Games are structured contexts where players have clear objectives, with victory as end goal. In a game, players must 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 are structured contexts where players have clear objectives, with victory as end goal. In a game, players must 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. Games can offer an incredibly immersive and engaging environment where users ‘learn by doing’ and from their own mistakes in a controlled environment that is able also to improve teamwork, social skills, leadership and collaboration. Serious Games focus on the design, development, use and application of games for purposes other than entertainment. Education and training represent the main areas of application of Serious Games but they have been used, with success, for health, research, emergency planning, advertisement and military purposes. The most striking effect in the use of Serious Games is an increased motivation and engagement. As such, Serious Games require specific design, recreating real scenarios through interactive and/or immersive environments.