games Research Fails Neurodivergent Populations

Play presents a popular pastime for all humans, though not all humans play alike. Subsequently, Human-Computer Interaction Games research is increasingly concerned with the development of games that serve neurodivergent(1) players. In a critical review of 66 publications informed by Disability Studies and Self-Determination Theory, we analyse which populations, research methods, kinds of play and overall purpose goals existing games address. We find that games are largely developed for children, in a top-down approach. They tend to focus on educational and medical settings and are driven by factors extrinsic to neurodivergent interests. Existing work predominantly follows a medical model of disability, which fails to support self-determination of neurodivergent players and marginalises their opportunities for immersion. Our contribution comprises a large-scale investigation into a budding area of research gaining traction with the intent to capture a status quo and identify opportunities for futurework attending to differences without articulating them as deficit.