  Video games elicit emotions which can be influenced by color stimuli as shown
by previous studies. However, little research has been conducted on whether
this applies to mobile games played by adolescents. Therefore, we examined the
influence of color stimuli hue and saturation on mobile game play. Adolescents
(n=21) played a mobile platformer game with varying hue and saturation per
level for about 25 minutes. We gathered data on emotional states after each
level using the Self-Assessment Manikin questionnaire, recorded time spent in
each level, and collected participant self-reports on their video game
experience. We performed statistical tests, such as ANOVA, which depict no
significant influence of hue and/or saturation on the emotional state of our
players. We conclude that it is possible that color alone is not an effective
measure for eliciting emotion in mobile games, and further research is needed
to consider measures such as time spent in the game and screen size, as these
are unique to mobile games. There was a noticeable variance in emotional
response between male and female players, with a significant interaction of hue
and saturation among male players for valence ratings. This may be an
indication that color preference influences perceived pleasantness.
