Handheld AR games — A triarchic conceptual design framework

The rapid development of handheld Augmented Reality (AR) technologies has raised profound interests in the design of handheld AR games. Studies in this area however did not draw attention explicitly on design concepts, especially in the possible exploitation of their inherent characteristics to impact game experiences. Based on literature review, this paper identifies the game elements that are designed based on, or around the definitive advantages and/or limitations of handheld AR as a form of pervasive technology that may affect game play experiences. Handheld AR game experiences are examined and can be described through a proposed triarchic interplay of coherent associations comprising of fundamental system, interaction and application levels. Future work will include intricate studies on game design for handheld AR games, so as to extend the current findings with other integrative game design and technological elements.