The exponential growth of the digital games industry has intensified the use of Deceptive Patterns (DPs) – design strategies that, while profitable, undermine players’ psychological well-being by frustrating their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as defined by Self-Determination Theory (SDT). In response, ethical alternatives, such as Radiant Patterns (RPs), have been proposed; however, they have remained mainly theoretical. This study addresses this gap with a twofold contribution. First, it details the refinement and operationalization of the RPs concept, transforming it from an abstract idea into a structured framework for well-being-oriented design. Second, it presents the development and evaluation of The Good Dev (TGD), the first critical game to implement this refined framework.
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Why Don’t You Let the Light In? Developing Radiant Patterns for a Critical Game Aiming Player Empowerment
Findings reveal that while players recognize DPs, they are unaware of the psychological impact these patterns have on player well-being, and highlights the potential of combining the RP framework with critical gameplay to empower players and contribute to healthier digital gaming environments.