Approaching Collaborative Flow in Collaborative Gaming, a Survey Study

Flow is an aspect of player experience that has been often targeted in game studies. Still, similar to presence it can be ambiguous and difficult to quantify. In this study, we approach the concept of flow in cooperative gaming and frame the target of this study as "collaborative flow". Team-play and Flow relevant aspects of player experience, Flow, Co-presence, Sensory Immersion, Imaginative Immersion, Behavioral involvement, Social Presence, and Engagement, were mapped in an online survey with 75 participants. We noticed small significant differences between semi-professional gamers and hobbyists in some flow related aspects of player experience. In addition, weekly gaming time influenced the results. In this study we used existing validated questionnaires and can only state that better metrics and definitions for this aspect of player experience are needed for future research.