Serious Gaming for Behaviour Change: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Over the years, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of game-based interventions for behaviour change associated with many fields such as health, education, and psychology. This is due to the significance of the players’ intrinsic motivation that is naturally generated to play games and the substantial impact they can have on players. Many review papers measure the effectiveness of the use of gaming on changing behaviours; however, these studies neglect the game features involved in the game design process, which have an impact of stimulating behaviour change. Therefore, this paper aimed to identify game design mechanics and features that are reported to commonly influence behaviour change during and/or after the interventions. This paper identified key theories of behaviour change that inform the game design process, providing insights that can be adopted by game designers for informing considerations on the use of game features for moderating behaviour in their own games.

Using serious mobile games to improve health literacy in rural Sub-Saharan Africa: A literature review

“…Behavior change games are serious games designed to promote attitude and behavior change (40). They have the same purpose and characteristics as what is commonly known as persuasive games (3). They fall under the umbrella of persuasive technologies, which are interactive digital tools intended to alter attitudes or behaviors by making desired outcomes simpler to attain (3).…”

“…Many experts believe that digital technologies can deliver positive and better healthcare to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (2). The ubiquitous nature of mobile technology and handheld devices, along with the growing popularity of games among people of all ages and ethnicities (3,4), has made the implementation and delivery of serious mobile games a widespread practice. Due to the motivating pull that these games provide, they are becoming the ideal medium for delivering persuasive content designed to inspire behavior change.…”

“…Due to the motivating pull that these games provide, they are becoming the ideal medium for delivering persuasive content designed to inspire behavior change. Serious games can motivate behavior change subtly while the player is having fun (3). RightWay Café for instance is an example of games intended to promote a nutritious and healthy diet.…”

Games in Times of a Pandemic: Structured Overview of COVID-19 Serious Games

“…They can increase people's understanding of complex situations and equip them with the knowledge and skills that are required in real life [24], especially when immersive simulations of threatening new or unusual situations are used in a safe environment that players can explore to prepare for the possible consequences of a real disaster [29]. Although multiple theories on the motivational effects of game and play (starting in 1938 with Homo Ludens by Huzinga [30,31]) have been developed, it is very difficult to specify the exact game elements that cause games' transfer effects [32,33]. Some theorists have stated that games are ideal candidates for optimally responding to universal motivational needs (cf the relationship between games and self-determination theory [34]), whereas other theorists [35] have claimed that games provide a safe space to explore and play along the dimensions of rule-based games (ludus) and spontaneous play (paidia).…”

Prototyping Process and Usability Testing of a Serious Game for Brazilian Children With Type 1 Diabetes

“…Therefore, interactive technologies such as serious games have shown better results than just giving out information 6,7 . Serious games can assist youths with T1D to improve self-care, 8 solve problems, adopt healthy behaviors, and practice skills needed for proper T1D management 9–11 …”