{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:35:07Z","timestamp":1760060107830,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,31]],"date-time":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753920000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative (AIGI) Fund","award":["7005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MTI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates how remote multiplayer gameplay, enabled through Augmented Reality (AR), transforms spatial decision-making and enhances player experience in a location-based augmented reality game (LBARG). A remote multiplayer handheld-based AR game was designed and evaluated on how it influences players\u2019 spatial decision-making strategies, engagement, and gameplay experience. In a user study involving 60 participants, we compared remote gameplay in our AR game with traditional hide-and-seek. We found that AR significantly transforms traditional gameplay by introducing different spatial interactions, which enhanced spatial decision-making and collaboration. Our results also highlight the potential of AR to increase player engagement and social interaction, despite the challenges posed by the added navigation complexities. These findings contribute to the engaging design of future AR games and beyond.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mti9080079","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T10:13:51Z","timestamp":1754475231000},"page":"79","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluating Spatial Decision-Making and Player Experience in a Remote Multiplayer Augmented Reality Hide-and-Seek Game"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2421-8165","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasas Sri","family":"Wickramasinghe","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury, 69 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9585-0723","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Heide Karen","family":"Lukosch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury, 69 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9610-9127","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"James","family":"Everett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Niantic Spatial Aotearoa, 12 Jessie Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7203-2034","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephan","family":"Lukosch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury, 69 Creyke Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Leorke, D. 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