Introduction to Biophilic Game Design

By integrating nature into built environments, biophilic design fosters well-being, reduces stress, and enhances creativity — which contribute to digital thriving. Although games cannot be directly connected to nature, we can apply biophilic design concepts to deliver some of the same benefits.

What is biophilic design and its benefits?

Biophilic design is about incorporating aspects of the natural world into human built environments in order to promote health and productivity. Essentially, biophilic design uses nature to nurture through architecture. 

Benefits of biophilic design include:

• Lower stress and anxiety levels.
• Increased sense of well-being.
• Improved mood and mental sharpness.
• Enhanced well-being and mental health.
• Increased productivity and creativity.

Because biophilic design helps people thrive (which any space that is restorative can do), the discipline and its principles are important to digital thriving. 

Biophilic principles in game design

Online games have a rare — if not unique — opportunity to give people the benefits of biophilic design that everyday life may not provide because

• Games are available everywhere.
• Games offer rich, immersive experiences.
• Games stimulate multiple senses.

To make application easier, we have adapted existing biophilic design principles for use in game design. These principles have been adapted from 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design (Terrapin Bright Green) and Creating Great Places: Evidence-based Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing (Cushing, D. & Miller, E.).

• Visual connection with nature — Providing a view to elements of nature, living systems, and natural processes (e.g., seeing flowing water, animals, plants, even fossils). 
• Non-visual connection with nature — Auditory (e.g., crackling fire) and haptic (e.g., feeling of rain) stimuli that engender a deliberate and positive reference to nature, living systems, or natural processes. We do not include olfactory or gustatory stimuli here since those are not possible in online games. 
• Non-rhythmic sensory stimuli — Momentary exposure to sound (e.g., bird songs) or unpredictable movement in peripheral vision (e.g., trees swaying in the wind). 
• Presence of water — Enhancing the experience of a place through the seeing, hearing, or touching of clean, unpolluted water. 
• Dynamic & diffuse light — Using varying intensities of light and shadow that change over time to create conditions that occur in nature, such as changing daylight, moonlight, seasonal light, firelight, or bioluminescence.  
• Connection with natural systems — Creating the awareness of natural processes, especially seasonal and temporal changes characteristic of a healthy ecosystem. Think: weather and seasonal patterns, shifting dunes, wildlife habitats, cycles of the moon, astronomical events.  

• Biomorphic forms & patterns — Using symbolic references to contoured, patterned, textured, or numerical arrangements that persist in nature. Can be as simple as a rounded corner. 
• Material connection with nature — Using material and elements from nature that reflect ecology or geology to create a distinct sense of place.
• Prospect — Providing an unimpeded view over a distance for surveillance and planning (e.g., view of a valley).  

• Refuge — Providing a place for withdrawal from environmental conditions or the main flow of activity, in which the individual is protected from behind and overhead. Think: safe havens. 
• Risk / peril — Threats coupled with reliable safeguards, such as transparent floors, walking through shallow water, or a protected view of dangerous animals. Games can have plenty of these!

Getting started with biophilic game design

Even if you are not able to fully commit to biophilic design in your game, here are some lightweight ways to incorporate a few concepts:

• Rounded corners — As simple as this may sound, rounded corners add a pleasing biophilic touch to user interfaces. Why? Nature doesn’t like right angles and straight lines. 
• Breaks between matches — If your game is played in rounds, or if players often play multiple games in a row, consider injecting break points (i.e., refuge). This can help reduce the tension that often leads to rage quitting and social friction. 
• Natural colors — Humans can distinguish shades of green more than any other color, likely because exposure to the color green improves our cognitive and creative performance. Brown also has positive effects. 
• Calming reminders— Interstitials, loading screens, and game menus are all opportunities to both build excitement and to enhance moods. The Witcher 3, for instance, shows the main character meditating, which is a nice reminder to take a breath!

Now what?

Explore the many examples of Biophilic Design in Digital Products: A Speed Run!

References

• Browning, W. et al. (2014). 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. Terrapin Bright Green.
• Cushing, D. & Miller, E. (2020). Creating Great Places: Evidence-based Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing.