ISSN: 2034-8800
Submit Article
Submission Instructions
Open Access Information
Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Most Recent Issue
2022
Issue 1
2018
Issue 17Issue 16
2017
Issue 15Issue 14Issue 13Issue 12
2016
Issue 11Issue 10Issue 9Issue 8
2015
Issue 7Issue 6Issue 5
2014
Issue 4Issue 3Issue 2Issue 1

EAI Endorsed Transactions on Serious Games is an open access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on serious games applications, serious games technology, serious games analytics, user experience design and more. The journal publishes research articles, review articles, commentaries, editorials, technical articles, and short communications with a biannual frequency. Authors are not charged for article submission and processing.

Editor(s)-in-Chief: Thomas Westin and Peter Mozelius

Games are structured contexts where players have clear objectives, with victory as the end goal. In a game, players must solve problems, overcome challenges and face opponents (real or game characters) but always respecting a clearly-defined set of rules. Failure to follow these rules implies a punishment or penalty. Games can involve one player acting alone, two or more players acting cooperatively, or players or teams of players competing between themselves.

Computer games are played through a computer, on a standalone or networked form. Games are highly interactive products that keep the player in a state of focused motivation, or “flow” as defined by Csikszentmihalyi. The player is always on the edge of his/her abilities, with the permanent feeling that he/she is about to reach the goal, about to go to the next level.

This motivates the player to try, to give his/her best and to evolve. Serious Games are not designed for the sole purpose of entertainment but rather with training, educational, marketing or awareness raising objectives. These games are designed with the main goal of creating a skill development context for the player while retaining the same focused motivation context of “fun” games.

The player must perform tasks, analyze processes and draw conclusions in order to increase his/her productivity and knowledge in the framework of the game positive and negative feedback, sometimes representing risks or a series of events that, in real life, would be negative or even fatal. This type of games is used in numerous areas like engineering, health, education, defense, military, emergency management, and scientific exploration, among many others.

Topics to be addressed by the journal include but are not limited to:

  • Serious games applications
    • Games for marketing and advergames
    • Games for training and skill development
    • Games for research
    • Games for social awareness
    • Games for business, banking and finance
    • Games for community engagement
    • Games for healthcare and wellness
    • Games for human resource training and development
    • Games for patient rehabilitation and physiotherapy
    • Games for senior citizens
  • Serious games technology
    • Virtual and augmented reality
    • New interaction devices, toys and playthings
    • Simulations
    • 3D rendering technologies
    • Games development for mobile devices
    • Game engines and development tools
    • Location-based games
    • Artificial intelligence
  • Serious games analytics
  • Assessment and evaluation of serious games
  • Serious game design and storyboarding
  • User experience design
  • Serious gamer psychology
  • Serious game gender and age issues
  • Social and collaborative serious games
  • and confidentiality in serious games
  • Case studies in serious games
  • Classification, categorization of types of serious games
  • Serious game research
  • Andreea Molnar (Portsmouth University)
  • Andrew Smith (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR))
  • Antoni Jaume-i-Capó (Universitat de les Illes Balears)
  • Ben Challis (Manchester Metropolitan University)
  • Antonio Coehlo (University of Porto)
  • Cristina Sylla (University of Minho)
  • Edna Pasher (Edna Pasher PhD & Associates)
  • Hariklia Tsalapatas (University of Thessaly)
  • Fotis Liarokapis (Masaryk University)
  • Ivan Martinez-Ortiz (Compultense University Madrid)
  • Janet C Read (University of Central Lancashire)
  • Joze Rugeli (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)
  • Luis Miguel Girao (Artshare, Planetary Collegium, CESEM-FSCH-UNL)
  • Manuel Ninaus (Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien - IWM)
  • Martin Sillaots (Tallinn University)
  • Natalia Padilla-Zea (Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)
  • Nick Kearney (Andamio Education and Technology S.L., Spain)
  • Olga Timocenko (Aalborg University)
  • Olivier Heidmann (University of Thessaly)
  • Paula Escudeiro (Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal)
  • Pedro Latorre (University of Zaragoza)
  • Rosa Reis (Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal)
  • Miralem Helmefalk (Linnaeus University, Sweden)
  • Rui Prada (Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon)
  • Silvia Gabrielli (CREATE-NET, Italy)
  • Silvia Margarita Baldiris Navarro (Silvia Margarita Baldiris Navarro)
  • Theo Lim (Heriot-Watt University)

