Mixed-initiative co-creative storytelling games have existed for some time as a way to merge storytelling with play. However, modern mixed-initiative co-creative storytelling games predominantly prioritize story creation over gameplay mechanics, which might not resonate with all players. As such, there is untapped potential for creating mixed-initiative games with more complex mechanics in which players can engage with both co-creation and gameplay goals. To explore the potential of more prominent gameplay in mixed-initiative co-creative storytelling games, we created Snake Story, a variation of the classic Snake game featuring a human-AI co-writing element. To explore how players interact with the mixed-initiative game, we conducted a qualitative playtest with 11 participants. Analysis of both think-aloud and interview data revealed that players' strategies and experiences were affected by their perception of Snake Story as either a collaborative tool, a traditional game, or a combination of both. Based on these findings, we present design considerations for future development in mixed-initiative co-creative gaming.

翻译：摘要：混合主动协同创意叙事游戏作为一种融合叙事与游戏的方式已存在一段时间。然而，现代混合主动协同创意叙事游戏主要优先考虑故事创作而非游戏机制，这可能无法吸引所有玩家。因此，在创建具有更复杂机制的混合主动游戏方面存在尚未开发的潜力，使玩家能够同时参与协同创作和游戏目标。为探索混合主动协同创意叙事游戏中更突出游戏性的潜力，我们创作了《蛇的故事》，这是经典贪吃蛇游戏的一个变体，融入了人机协同写作元素。为研究玩家如何与混合主动游戏互动，我们进行了包含11名参与者的定性游戏测试。对出声思考和访谈数据的分析显示，玩家策略与体验受到其对《蛇的故事》认知的影响——他们将其视为协作工具、传统游戏或两者的结合。基于这些发现，我们为混合主动协同创意游戏的未来发展提出了设计考量。