Casual games with a pervasive twist

•The game world can be combined with reality via the inclusion of real world elements in games.•This research takes into account the requirements of casual players for merging reality with casual games.•Guidelines are indicated for specific multimodal information.•Results are presented on how the introduction of real world elements affected the role of the screen.

In this paper we present proposals for including real world elements in games taking into account the profile of casual players. Several real world elements can be utilized so that the fictional game world merges with reality. We focused on sound, video, physiological data, accelerometer data, weather and the player’s location. From our experience developing and testing casual games, resulted a set of guidelines that address technological requirements on the player side. These guidelines may be of use for other researchers and developers in order to better adapt games to their audience. By resorting to real world elements, the screen no longer is the only focus of the player’s attention because reality also influences the outcome of the game. Results are presented about how the insertion of real world elements affected the role of the screen as the primary focus of the player’s attention. Positive results, in what regards defeating the screen, were obtained, mainly, with sound, the electrodermal activity and the accelerometer for these elements were used in such a way that the player’s daily activities became part of the game.