Amir Bisadi, Mohammad H Mahrooz, Mehdi Heidari, Basir Majdoleslami, Reza Minaei, Soheil Mehdipour
{"title":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exergaming in Frozen Shoulder Rehabilitation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.","authors":"Amir Bisadi, Mohammad H Mahrooz, Mehdi Heidari, Basir Majdoleslami, Reza Minaei, Soheil Mehdipour","doi":"10.1177/2161783X261447613","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2161783X261447613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Objective:</i> Frozen shoulder is a common condition causing shoulder pain and stiffness, with conventional therapies often hindered by low adherence due to their repetitive and painful nature. This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) exergaming in frozen shoulder rehabilitation.<i>Materials and Methods:</i> Fifty-four patients with primary frozen shoulder were randomly assigned to a VR therapy (VRT) group or a conventional therapy (CT) group. Both groups underwent 18 sessions over 6 weeks, consisting of 20 minutes of continuous passive motion exercises followed by 20 minutes of either VR exergaming or conventional functional exercises. We chose Beat Saber for the VR intervention, a rhythm game in which players slice blocks in sync with music. Its \"level editor\" allowed us to customize block patterns to simulate therapeutic shoulder movements.<i>Results:</i> Primary outcomes included passive range of motion (PROM) in external rotation, abduction, and flexion. Secondary outcomes assessed shoulder function (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] questionnaire) and resting pain (visual analog scale [VAS]). Assessments were conducted at baseline, postintervention, and 12 weeks after the trial. Both groups showed significant improvements in PROM, DASH, and VAS scores compared with baseline (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Between-group analysis revealed no significant differences in DASH (<i>P</i> = 0.483) or VAS (<i>P</i> = 0.220). However, the VRT group achieved superior abduction (<i>P</i> = 0.015) and flexion (<i>P</i> = 0.031), with no significant difference in external rotation (<i>P</i> = 0.637).<i>Conclusion:</i> These findings suggest VR exergaming is a promising adjunct to CT for frozen shoulder. Further studies are needed to investigate the influence of VR game design on rehabilitation outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"2161783X261447613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joana Bernardo, Elaine Santana, Sílvia Silva, Eduardo Barroco de Melo, João Apóstolo, Marco Simões, Rosa Silva
{"title":"Digital Health for Aging in Place: A Co-Design Study.","authors":"Joana Bernardo, Elaine Santana, Sílvia Silva, Eduardo Barroco de Melo, João Apóstolo, Marco Simões, Rosa Silva","doi":"10.1177/2161783X261445292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2161783X261445292","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing aging population is driving the development of digital solutions to promote active and healthy aging. However, the adoption of these technologies depends on their alignment with users' needs and expectations. One way to enhance the adoption of these solutions-including those incorporating interactive elements such as games-is to foster the active participation of older adults and other stakeholders in their development. Thus, the objective of this study was to adapt, through a stakeholder-driven co-design process, an institutional digital health platform to community-based use by independently living older adults, with a focus on promoting active and healthy aging. A qualitative study was conducted based on three co-design moments involving individuals aged 55 and older, nurses, and policymakers. During the co-design moments, participants explored the digital resource and proposed improvements. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The co-design process explicitly addressed concepts of reuse and sustainability, focusing on how existing institutional digital resources could be adapted to meet the needs of older adults living independently. Participants emphasized accessibility, social interaction, and content individualization as key factors. The most frequently mentioned improvement suggestions included integrating physical activity features, individualized reminders, and a communication network. The adaptation of digital resources based on stakeholder suggestions reinforces the importance of active user involvement in developing solutions for health promotion and active aging. The study's main contribution lies in demonstrating how institutional resources can be transformed into community-based digital health tools addressing the gap between institutional digital health innovation and real-world community implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"2161783X261445292"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Serious Game NutriGame-Your Food Guide Promotes Communication of the NOVA Food Classification and Healthy Eating Habits Among Adolescents.","authors":"Bruna Caroline Chaves Garcia, Carina Sousa Santos, Marina Luiza Baêta Costa, Danilo Bretas de Oliveira, Elizabethe Adriana Esteves, Etel Rocha Vieira","doi":"10.1177/2161783X261441230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2161783X261441230","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effectiveness of a serious game, NutriGame-Your Food Guide, in communicating the NOVA food classification and healthy eating habits to adolescents. The study involved 65 adolescents of both sexes aged between 10 and 18 years. The intervention group (<i>n</i> = 38) played the NutriGame for 14 days. They completed a food-related questionnaire that addressed issues of self-perception, self-efficacy, knowledge, and food attitude at three time points: Before (Pre), 14 (Post), and 90 days after NutriGame