Thomas Westin1

Thomas is a lecturer at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden. His research concerns inclusive designs of games, which he has contributed to for almost two decades. Thomas teaches inclusive game design and user experience evaluation in games. His first 3D game received the “Innovation in Audio Award” at the Independent Games Festival, USA in 2003. He started the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG, is vice-chair of IFIP Entertainment Computing: TC 14.9 Game Accessibility and has contributed to Game Accessibility Guidelines.

Peter Mozelius2

Employment: 1999 - 2001 Teacher in Software Engineering Royal Institute of Technology / KTH Stockholm 2002 - 2017 IT-pedagogue and reseacher - Stockholm University, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences 2017 - 2019 PostDoc - Mid Sweden University, Department of Computer and System Sciences 2019 - Senior Lecturer - Mid Sweden University, Department of Computer and System Sciences Research fields: Blended learning Game-based learning Programming education ICT4D - Information and Communication Technologies for Development


1: Stockholm University
2: Mid Sweden University

  • Serious games design knowledge - Experiences from a decade (+) of serious games development

    Appears in:
    sg 21(1): e4

    Authors:
    P. Backlund, H. Engström

    Published:
    27th May 2021

    Abstract:
    INTRODUCTION: Serious games is an effort to combine the engagement and motivation from games with some sort of utility beyond mere entertainment. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this paper is to revisit and analyse six projects to explore the design space for serious games and derive design guidelines for serious games. METHODS: We analysed our project portfolio to identify a set of projects which satisfied well-established guidelines for design science research. By analysing these projects as well as their outcomes we generated a set of design principles for serious games. RESULTS: The results from this study is a conceptualisation of the design space for serious games and seven design principles. CONCLUSION: By explicating the game design component in serious games and relating it to the utility dimension we add to the understanding of the serious games from a game perspective, which is relevant to any development effort intending to use the persuasive and motivational power of games.

  • Hedonic recycling: Using gamification and sensory stimuli to enhance the recycling experience

    Appears in:
    sg 20(1): e3

    Authors:
    Joacim Rosenlund, Miralem Helmefalk

    Published:
    7th May 2020

    Abstract:
    INTRODUCTION: Recycling is not commonly perceived as hedonic, fun or experiential. While previous studies have emphasised the importance of functional attributes and solutions for improving waste recycling in bins, the potential for recycling as an experience has not been explored thoroughly. OBJECTIVES: This study employs the perspective of gamification, environmental psychology and sensory marketing to provide new perspectives on hedonic recycling. METHODS: A focus group design was used to explore how experiential cues may influence cognition, emotion and behaviour when recycling waste in bins. Four focus group discussions were employed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Findings show that while utilitarian attributes were most critical for participants, there are solutions that can be experientially modified to not disturb the waste separation process. These modifications include digital feedback and information of one’s impact on the environment. Other sensory and gamified modifications were discussed with their potential effects on emotion and behaviour in mind. CONCLUSION: A new conceptual framework was developed, which combined mechanics from gamification and sensory cues as experiential cues. This framework was used to explore various different responses. The model indicates potential relationships between recycling and experiential cues that can be empirically investigated.

