Investigating the Interaction of Game Features and Spatial Skills with Performance and Perceived Difficulty in a Block-Based 3D Programming Puzzle Game

Block-based programming puzzle games are popular as engaging, visual tools for introducing novice learners to programming. Many incorporate 3D environments, where players navigate and solve spatial challenges. However, little research has examined how spatial reasoning skills interact with game features to shape player experience. This study investigates the interplay between game features, spatial ability, in-game performance, and perceived difficulty within BOTs: 3D programming game where players plan spatial movements to solve puzzles. In an online study with 60 players, we examined how feature changes affected performance and perceived difficulty. Spatial skills strongly predicted performance but did not predict perceived difficulty. Larger or more complex layouts increased performance costs, with backward-facing player characters producing the largest spike in performance demands. Loops reliably increased perceived difficulty. Our findings highlight concrete needs for early spatial scaffolds, clearer support for mental-model shifts, and better cues for recognizing repetition and abstraction.