Games for Good
Contents
Definitions and Scope
While games usually serve the conventional purposes of providing light-hearted experiences and fun for the masses, they can also serve other purposes such as bringing awareness to social issues and encouraging lifestyle changes. The concept of "gamification" - which involves adding game mechanics into non-game environments - has gained traction in recent years. This use of game mechanics and experience design, especially in the digital environment, engages and motivates people to achieve their goals. In fact, research has shown that the motivational affordances through gamification encourage positive psychological and behavioural outcomes (Hamari et al., 2014).
Target Population: [name of target group]
Client Segments
Size of Target Population
Desired impact for target group
Needs of [insert client type]
Need for others to recognise the value of games for well-being or social change
Existing Resources
- AlterCulture offers workshops and webinars about how gameful experiences can lead to positive change in an organization.
Gaps and Their Causes
- Games for entertainment receive more coverage from media outlets and social media than games for good (e-sports coverage).
Possible Solutions
- Push the boundaries of quality (fun, mechanics, storytelling) to appeal to a wider market.
Need for well-designed games that achieve health or well-being
Existing Resources
- NTU students from School of Art, Design and Media designed games for senior inpatients with dementia at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital--involving dough with scents such as mango, cinnamon and rose for the patients to identify and associate with events in their past(ST 10 Oct 2017)
- Games for Dementia patients developed by Alexandra Health to slow down mental decline (ST 10 Oct 2017).
- LumiHealth, a two-year initiative to encourage a healthy lifestyle, was launched by Apple and Singapore’s Health Promotion Board.
Gaps and Their Causes
- Lack of empathy and stigma around mental health.
Possible Solutions
- Games provide unique and impactful experiences that could promote empathy and understanding for mental wellness issues through fun, engaging mechanics and effective storytelling.
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Need for
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Resource Directory
Alterculture Studios
https://www.alterculture-studios.com/
Singapore Games Association
Serious Games Association (Singapore))
Living Theories
Organisations and Associations (overseas)
https://www.gamesforchange.org/
International Games Week (Nov)
https://games.ala.org/international-games-week/
Examples of Games
LumiHealth
LumiHealth is an initiative born from a collaboration between Apple and Singapore’s Health Promotion Board - specifically, it is a personalized program that encourages healthy activity and behaviors using the Apple Watch. The privacy-safe health programs seamlessly connects research and care, accelerating the discovery and dissemination of evidence-supported practices that improve health outcome. The program is part of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, which leverages technology to transform Singapore into a digital innovation-driven economy.
To participate in the program, users must have an Apple Watch and download the LumiHealth app from the App Store. Users can earn rewards worth up to SGD 380, such as vouchers, during the duration of the program. They will be guided through personalized tasks in the app, such as walking, swimming, and yoga, tailored based on age, gender, and weight. It will also remind users to attend health screenings and immunizations.
The application has attained a relatively huge reach - with over 100,000 uploads within 1.5 years. Drawing from user experience and game design theories, LumiHealth is especially effective in Singapore's context due to the gamification of healthy living, which allows users to obtain vouchers to spend on products and services, as well as the anthropomorphism in the form of "Lu" - the main character in the game. Furthermore, it provides a local taste for Singaporeans as the route that they have to go through in the application by completing health challenges involve hidden gems and design that are related to Singapore.