  • Exploring design guidelines for fostering citizen engagement through information sharing: Local playgrounds in The Hague

    Appears in:
    sg 20(1): e2

    Authors:
    Geertje Slingerland, Frances Brazier, Tina Comes, Stephan Lukosch

    Published:
    10th Jan 2020

    Abstract:
    Citizens’ engagement in their neighbourhood community is pivotal for cities to effectively deal with future transitions. Knowing what is going on and having access to the neighbourhood network are important conditions for this. Although prior research has studied ways to foster information sharing between citizens, the underlying assumptions and design choices are often not made explicit. This research identifies design guidelines for playgrounds: physical and virtual spaces where citizens can exchange information about their neighbourhood. A focus group, a workshop and a case study of an existing playground design were performed in The Hague, NL, the context of this research. A set of eight guidelines was identified, covering how to select playground locations, which information to include, and how to design the interaction between citizens. These guidelines inform designers how to create urban playgrounds for citizens to meet, interact, and collaborate to create engaged communities.

  • Usability of serious games for the training of people with dementia

    Appears in:
    sg 19(1): e1

    Authors:
    C.S. Dietlein, O.L. Bock

    Published:
    3rd Sep 2019

    Abstract:
    Dementia is a progressive syndrome affecting executive and motor functions. Serious gaming (SG) is an emerging treatment. However, its added benefit is difficult to establish since standardized usability evaluations are missing. We apply a recently developed observer-rated scale to determine the usability of two SG scenarios for people with dementia (PwD). Raters watched video recordings of a SG (MobiAssist) played by PwD and a virtual city through which healthy older adults walked. Raters completed the scale for both data sets and gave a prospective rating of VR city used by PwD. Usability was highest for MobiAssist, intermediate for VR city by healthy older persons, and lowest for the prospective rating of VR city used by PwD. The difference between the highest and the lowest data set was statistically significant with moderate magnitude but seems not substantial enough to exclude PwD from cognitively demanding training environments (e.g. VR city).

  • Toward reusable game technologies: assessing the usability of the RAGE component-based architecture framework

    Appears in:
    sg 19(17): e4

    Authors:
    Wim Westera, Kiavash Bahreini, Enkhbold Nyamsuren, Wim van der Vegt

    Published:
    11th Jul 2019

    Abstract:
    This paper investigates the usability of the RAGE component-based software architecture (RCSA). This architecture was designed to support serious game development by enabling cross-platform reuse of game software components. While the architecture has been technically validated elsewhere, this paper studies the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the architecture in practice. An extensive questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was administered to 23 software and game developers that have been creating RCSA-compliant game components or integrating these in actual serious games. The results show that developers are generally positive about the usability of the architecture and that the architecture helps them to do a better job in less time. It turns out that developers effectively use all communication modes that are offered by the architecture, most frequently those based on the component´s APIs and the bridge pattern. Some issues were reported, but could be easily addressed. Most developers reported that they have well understood the effectiveness of the architecture and indicated to keep using the architecture in future projects. The outcomes of this study show that the architecture opens up new opportunities to the cross-platform reuse of advanced game functionalities in serious game projects, to reduce production efforts and to advance the domain of serious games at large.

  • Recommendations on the Design of Serious Games for People with Dementia

    Appears in:
    sg 19(17): e5

    Authors:
    B.N. Otmar Leo Bock, Corinna Simone Dietlein

    Published:
    11th Jul 2019

    Abstract:
    Dementia is a progressive syndrome affecting cognition, motor abilities and behavior. Serious games are an emerging treatment alternative but benefits have not been found for people with dementia yet. One reason may be that serious games were not well adapted. The purpose of this article is to give informed recommendations on the design and implementation of serious games for people with dementia that future studies can apply and thus may find significant effects. The methodology applied was deriving information from existing literature in combination with experience from personal work in the field. Main findings are: implementation of well-contrasting icons; first-person game perspective; gesture control; personalized game content; combination of only one cognitive and one motor skill; implementation as supervised group activity. In conclusion, the recommendations are a novelty and represent a profound guidance in the design and implementation of serious games for people with dementia.

