Exertion Games Lab

Vertigo – the momentary disruption of the stability of perception – is an intriguing game element that underlies many unique play experiences, such as spinning in circles as children to rock climbing as adults. Yet vertigo is relatively unexplored when it comes to digital play. We explore the potential of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) as a game design tool for digital vertigo games. We designed and studied a novel two player GVS game, Balance Ninja. With this work we aim to highlight that vertigo can be a valuable digital game element that helps to expand the range of games we play.