Author Guidelines

These Author Guidelines provide detailed instructions for preparing and submitting manuscripts to Game Nexus, an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to research on game studies, interactive media, digital culture, game design, and related interdisciplinary fields. All authors are expected to follow these guidelines to ensure clarity, consistency, and high scholarly quality.

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1. General Requirements

1.1 Submission Language

• Manuscripts must be submitted in English.

• Authors are responsible for proper grammar, clarity, and readability.

• Professional language editing is recommended for non-native speakers.

1.2 File Format

• Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

• PDF submissions are not accepted at the initial stage.

1.3 Manuscript Length

• Original research articles: 4,000–9,000 words

• Review articles: 5,000–12,000 words

• Short communications / technical notes: 1,500–3,000 words

• Word count excludes references, tables, figures, and appendices.

1.4 Manuscript Organization

Manuscripts must be structured in the following order:

1. Title Page

2. Abstract (250–300 words)

3. Keywords (3–7 terms)

4. Introduction

5. Methods and Materials

6. Findings and Results

7. Discussion and Conclusion

8. Acknowledgments (optional)

9. Conflict of Interest Statement

10. Funding Statement

11. References (Vancouver Style)

12. Tables

13. Figures

14. Appendices (if any)

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2. Title Page

The title page must include:

• Full manuscript title (concise, clear, and informative)

• Full names of all authors

• Institutional affiliations (department, university, country)

• ORCID IDs (strongly recommended)

• Corresponding author’s email, address, and phone number

• Type of article (original research, review, case study, etc.)

• Word count (excluding references)

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3. Abstract and Keywords

3.1 Abstract

A structured abstract of 250–300 words must be provided, using the following headings:

• Background: Brief context and significance

• Objective: Clear purpose of the study

• Methods: Study design, data, tools, procedures

• Results: Key findings

• Conclusion: Main implications and relevance

3.2 Keywords

• Provide 3 to 7 keywords

• Use terms standardized in game studies, computer science, and social science indexing databases.

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4. Manuscript Sections (Detailed Requirements)

Below are the writing guidelines for the four required core sections.

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4.1 Introduction

Purpose: Establish the background, problem, significance, and objectives.

Requirements:

• Clearly define the research problem or question.

• Review relevant literature concisely and critically.

• Identify gaps in existing knowledge.

• Explain the theoretical or conceptual framework.

• Describe the significance of the study to game studies, game design, gameplay psychology, AI in games, or other related fields.

• Conclude with a clear statement of objectives or hypotheses.

• Cite references using Vancouver style numbering.

Length guideline: 600–1200 words.

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4.2 Methods and Materials

Purpose: Allow replication and confirm methodological rigor.

Requirements:

• Describe the study design (qualitative, quantitative, experimental, mixed methods, computational modeling, ethnography, user study, etc.).

• Specify participants, recruitment methods, inclusion/exclusion criteria (if applicable).

• Specify ethical approval, consent, and institutional review board details for human subject research.

• Describe materials used:

  • Game software, engines, algorithms, tools

  • Surveys, interview protocols

  • Hardware (VR headsets, consoles, PCs)

  • Experimental environments

• Describe all procedure steps chronologically.

• Provide sufficient detail to enable replication.

• Describe statistical tests or qualitative coding procedures.

• For computational or design research, document frameworks, tools, game prototypes, AI models, code libraries, or datasets.

• Avoid discussion or interpretation here.

Length guideline: 800–1500 words.

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4.3 Findings and Results

Purpose: Present objective results without interpretation.

Requirements:

• Report findings in a logical, organized manner.

• Do not repeat numerical data in both text and tables.

• Provide tables and figures only if essential.

• For quantitative research:

  • Report descriptive statistics

  • Report inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, regression, effect sizes)

  • Provide confidence intervals where appropriate

• For qualitative research:

  • Present themes, subthemes, categories, codes

  • Include participant quotations when relevant

• For game design/technical research:

  • Provide performance metrics

  • Present testing results, usability evaluations, or prototype performance data

• Interpretations should not be included in this section.

Length guideline: 600–1400 words.

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4.4 Discussion and Conclusion

Purpose: Interpret findings, compare them with existing literature, and provide implications.

Requirements:

• Summarize the main results concisely.

• Compare findings with previous studies.

• Explain theoretical contributions.

• Discuss practical implications for:

  • Game design

  • Game development

  • Player experience

  • User interface and interaction

  • Educational games

  • Psychological or behavioral outcomes

• Address limitations honestly and clearly.

• Provide recommendations for future research.

• End with a clear, strong concluding statement.

Length guideline: 800–1500 words.

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5. Vancouver Style Referencing

Game Nexus uses Vancouver referencing style (numerical).

5.1 In-text citations

• Use Arabic numerals in parentheses or superscript:

  • (1), (2,3), (4–6)

• Number references in the order they appear in the text.

• The same reference keeps the same number throughout.

Example:
Game-based learning improves engagement in complex learning tasks (5).

5.2 Reference List Format

• Number references in the order cited in the text.

• Use official Vancouver style formatting:

Examples:

Journal Article:

1. Fullilove RE, Green L, Fullilove MT. Understanding game behavior and learning outcomes in multiplayer environments. J Digital Games. 2022;19(4):215–28.

Book:
2. Salen K, Zimmerman E. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press; 2004.

Conference Proceedings:
3. Isbister K. Emotion and gameplay: A design approach. In: Proceedings of the CHI Conference. 2016 May 7; San Jose, CA. New York: ACM; 2016. p. 781–92.

Web Source:
4. Unity Technologies. Unity Engine Documentation. 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 22]. Available from: https://docs.unity3d.com

Software/Game Engine:
5. Epic Games. Unreal Engine 5 Documentation. Cary (NC): Epic Games; 2023.

Game:
6. Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Game]. Kyoto: Nintendo; 2017.

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6. Tables and Figures

6.1 Tables

• Must be numbered (Table 1, Table 2…).

• Include a descriptive title above the table.

• Notes and abbreviations must appear below the table.

• Avoid vertical lines; use minimal grid lines.

6.2 Figures

• Must be high resolution (300 DPI minimum).

• Number sequentially (Figure 1, Figure 2…).

• Provide captions below each figure.

• If using copyrighted images or game assets, provide permissions.

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7. Ethical and Legal Considerations

7.1 Human Subjects Research

• Required: institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee approval.

• Include approval number and institution name.

• Explain informed consent processes.

7.2 Use of AI Tools

Authors must disclose AI use in:

• Writing assistance

• Data generation

• Image or asset generation

AI cannot be listed as an author.

7.3 Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any conflicts, financial or non-financial.

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8. Submission Process

8.1 Manuscript Submission

• Submit via the journal’s official online submission system.

• Ensure all files are uploaded:

  • Manuscript

  • Tables and figures

  • Cover letter

  • Ethics statements

  • Supplementary files (optional)

8.2 Peer Review

Game Nexus uses a double-blind review process with two or three reviewers.

8.3 Revisions

Authors must submit:

• A tracked-changes version

• A clean version

• A response letter detailing revisions