  • Arithmetic Bird: a game for training mathematical operations

    Appears in:
    sg 19(17): e3

    Authors:
    Frutuoso G. M. Silva, André F. C. Aparício

    Published:
    11th Jul 2019

    Abstract:
    We present a game for training main mathematical operations for elementary school students, mainly for the third and fourth-grade. The learning mechanisms used in the game were included in the game mechanics. The target audience evaluated the game and the results were positive, both in the gameplay and in the learning. Three groups were used to evaluate the learning: one control group that did not play the game, another group that played it in the school and the third group that played at home. The last two groups were used to compare the use of the game in scholar and in the home contexts. The first group was used to compare to the groups that played the game. The results showed that the use of the game has a positive effect on the improvement of the mental calculus rapidness of the players. The statistical analysis of the data showed a significant reduction of the time from pre- to post-test and Cohen’s d value was used to evaluate the magnitude of the effect for each group analysed. Besides, we also observed that playing the game at school or at home has similar results. Therefore, the game can be an effective educational tool for students and teachers.

  • Games in Learning: Shedding Light on a Problematic Taxonomy

    Appears in:
    sg 19(17): e2

    Authors:
    R. J. Duff, T. R. Beatman

    Published:
    4th Jan 2019

    Abstract:
    The use of games as tools for learning has been a paradigm of great interest for over fifty years. Several terms have emerged to describe disciplines that study and apply this paradigm. Many of these terms may be synonymous or have overlapping uses or have multiple definitions within different disciplines. The literature was surveyed for the definitions terms relating to this paradigm. Their working definitions and relationships are discussed. Through both a survey of the literature and a novel variant of sorting activity, the Item Definition Semantic Sort (IDSS). It is shown that individual item definitions do not semantically cluster together by corresponding term. This indicates both a lack of consensus on terms’ definitions, and of clarity between terms. The umbrella term Games in Learning (GiL) is coined to integrate the disciplines and products within this design paradigm. Games in Learning is defined, “Research and work involving the use of games, in whole or in part, as tools to improve motivation, engagement, and/or understanding in learning”. The rationale for the term is elaborated, and the major functional divisions found within.

  • Analysing cross-cultural design in advergames: a comparison between the UK and Brazil

    Appears in:
    sg 19(17): e1

    Authors:
    Ashok Ranchhod, Vanissa Wanick, Gary Wills, Rima Dunn

    Published:
    4th Jan 2019

    Abstract:
    This paper presents the findings from a study of advergame design elements paying particular attention to cross-cultural consumer attitudes towards advergames and sponsored brands. From a thorough literature review, an integrated framework for advergames across cultures (CAKE) has been designed, composed of game design elements, brand perspectives and cultural characteristics. Utilising the CAKE framework, 40 mobile advergames from Brazil and the UK were studied through a content analysis, followed by an interview of 22 game players from both countries. Our findings illustrate a cultural difference in the attitudes towards advergames and preferences regarding familiar and popular elements inside the advergame. It is felt that the CAKE framework may prove itself suitable for the development of cross-cultural design in advergaming and future research in the area. Implications for advertisers, designers and developers are discussed.

  • Designing Tourism Websites for Children: Guidelines and Experimental Results

    Appears in:
    sg 18(16): e1

    Authors:
    Antonina Dattolo, Eleonora De Riu, Flaminia L. Luccio, Chiara De March

    Published:
    13rd Sep 2018

    Abstract:
    The children use digital devices and begin to navigate on the Web when they are 10.3 years old (on average); furthermore, in each family, their preferences and needs are relevant in the choice of tourism destinations. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of studies on children travel and of websites, specifically designed for them, based on their own perspectives. In this work, we discuss the importance of conceiving and creating usable and accessible websites for children, and propose guidelines relative to the design, the structure, the navigation, the gamification and the language. We applied these guidelines two case studies: the first one is a dedicated section of the tourism website of a Naturalistic Oasis located close to Treviso, in Italy, the second one is a website for tourism activities dedicated to families that want to visit the city of Venice, Italy. In both cases, we present experimental results.