use (Post-90). The control group received no intervention. Following the use of NutriGame, adolescents reported an increased understanding of healthy eating (Pre 7.05 ± 1.83 points; Post 7.94 ± 1.33 points, <i>P</i> = 0.031) and considered their diet healthier (Pre 6.50 ± 1.64 points; Post 7.16 ± 1.11 points, <i>P</i> = 0.015). As did self-efficacy, the healthy eating knowledge score increased after playing NutriGame (27.82 ± 1.65 to 29.05 ± 1.45, <i>P</i> = 0.0001). There was also an improvement in food attitude (Pre: 20.58 ± 3.19 points; Post: 22.53 ± 3.12 points, <i>P</i> = 0.0009). These modifications resulted in the maintenance of the results 90 days post-intervention. These results indicate that NutriGame-Your Food Guide effectively communicated the NOVA food classification and healthy eating habits to adolescents (Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials U1111-1258-0889).</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"2161783X261441230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Asif Ahmad, Élvio Rúbio Gouveia, Sergi Bermúdez I Badia
{"title":"Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Simulation Using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board for Assessing the Risk of Falls in Young and Older Adults.","authors":"Muhammad Asif Ahmad, Élvio Rúbio Gouveia, Sergi Bermúdez I Badia","doi":"10.1177/2161783X261445327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2161783X261445327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Falls severely affect older adults and are emerging as a global health and financial burden for public health care systems. Multiple studies have validated the use of virtual reality (VR) to prevent falls and reduce the risk of falls among older adults with cognitive deficits. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness of VR-based cable car simulation (CCS) using a Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) to assess balance and profile individuals based on fall risk and age, and validated using the Biodex Balance System. Center of pressure (COP) displacement and mean velocity (MV) metrics obtained from the WBB were used for balance assessment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 23 young participants (10 females; M = 29.9, SD = 5.0) were recruited from the Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação, and 25 older participants (19 females; M = 71.2, SD = 7.8) were recruited from a local senior gymnasium in Funchal, Portugal. All participants took part in a repeated-measures study design. Results indicated that young adults exhibited greater COP displacement than older adults in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant differences were found in COP displacement between the groups, confirming age-related variations in balance performance. However, no significant differences were observed in MV. Discriminant analysis models were employed using COP displacement and MV to classify participants by age and fall risk. The best classification performance was achieved for the CCS at 77%, with average turns at 80%, average speeds at 86%, and 83% for the combined features using stepwise regression.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The selected features included the COP displacement for speeds and turning angles in both AP and medial-lateral (M-L) directions, as well as the mean values of speeds and turns for both AP and M-L. The system can accurately differentiate balance patterns across age groups and risk categories, indicating a reliable and ecologically valid assessment method.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"2161783X261445327"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Games for Health JournalPub Date : 2026-04-08Epub Date: 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1177/2161783X251378630
Maxim I Kozlov, Erin L O'Connor
{"title":"Social Support Derived from Virtual and Analog Table-Top Role-Playing Games: The Supportive Role of Table-Top Gaming.","authors":"Maxim I Kozlov, Erin L O'Connor","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251378630","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251378630","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Gaming has been suggested as an effective way to exchange social support, a resource critical to global mental health and post-pandemic recovery. Virtual and analog (pen-and-paper) table-top role-playing game (TTRPG) popularity grew during and following the pandemic; yet, unlike their video-game counterparts research into TTRPGs remains limited. Parallel to online video-games, TTRPGs may be similarly positioned to foster and promote social support. Informed by analogous gaming research, this study explored how players give and receive social support within face-to-face and virtual TTRPGs through a stress buffering lens.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Using a cross-sectional survey methodology, based on the 2-way social support scale data from 186 participants was analyzed to determine if differences exist across social, demographic and gameplay variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants derived more meaningful social support through analog TTRPGs, although virtual TTRPG interfaces still afford meaningful social support, while benefiting from greater accessibility. Participants in the role of \"game masters\", who act as game facilitators and narrators, were shown to provide more social support than players, while greater levels of social support encouraged ongoing attendance. Additionally, players' consistent attendance and social familiarity enhanced given and received social support. Lastly, although similar social support was reported across genders, males were overrepresented in game-directing positions of power.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first known study to explore social support within TTRPGs. The findings have implications for the design of games to support communities, post-pandemic recovery, and therapeutic applications. Future research is encouraged.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"89-97"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145139083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Games for Health JournalPub Date : 2026-04-08Epub Date: 2025-09-23DOI: 10.1177/2161783X251378638
