Is Ocarina of Time actually one of the best games ever made, or does it just feel that way because I grew up with it? I used real psychology research, flow, self-determination theory, learning theory, and memory science, to find out why this game still feels so good 25+ years later.

Sources:

1. Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990)
2. Sweetser & Wyeth, "GameFlow" (2005)
3. Chen, "Flow in Games (and Everything Else)" (2007)
4. Vygotsky, Mind in Society (1978)
5. Deci & Ryan, "The 'What' and 'Why' of Goal Pursuits" (2000)
6. Ryan, Rigby & Przybylski, "The Motivational Pull of Video Games" (2006)
7. Janata, Tomic & Rakowski, music and autobiographical memory (2007)
8. Rubin, Rahhal & Poon, "Things Learned in Early Adulthood Are Remembered Best" (1998)
9. Sedikides & Wildschut, nostalgia research

Checkpoint reached. See you at the next one.

#OcarinaOfTime #Zelda #Psychology #GameDesign