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Providing guidance to learners navigating a game-based learning environment requires walking a fine line between encouraging progression toward learning goals without disrupting playful engagement in the game. In this paper, we present a scaffolding guidebook developed for tutors to provide guidance in game-based learning environments that encourages exploration of the problem space and solving puzzles without disrupting engagement. Scaffolding strategies were coded and categorized from Baba is You gameplay recordings of 13 middle school and 12 undergraduate students and then situated based on guiding principles from relevant literature into a scaffolding guide. Here, we describe this guidebook and its development, which could provide educators with important tools that can help their students progress through game-based learning environments without interfering with engagement.

Video games are failure-rich spaces that provide a unique lensinto how individuals react to failure in challengingenvironments. In this study, we utilize Cuphead, a notoriouslychallenging video game to demonstrate a unique behaviorallydriven approach to understanding how an individual reacts tofailure. Using measures of mastery orientation and data-drivenretrospective interviews, we show that individuals who exhibitmore mastery-oriented behaviors and more mastery-orientedbehaviors before a helpless-behavior are more likely to show ahigher game mastery orientation score, and that individuals thatabandon a level before completion are more likely to show alower game mastery orientation score. This introduces videogames as a fruitful environment for understanding masteryorientation, a behaviorally driven approach to understandinghow individuals react to failure, and provides a glimpse intohow individuals react to failure in a challenging video game.