  • e-Commerce in Africa: The Case of Nigeria

    Appears in:
    sg 18(15): e3

    Authors:
    O. K. Boyinbode, E. O. Ibam, M. O. Afolabi

    Downloads:
    4766

    Abstract:
    Africa holds 15 % of world’s population with an across sector infrastructure investments average returns of 15 to 20%. The diverse location of people living within the continent makes intercity, interstate, or inter-country transactions difficult and where it does happens, comes with huge transaction cost. This creates a wide gap in Africa’s regional economy, resulting in wide spread of poverty, intra and inter regional conflicts within the continent. E-commerce provides a viable platform for bridging the gap in African economies. However, its adaptability and sustainability becomes a major concern. The level of development of e-commerce and its impact on the economy are analysed. Results show that e-commerce has made positive impact on the African economies but lack of trust on transactions within and from the continent is major challenge. Therefore, investment in e-commerce infrastructure in Africa (with more emphasis on Nigeria) will lead to rapid economic development within the continent.

  • Motion sensor technologies in education

    Appears in:
    sg 14(2): e6

    Authors:
    T. Bratitsis, M. Kandroudi

    Downloads:
    3979

    Abstract:
    This paper attempts to raise a discussion regarding motion sensor technologies, mainly seen as peripherals of contemporary video game consoles, by examining their exploitation within educational context. An overview of the existing literature is presented, while attempting to categorize the educational approaches which involve motion sensor technologies, in two parts. The first one concerns the education of people with special needs. The utilization of motion sensor technologies, incorporated by game consoles, in the education of such people is examined. The second one refers to various educational approaches in regular education, under which not so many research approaches, but many teaching ideas can be found. The aim of the paper is to serve as a reference point for every individual/group, willing to explore the Sensor-Based Games Based Learning (SBGBL) research area, by providing a complete and structured literature review.

  • Game engines: a survey

    Appears in:
    sg 15(6): e8

    Authors:
    A. Andrade

    Downloads:
    3967

    Abstract:
    Due to hardware limitations at the origin of the video game industry, each new game was generally coded from the ground up. Years later, from the evolution of hardware and the need for quick game development cycles, spawned the concept of game engine. A game engine is a reusable software layer allowing the separation of common game concepts from the game assets (levels, graphics, etc.). This paper surveys fourteen different game engines relevant today, ranging from the industry-level to the newcomer-friendlier ones.

  • A Virtual Holographic Display Case for Museum Installations

    Appears in:
    sg 15(7): e3

    Authors:
    Valerio Rossi, Fabio Solari, Matteo Garibotti, Manuela Chessa, Antonio Novellino

    Downloads:
    2773

    Abstract:
    Today, it is important in society to make artworks accessible to mass audiences and to widen participation in culture. In such a context, virtual reality is one of the areas of greatest interest: new devices and new techniques are affordable for many users, and virtual and real worlds are often mixed together. In this paper, we propose a "virtual holographic" display, i.e. a stereoscopic virtual reality system that is able to replicate the behavior of a real showcase for exhibitions. It works in a completely virtual manner and it can yield to a new generation of entertainment "holographic" installations. We evaluate such a system through an experimental session with 20 users. In particular, we compare the proposed system, based on a stereoscopic technique (TD3D), with respect to a standard motion parallax technique in terms of the users' perceptual experience.

  • Serious games in education

    Appears in:
    sg 15(6): e7

    Authors:
    J. C. Read

    Downloads:
    2320

    Abstract:
    This paper describes some of the tensions around serious games in education by considering how serious games might be designed for learners who may not be especially motivated to play them. Beginning with a narrative that sets out where serious games position within educational settings, with a focus on high school and college, the paper describes two elements that are considered essential for serious games for this demographic – fun and cool.