Hacer Ozel, Elif Gezginci Akpinar
{"title":"The Effect of Emergency Escape Room Simulation on Knowledge, Anxiety, and Satisfaction Levels of Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Hacer Ozel, Elif Gezginci Akpinar","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251378638","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251378638","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The aim of this study is to determine the effect of escape room simulation intervention on the knowledge, anxiety, and satisfaction levels of students in emergency nursing education.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This randomized controlled study was conducted with 40 students studying at the nursing faculty of a university in Istanbul. The students in the intervention group (<i>n</i> = 20) were given an escape room simulation intervention related to emergency nursing education. The students in the control group (<i>n</i> = 20) were not given any intervention other than the traditional education method. Data were collected using the Knowledge Test, State Anxiety Scale, and Visual Analog Scale for satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The knowledge level of the students in the intervention group measured immediately after the education (<i>P</i> = 0.003), 1 week after the education (<i>P</i> < 0.001), and 1 month after the education (<i>P</i> < 0.001) was found to be significantly higher than that of the control group. While no significant difference was found in anxiety levels before and after the education between the groups, a significant difference was found in anxiety levels before and after the training in the intervention group (<i>P</i> < 0.001). The satisfaction level measured immediately after the education was found to be significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (<i>P</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study show that escape room simulation increased emergency nursing knowledge and satisfaction and reduced anxiety levels of the students. It is recommended that escape room simulation intervention be used in more studies in nursing education. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.tr with the number NCT06619119.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"98-105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145132092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does Healthy Cooking Lead to Healthy Choices? Exploring the Impact of a Virtual Reality Cooking Game on Healthy Eating Decisions.","authors":"Yilin Yang, Mengying Liu, Minqi Lyu, Jianping Huang","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251378648","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251378648","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Cooking plays a crucial role in healthy eating, and food exposure during cooking significantly influences people's health and well-being. Given the challenges faced by novice cooks and the general lack of interest in cooking, this research proposes utilizing a highly engaging cooking game as an alternative to real-life cooking, allowing individuals to achieve the same health-boosting benefits as traditional cooking while enjoying the game. Additionally, this study will examine the moderating role of food type and cooking manner in this process.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two preregistered behavioral experiments (<i>N</i><sub>study1</sub> = 60, <i>N</i><sub>study2</sub> = 54) were conducted to examine how using different types of food (healthy vs. unhealthy) in a cooking game affects subsequent food choices, and how the cooking manner (neat vs. messy) moderates this effect.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Study 1 found that cooking healthy food led to healthier food choices after gaming. Study 2 revealed a significant moderating effect of cooking manner: When cooking healthy food, a neat cooking manner led individuals to subsequently choose fewer healthy foods, while a messy cooking manner led to an increase; conversely, when cooking unhealthy food, participants who cooked neatly chose more healthy food, while those who cooked messily chose less healthy food.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that an engaging cooking game could replace real-life cooking as a direct and effective strategy to promote healthy eating. The results also highlight the importance of context-specific strategies in designing and implementing health interventions to prevent unintended consequences arising from excessive cues.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"114-121"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigation of the Effect of Second-Generation Virtual Reality Interventions on Hot and Cold Executive Functions in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Study.","authors":"Emine Cansu Güler, Barkın Köse, Rahime Duygu Temeltürk, Kübra Dilara Aynigül, Serkan Pekçetin, Didem Behice Öztop","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251378645","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251378645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the second-generation virtual reality intervention (SG-VRI) on the hot and cold executive functions (EFs) of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Seventy children were included in the study and randomly divided into control (<i>n</i> = 35) and intervention (<i>n</i> = 35) groups. Stroop TBAG Form, Trail Making Test, and Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory were administered to the participants before SG-VRI. SG-VRI was applied to the intervention group as two sessions per week for 8 weeks. During this period, the control group did not receive any intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At the end of these 8 weeks, assessment tests were administered to both groups again. The final results showed that the SG-VRI was effective in improving hot and cold EF skills of children with ADHD (<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We believe that the use of virtual reality interventions may be effective in the cognitive rehabilitation processes of children with ADHD.