Dr Alena Denisova
Senior Lecturer

Interests

I am a member of the Human-Computer Interaction research group in the Department of Computer Science. I study the experiences of people who play video games: what makes games challenging, how players' expectations shape what they feel, and the emotionally meaningful experiences games can create.

Current research

• Challenge and adaptation: how to measure perceived challenge, and how games can adapt to keep it right for each player, including through physiological signals.
• The placebo effect in games: how what players are told about a game changes what they experience.
• Emotional challenge and meaningful play: emotionally difficult content, and games that support people through difficult times.
• Moral decision-making in games: how players experience moral choices and dilemmas, and how game mechanics shape those decisions.
• Games user research: how indie developers playtest their games, and how research can help.

Tools for researchers and developers

I develop validated questionnaires for evaluating player experience, including CORGIS (perceived challenge), and contributed to PUGS (player uncertainty) and BANGS (basic needs in games). They are free to use and can be downloaded from my website.

Teaching

• Player Experience in Digital Games (PLEI)
• User Centred Design (IDEV)

Links

• Website: alenadenisova.com
• Google Scholar: profile
• ORCID: 0000-0002-1497-5808
• Bluesky: @sevenfridays.bsky.social

Qualifications

- PhD in Computer Science, University of York
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- PG Cert in Higher Education, Swansea University
- MSc Human-Centred Interactive Technologies, University of York
- BSc Computer Science, University of York

Career

- Senior Lecturer, University of York, 2024 - Present
- Lecturer in Computer Science, University of York, 2022 - 2024
- Lecturer in Computer Science, City, University of London, 2019-2021
- Research Technician, University of York, 2016-2017
- Tutor (Associate Lecturer), Swansea University, 2016-2018

Departmental and University Roles

• Ethics Committee (Chair)