  • Designing Tourism Websites for Children: Guidelines and Experimental Results

    Appears in:
    sg 18(16): e1

    Authors:
    Antonina Dattolo, Eleonora De Riu, Flaminia L. Luccio, Chiara De March

    Downloads:
    2224

    Abstract:
    The children use digital devices and begin to navigate on the Web when they are 10.3 years old (on average); furthermore, in each family, their preferences and needs are relevant in the choice of tourism destinations. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of studies on children travel and of websites, specifically designed for them, based on their own perspectives. In this work, we discuss the importance of conceiving and creating usable and accessible websites for children, and propose guidelines relative to the design, the structure, the navigation, the gamification and the language. We applied these guidelines two case studies: the first one is a dedicated section of the tourism website of a Naturalistic Oasis located close to Treviso, in Italy, the second one is a website for tourism activities dedicated to families that want to visit the city of Venice, Italy. In both cases, we present experimental results.

  • Adapting the Complexity Level of a Serious Game to the Proficiency of Players

    Appears in:
    sg 14(2): e5

    Authors:
    Erik D. van der Spek, Jeroen Linssen, Herre van Oostendorp

    Downloads:
    2215

    Abstract:
    As games are continuously assessing the player, this assessment can be used to adapt the complexity of a game to the proficiency of the player in real time. We performed an experiment to examine the role of dynamic adaptation. In one condition, participants played a version of our serious game for triage training that automatically adapted the complexity level of the presented cases to how well the participant scored previously. Participants in the control condition played a version of the game with no adaptation. The adapted version was significantly more efficient and resulted in higher learning gains per instructional case, but did not lead to a difference in engagement. Adapting games to the proficiency of the player could make serious games more efficient learning tools.

  • A Gamification Model to Encourage Positive Healthcare Behaviours in Young People with Long Term Conditions

    Appears in:
    sg 14(2): e3

    Authors:
    Janet E. McDonagh, Andrew S. Wilson

    Downloads:
    2193

    Abstract:
    Young people living with long term conditions will eventually have to transfer their care to the adult setting. Failure to plan and coordinate this has been associated with poorer health outcomes and disruption to their care. Transition planning encourages both health literacy and health promoting behaviours in an age and developmentally appropriate way. In order to gauge the attainment of these skills the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Adolescent Rheumatology Team (UK) have developed a series of transitional care checklists. This paper focuses on discussing how the application of gamification (using game mechanics in non-game contexts) to these checklists could improve the engagement of young people in managing their self-care and provide a mechanism for doctors to quantifying the acquisition of these skills.

  • The Impact of Visual Style on User Experience in Games

    Appears in:
    sg 18(15): e2

    Authors:
    H. Dib, N. Adamo-Villani, S. Garver

    Downloads:
    2027

    Abstract:
    The visual style in a game is an aspect of user experience that is often neglected in user experience studies. Visual style is reflective of the tone that a game designer intends to convey or the assumption of what the intended audience would prefer, and it is an important aspect of how a player experiences a game. This paper reports a study that investigated the effect of two elements of visual style, e.g. form and color, on user’s moment and memory-based experiences (engagement and enjoyment). While the impact of color and form on experience is inconclusive, visual preference by a player does appear to be indicative of whether or not the player will be engaged and enjoy an experience. In order to control the experience, the game being used for this study was created by one of the authors.

  • Ant Intelligent Robot: A Versatile and Low Cost Miniature Mobile Robot Platform for Swarm Robotics Research and Education

    Appears in:
    sg 16(9): e3

    Authors:
    Adina Florea, Dan Novischi

    Downloads:
    1960

    Abstract:
    In this paper we present the Ant Intelligent Robot (AIR), a miniature mobile platform designed for swarm robotic research and education. The proposed system has a modular and distributed architecture that provides the necessary versatility, robustness and user accessibility to enable the study of a broad range of applications, while achieving a low cost. We also present a comparison between AIR and other platforms that were recently used in collective experiments.
Publisher
EAI
ISSN
2034-8800
Number of Volumes
6
Last Published
2022-08-24
EAI Logo

About EAI

Community

Publish with EAI