Today designing health games is a promising way to improve health and wellness. These games use engaging gameplay mechanics to encourage positive health behaviors, educate their users, and support medical and psychological treatments. This review explores important design principles, supported by case studies and statistics, to guide developers in creating successful health games.
1. Understanding the Target Audience
An essential first step in designing health games is identifying and understanding the target audience. Key factors like age, cultural background, health literacy, and specific health conditions play a significant role in the game design process. For example, a game designed for teenagers managing diabetes would be very different from one made for older adults undergoing physical rehabilitation.
The development of “Game of My Life,” a visual novel designed to support adolescents’ life management skills, shows the importance of audience-specific design. It was developed with input from health professionals and the target demographic to ensure the game’s content was relevant and engaging. This collaborative approach resulted in a useful tool for professionals and patients in nursing and youth work to make discussions easier.
2. Integrating Health Behavior Theories
By using established health behavior theories in game design, we can increase the possibility of behavior change. Theories such as “the Health Belief Model”, “Social Cognitive Theory”, and “Self-Determination Theory” are examples of theories that help us understand how individuals take on healthy behaviors.
A comprehensive framework for developing theory-driven, evidence-based serious games focuses on the integration of health behavior theories to inform game mechanics and narratives. This approach ensures that games are not only engaging but also effective in promoting health behavior change.
3. Emphasizing User Engagement and Motivation
Health games need to keep players interested to work effectively. Using elements such as rewards, fun challenges, and stories that players can be part of can help keep them coming back and wanting to play more.
“Le Village aux Oiseaux,” a therapeutic game made for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, used familiar and calming environments to engage players. The game’s design considered the mental and physical limitations of its audience, resulting in a tool that stimulated attention networks and provided fun experiences for elderly players.
4. Collaborating with Health Professionals
Engaging healthcare professionals throughout the game development process ensures medical accuracy and relevance. Their expertise helps create content that is both informative and appropriate for the intended health outcome.
The development of “SilverPromenade,” a game designed for older adults, who are both physically weak and reside in long-term care facilities, involved collaboration with healthcare staff. This partnership ensured the game’s activities were suitable and beneficial for the mental and physical abilities of the target audience.
5. Conducting Rigorous Evaluation and Testing
Implementing thorough evaluation methods, including user feedback and medical studies, is key to assessing a game’s effectiveness in achieving health outcomes. Collecting and analyzing data on user engagement, habit change, and health progress provide valuable insights for game refinement.
Statistical Insight
A systematic content analysis of 1,743 health games released between 1983 and 2016 showed that approximately 79.12% were free to download, showing a widespread effort to make health interventions accessible. However, the study also highlighted we still need better ways to check if these games actually help improve people’s health.
6. Addressing Accessibility and Inclusivity
Health games should be easy for everyone to use and understand. This means making them work well for people with disabilities, different reading abilities, and various cultural backgrounds. Games should let players change how hard they are, choose their preferred language, and include content that feels familiar to different groups of people.
Designing Health Literate Mobile Apps
Guidelines for designing health-literate mobile applications emphasize the importance of clear communication, user-friendly interfaces, and cultural sensitivity. Applying these principles to game design can improve accessibility and user engagement across diverse populations.
7. Leveraging Technology and Innovation
Advancements in technology, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), offer new opportunities for creating engaging and personalized health gaming experiences.
The development of “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” shows the potential of research-informed collaborative design in creating games that tackle mental health. The team talked to mental health doctors and people who experience psychosis to create a game that helps players better understand and relate to mental health challenges. You can read more on mental health games in our previous article “Leveraging AI and Gaming to Advance Mental Health“.
8. Ensuring Ethical Considerations and Data Privacy
Game makers need to think about ethics, like getting players’ permission, keeping their data safe, and making sure the game won’t harm players mentally. Setting up clear rules and getting the right approvals helps protect players and keep their trust.
Ethical Frameworks in Game Design
Health games need clear rules to protect users while helping them. This means being open about what information is collected, explaining things clearly to users, and making sure the games don’t cause any harm or upset. The games should work well while respecting players’ choices and rights.
Conclusion
Designing effective health games needs a multidisciplinary approach that uses insights from game design, health behavior theories, user experience research, and technological innovation. By focusing on the target audience, working with health professionals, emphasizing user engagement, and sticking to ethical standards, developers can create games that not only entertain but also contribute to improved health outcomes.
Health Games FAQ
Why are health games becoming a popular approach in health and wellness?
They combine engaging gameplay with health behavior change strategies, making them a fun and effective way to promote wellness, educate users, and support medical and psychological treatments.
How do developers ensure that health games are suitable for their target audience?
Developers focus on understanding the target audience’s age, health literacy, cultural background, and specific needs. Collaborating with healthcare professionals and involving the target demographic during development ensures the game is relevant and effective.
Why is it important to use health behavior theories in game design?
Incorporating theories like the Health Belief Model or Self-Determination Theory helps ensure that games are grounded in evidence-based strategies, increasing their effectiveness in encouraging healthy behaviors and sustained engagement.
What role do healthcare professionals play in designing health games?
Healthcare professionals provide insights into medical accuracy and relevance. Their involvement ensures the games address specific health outcomes while remaining safe and beneficial for the target audience.
How can technology like VR, AR, and AI improve health games?
Emerging technologies enable more immersive, personalized, and engaging health experiences. For instance, VR can simulate real-world environments for physical therapy, while AI can tailor challenges based on a player’s progress.
What steps should developers take to ensure health games are ethical and protect users’ data?
Developers should prioritize transparency, obtain informed consent, and ensure robust data privacy measures. Ethical frameworks should guide the design to protect users from potential harm and ensure their trust.
How can developers make health games more inclusive and accessible?
Designers can include options for difficulty adjustment, multi-language support, and culturally sensitive content. Ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies and prioritizing clear, user-friendly interfaces further enhances accessibility.
Are there examples of health games that successfully address psychological health?
Yes, “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” is a great example. Its development involved mental health professionals and individuals with lived experience of psychosis, resulting in a game that raises awareness and fosters empathy for mental health challenges.
References:
ICEIS 2017, Northern Research Institute, Journal Modelling, Measurement and Control, Games for Health Journal, Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare
