Seriously fun: exploring how to combine promoting health awareness and engaging gameplay

ABSTRACT

Combining engaging gameplay and educational aspects promoting health awareness gives an interesting challenge to game designers. This case study explores adolescents' (aged 13--16) technology usage, gaming habits and gaming motivations, as well as the elements affecting the user experience in serious games. Findings emphasize the importance of social aspects in gaming in form of presence of friends while gaming, or in offline or online multiplayer gaming. According to the findings games should offer challenges matching the player's competence and enable improvement, advancement and developing skills. Modifying characters, exploring the game world and physical activity were also important. The causes and consequences of selections in game and their relation to real-life were wished to be shown clearly in games. Design implications for designing games that promote health awareness are presented.

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Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Education