The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the impact of game mechanics on developing collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills. CPS skills are important for the complex work environments of the 21st century, and games appear to provide potential learning experiences where such skills can develop. The research questions of this study tackled how collaborative problem solving skills developed and how game environments through game mechanics can contribute to such development. Following a qualitative approach, the interactions between dyads in a puzzle game was analyzed using the PISA Collaborative Problem Solving framework (2015). This research contributed to the knowledge needed to support a new generation of learning environments conducive to collaborative problem solving skills based on games. The study explored the impact of a puzzle game, Portal 2 co-op which is a collaborative game where players work together to solve puzzles, on collaborative problem solving skills in two dyads. The researcher used PISA as a framework to measure the collaborative problem solving skills of each individual in every level providing a quantitative score that represented the CPS skills. PISA was also used as the framework to guide the qualitative analysis of the interactions among players and between players and the game, including their spoken words, their interactions with the game elements and the use of the mechanics. To better capture the intended mechanics and other game elements in Portal 2, Jarvinen's framework for assessing game elements was used to identify those different elements including the goals of each level and sub-challenges within each level. The researcher found that while PISA can be used to guide the assessment of collaborative problem solving skills in interactive and fluid environments such as games, modifications were needed to have a more robust assessment. PISA does not capture some important aspects of collaborative problem solving, such as the quality of the manifested CPS traits, the impact of other participants' personality traits that may foster or hinder CPS such as allowing others space and time to experiment and make mistakes. PISA also does not capture non-verbal interactions which can provide important information about people's CPS behaviors. The researcher recommended that PISA be updated to add new categories to capture these important aspects of collaborative problem solving. The results also showed that Portal 2, as an example of collaborative games, seemed to foster collaborative problem-solving skills, in specific "execution and implementation" CPS skills rather than "planning and strategizing" skills. The game mechanics, such as coordinated portal placements and game maneuvering, encouraged players to coordinate their actions and work together. However, mechanics alone were not sufficient for encouraging collaborative problem solving; other game elements, such as goals and constraints, played a crucial role. Goals, in specific that led to combining multiple mechanics, seemed to be the ones driving CPS and not necessarily individual mechanics. The study highlighted the different strategies and techniques the game design used to encourage collaborative problem solving. Those strategies include but are not limited to allowing players to fail without any penalties, encouraging experimentation and taking risks, progressively introducing more complex puzzles in support of more complex goals, forcing players to play different roles and hence practice different set of skills, providing mechanisms to view and monitor game play of other players, and using complexity and vagueness to keep players engaged. The researcher also discussed how other factors such as gender and players' personalities might have impacted collaborative problem solving. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]