Gamified Emotional Evaluation of Virtual Architectural Spaces:The G-SOR Framework and “Lost In Reverie”

Abstract

With the rapid development of metaverse technology, virtual architectural spaces are playing an increasingly important role in digital experiences. However, existing emotional testing methods for virtual spaces face challenges such as insufficient immersion, lack of participant motivation, and limitations of single-variable research. This study proposes the G-SOR (Gamified Stimulus-Organism-Response) framework, which integrates environmental psychology's SOR model with game design theory, and develops the “Lost In Reverie”game testing platform based on this framework. The research first defined an emotional parameter library for four categories of spatial elements—geometry, lighting, material, and color—through a preliminary experiment (N=31). The game platform designed two core systems based on the G-SOR framework: a spatial parameter system (integrating parameterized definitions and construction methods for single elements) and a spatial immersion system (including task-driven exploration, visual illusion puzzle mechanisms, and emotional data collection). Comparative experiments (N=63) showed that, compared to traditional methods, the gamified approach significantly improved spatial immersion (28.5%, p<0.001) and testing motivation (114.3%, p<0.001). This study provides a new paradigm for virtual architectural space emotional research that combines entertainment with scientific rigor, while offering systematic methodology and parametric guidance for emotionally oriented design practice.

Keywords: Virtual Reality, Emotional Recognition, Game Design, Architectural Space

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006065