Games User Research: Process Mining: The Lost Mines of Rautalampi

Is your player event data piling up, yet clear insights into their actual journeys remain elusive? Move beyond raw numbers and scattered feedback!

This definitive hands-on guide unlocks Process Mining (PM) to ethically and effectively transform that event data into actionable wisdom. You'll learn to leverage powerful and accessible Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) tools: bupaR within the R environment and PM4Py in Python, with conceptual explorations into JASP for predictive modeling.

Forget deciphering player paths from disconnected data points! Systematically discover hidden player pathways, check the conformance of actual gameplay against your design intent, and enhance game flow through practical, process-oriented analysis. This book, rich with examples from the fictional "Nordic Pond: The Lost Mines of Rautalampi" expansion, shows you exactly how.

Inside, you'll master Process Mining to:

• DISCOVER actual player processes from event logs, visualizing their true journeys.
• CHECK conformance of player paths against your game design to spot deviations and validate intent.
• ANALYZE performance to identify bottlenecks and optimize game mechanics.
• VISUALIZE player journeys with impactful process maps.
• INTEGRATE diverse data sources to enrich your understanding of player behavior.
• EXPLORE advanced PM applications through hands-on Python case studies, tackling complex GUR challenges like multi-channel interactions, predictive trend analysis, and longitudinal studies.
• RECOMMEND effective design changes based on solid PM evidence.

Whether you're a Games User Research (GUR) professional, game data analyst, designer keen to understand player flow, or a student eager to master cutting-edge research techniques, this guide equips you to turn raw event logs into golden insights that truly shape better, player-centered games. Embark on your GUR Process Mining expedition today!