JMIR Serious Games

Regular physical activity is critical for healthy aging, yet older adults face persistent barriers to exercise adherence. Exergames, such as video games that require physical movement, have emerged as a promising tool to engage older adults in regular exercise. However, most existing research focuses on physical and cognitive outcomes, with limited understanding of whether exergames are associated with behavioral changes, including sustained exercise habits, healthier lifestyles, and a sense of health ownership, which underpin older adults’ environmental mastery and self-management of their health.

Ankle mobility and control contribute to balance and everyday movement throughout adulthood, yet are usually assessed through repetitive, abstract tasks that reveal little about movement production. Serious games can make repeated tasks engaging, but most report only end point scores rather than continuous gameplay signals, and few establish system usability. Developing and evaluating such a system in healthy adults is a necessary first step.

Physical inactivity affects approximately 1.4 billion adults globally, representing a major public health challenge. Gamification shows potential in addressing global inactivity by boosting motivation. The widely recognized Gamification Octalysis Framework, which emphasizes human motivation over mere functionality, can be used to summarize gamification elements in physical activity (PA) applications. However, previous reviews have mainly examined the effectiveness of gamified PA interventions, with limited attention to how gamification elements are linked to motivational mechanisms and behavior change techniques (BCTs). Additionally, the integration of identified BCTs can help connect game elements and health behavior change.

Gaming time, impulsivity, and self-control are known determinants of internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, their reciprocity has not been empirically tested.

Distinguishing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from social communication disorder (SCD) is clinically challenging because both conditions present with overlapping social communication deficits. Standard caregiver-reported instruments capture surface-level behavioral similarities rather than underlying cognitive differences, motivating the development of digital gamified assessments that measure social cognitive processes directly.

Educational escape rooms are increasingly used in medical education to promote engagement, collaboration, and active problem-solving. However, existing literature varies considerably in theoretical grounding and evaluation methodology, and limited evidence exists regarding how specific dimensions of gameful experience may relate to learners’ perceived educational value.

Many existing digital cognitive assessments rely on isolated or abstract tasks, and primarily use accuracy-based outcome measures, despite recent advances in the field. Few have been culturally adapted to reflect the familiar daily-life experiences of Korean older adults. Integrating culturally meaningful scenarios with task-specific accuracy and reaction time (RT) measures may provide a more ecologically grounded approach to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) screening.

Exergaming, or active video gaming, may make physical activity more engaging for children and adolescents. Earlier reviews have focused on activity, adiposity, fitness, or psychosocial outcomes, leaving effects on glycemic and lipid biomarkers uncertain. Their cardiometabolic relevance warrants synthesis.

Immersive exercise systems may support guided movement practice and physical activity among older adults, but adoption of head-mounted systems cannot be inferred from single-session usability or intention ratings. Older adults must negotiate unfamiliar equipment, movement safety, comfort, perceived control, trust, and perceived benefit. Virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) are often grouped as extended reality despite different sensory and safety affordances.

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at high risk of falls, with approximately half experiencing at least 1 fall within 6 months. Multidirectional step training has shown potential for fall prevention, but evidence in people with MS remains inconsistent. Mixed reality (MR) offers adaptive and home-based rehabilitation opportunities. However, successful implementation of MR-based serious games requires structured co-design processes integrating patient, clinician, and technical perspectives.

Despite science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields driving socioeconomic development and career prospects, they continue to struggle with low enrollment and high dropout rates. An important predictor of academic performance and career persistence is self-efficacy, which is the belief in one’s ability to succeed. Research indicates that collaboration improves learning outcomes and is associated with improved STEM motivation. Computational thinking (CT) is also increasingly valued in STEM education due to its reliance on computational tools and problem-solving processes. Early exposure to STEM content in a child’s educational journey may thus be a key opportunity for shaping their STEM self-efficacy and future career path.