JMIR Serious Games
A multidisciplinary journal on gaming and gamification including simulation and immersive virtual reality for health education/promotion, teaching, medicine, rehabilitation, and social change
Editor-in-Chief: Nabil Zary, MD, PhD, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Science, Dubai, UAE
Impact Factor 3.36
Recent Articles


Gamification in smoking cessation apps has been found to improve cognitive outcomes associated with higher odds of quitting. Although some research has shown that gamification can also positively impact behavioral outcomes such as smoking cessation, studies have largely focused on physical activity and mental health. Only a few studies have explored the effects of gamification on smoking cessation outcomes, of which the majority have adopted qualitative methodologies and/or assessed engagement with apps using self-report.

As an integral part of computer-assisted surgery, virtual surgical planning (VSP) leads to significantly better surgery results, such as for oral and maxillofacial reconstruction with microvascular grafts of the fibula or iliac crest. It is performed on a 2D computer desktop screen (DS) based on preoperative medical imaging. However, in this environment, VSP is associated with shortcomings, such as a time-consuming planning process and the requirement of a learning process. Therefore, a virtual reality (VR)–based VSP application has great potential to reduce or even overcome these shortcomings due to the benefits of visuospatial vision, bimanual interaction, and full immersion. However, the efficacy of such a VR environment has not yet been investigated.

Automated virtual reality (VR) therapy has the potential to substantially increase access to evidence-based psychological treatments. The results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial showed that gameChange VR cognitive therapy reduces the agoraphobic avoidance of people diagnosed with psychosis, especially for those with severe avoidance.



We developed the Blexer system consisting of a database and a web interface for therapists that can host different types of adaptive and personally configurable virtual reality exergames based on Kinect (Microsoft Corp) motion capture to provide entertaining exercises for children with motor disabilities. It allows for parameter adjustment and the monitoring of results remotely, thereby providing a useful tool to complement traditional physical therapy sessions with home exercises.

Replacing sedentary behaviors during leisure time with active video gaming has been shown to be an enjoyable option for increasing physical activity. However, most off-the-shelf active video gaming controllers are not accessible or usable for individuals with mobility impairments. To address this requirement, a universal video game controller (called the GAIMplank) was designed and developed.

Mixed reality (MR) and its potential applications have gained increasing interest within the medical community over the recent years. The ability to integrate virtual objects into a real-world environment within a single video-see-through display is a topic that sparks imagination. Given these characteristics, MR could facilitate preoperative and preinterventional planning, provide intraoperative and intrainterventional guidance, and aid in education and training, thereby improving the skills and merits of surgeons and residents alike.


Exergames have attracted growing interest in the prevention and treatment of neurocognitive disorders. The most effective exergame and training components (ie, exercise and training variables such as frequency, intensity, duration, or volume of training and type and content of specific exergame scenarios) however remain to be established for older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders (mNCDs). Regarding the design and development of novel exergame-based training concepts, it seems of crucial importance to explicitly include the intended users’ perspective by adopting an interactive and participatory design that includes end users throughout different iterative cycles of development.
Preprints Open for Peer-Review
Open Peer Review Period:
-