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"106-113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145114726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Games for Health JournalPub Date : 2026-04-08Epub Date: 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1177/2161783X251393532
Yongjie Yue, Qiaolei Jiang, Dong Liu, Peixuan Cui, Junming Yi
{"title":"Playing to Connect: Development of a Gaming Motivation Scale and Exploration of Social Benefits Among the Blind and Visually Impaired.","authors":"Yongjie Yue, Qiaolei Jiang, Dong Liu, Peixuan Cui, Junming Yi","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251393532","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251393532","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Despite increasing research on blind and visually impaired (BVI) gamers, little is known about their motivations, gaming time, and the social benefits of online games. This study investigated gaming motivation and gaming time of BVI players, as well as their associations with well-being, using a popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) as an example. It also examined the relationships between different types of visual impairments, gaming motivation, time, and well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Based on a review of existing literature on the potential effects of online games on people with BVI, this study used a mixed-methods approach. Semi-structured interviews with 21 participants were conducted to gather in-depth qualitative insights. Questionnaires were administered to a total sample of 209 participants, both online and offline, to collect quantitative data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A motivation scale specific to BVI gamers in MMORPG was developed and validated. Six motivations were identified and verified: fun, relationship initiation, relationship maintenance, venting emotions, killing time, and achievement. Fun and killing time positively predicted well-being, whereas venting emotions and relationship maintenance negatively predicted well-being. Total gaming time was positively associated with self-esteem. Totally blind and those with acquired impairments tend to spend more time on gaming, highlighting interesting nuances in gaming behaviors within the BVI community.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides insight into the relationship between online gaming and well-being of BVI individuals. These findings underscore the importance of further research and the development of inclusive gaming environments that enhance the well-being of BVI players.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"122-131"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145641128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christoph Aigner, Kilian Köck, René Baranyi, Sylvia Winkler, Katharina Weindl, Carina Arnberger, Thomas Grechenig
{"title":"NutriMine: Evaluation of a Serious Game Modification for Minecraft Aimed at Educating and Promoting a Healthy Diet.","authors":"Christoph Aigner, Kilian Köck, René Baranyi, Sylvia Winkler, Katharina Weindl, Carina Arnberger, Thomas Grechenig","doi":"10.1177/2161783X251378527","DOIUrl":"10.1177/2161783X251378527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Overweight and obesity are growing concerns and significant risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, especially in industrialized nations, necessitating innovative intervention strategies. Serious games designed to provide education and effectively promote behavior change have emerged as a potential solution.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research assesses a serious game developed as a modification of the popular video game \"Minecraft\" called \"NutriMine.\" This modification was created based on identified requirements from a nutrition expert through a qualitative interview and a preliminary evaluation conducted in a pilot study with 11 users. Additionally, a playtest and evaluation with 20 participants from the target group, incorporating the user engagement scale (UES), system usability scale (SUS), and game experience questionnaire (GEQ), was conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results indicated a satisfactory level of engagement. Overall, findings also revealed positive feedback concerning the SUS (75% of participants scored above 70) and UES (75% of participants scored above 3), with most results positioned in the upper half for both scales. The evaluation using the GEQ yielded generally positive outcomes, with minor concerns related to \"competence,\" \"flow,\" and \"immersion\" due to the varying levels of Minecraft experience among participants. The combined results of the evaluation led to the formulation of requirements for a serious game modification in the area of nutrition.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results highlight the modification's potential for larger-scale use as an effective behavior change tool for individuals seeking to maintain a healthy diet.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"2161783X251378527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}