GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Leveling Up Player Experience Through Bias-Aware Design
Tanjulia Akter (Software Engineer, Electronic Arts)
Natashia Tjandra (Research Director, Player and Employee Experience , Electronic Arts)
Faith McGee (CEO, BrightlyLoop)
Location: Room 3001, West Hall
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass, Summits Pass, Expo Pass, Audio Pass, Indie Games Summit Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Advocacy
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
Level up your player experience by understanding how unconscious cognitive biases shape game development. This session will equip you with practical strategies to recognize and account for these biases—helping you design more inclusive, engaging, and player-friendly games.
We’ll explore the science behind bias formation, its subtle impact on design decisions, and how those decisions affect player experiences and broader player communities. With real-world examples and actionable solutions, you’ll gain tools to refine your creative process, foster innovation, and expand your audience reach. Ultimately, designing with awareness leads to stronger player trust, deeper engagement, and greater creative and business success.
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your design toolkit and enhance your player-first design approach.
Takeaway
In this session, participants learn how to analyze the neuroscience of bias formation in the brain and their impact on narrative creation in game creation. Participants can apply bias prompts such as restraint bias, overconfidence effect, illusion of control, and model bias in AI to design a game narrative into game development and product development.
Intended Audience
No experience is needed, but attendees should come with a basic knowledge of biases in product development or gaming and be prepared to have the most absolute fun during this engaging learning experience. Anyone who would like to learn how to mitigate biases in games is welcome.
