Information, Vol. 17, Pages 96: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment in Serious Games: A Literature Review

Information doi: 10.3390/info17010096

Authors:
Lucia Víteková
Christian Eichhorn
Johanna Pirker
David A. Plecher

This systematic literature review analyzes the role of dynamic difficulty adaptation (DDA) in serious games (SGs) to provide an overview of current trends and identify research gaps. The purpose of the study is to contextualize how DDA is being employed in SGs to enhance their learning outcomes, effectiveness, and game enjoyment. The review included studies published over the past five years that implemented specific DDA methods within SGs. Publications were identified through Google Scholar (searched up to 10 November 2025) and screened for relevance, resulting in 75 relevant papers. No formal risk-of-bias assessment was conducted. These studies were analyzed by publication year, source, application domain, DDA type, and effectiveness. The results indicate a growing interest in adaptive SGs across domains, including rehabilitation and education, with DDA methods ranging from rule-based (e.g., fuzzy logic) and player modeling (using performance, physiological, or emotional metrics) to various machine learning techniques (reinforcement learning, genetic algorithms, neural networks). Newly emerging trends, such as the integration of generative artificial intelligence for DDA, were also identified. Evidence suggests that DDA can enhance learning outcomes and game experience, although study differences, limited evaluation metrics, and unexplored opportunities for adaptive SGs highlight the need for further research.

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Lucia Víteková www.mdpi.com