**Note - Health and Wellness Games

Note: Health and Wellness Games are among the most researched Social Impact Games as to their effectiveness. They are also a hot topic for proposals right now at the NIH.

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2003-09-29 08:12:54 |

Adolescent Therapy - Personal Investigator

Personal Investigator

Personal Investigator is a 3D Internet therapeutic detective game, targeted at engaging adolescents suffering from mental health problems such as depression. Users progress through the game by interacting with five 'virtual detectives' who invite them to reflect about their problems and to hunt for 'clues' to possible solutions (based on brief psychotherapeutic techniques). The adolescents also have the opportunity to hear videoed accounts from other young people who have solved similar problems and are invited to complete a special 'detective note book' which they receive as a reward on completion of the game. This paper describes the background and development of the game and discusses the experience of four young people who completed the game with the aid of therapists in an adolescent mental health setting.

URL: article

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2006-07-16 11:45:12 |

Aids Prevention - Catch the Sperm

An online aids-prevention game from Switzerland's AIDs portal.

Created by Black Pencil.

URL: Catch The Sperm

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2003-09-26 10:41:57 |

Anti-Pedophiles - Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure

From Australia, "a fun educational resource that teaches children basic personal awareness and safety rules.

"This interactive CD ROM adventure is a safe, non-confronting and fun medium for adults to help children learn to keep safe. It teaches children how to recognise potentially dangerous situations, and gives advice on how to deal with them. A parent guide gives additional information." (quoted from the site)

URL: Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure

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2003-09-30 23:27:42 |

Asthma Management - Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus

A side-scrolling adventure game that helps children and teens with asthma improve their asthma self-management.

Bronkie and Trakie are dinosaurs with asthma who must save their planet from deadly dust clouds. Players must keep Bronkie and Trakie in top form by measuring and monitoring peak flow (breath strength), taking medications as needed, following a sick-day plan, using an inhaler correctly, and avoiding asthma triggers (pollen, etc) shot through the air by Sneezers.

The game is used at home, in hospitals, in clinic waiting rooms, and in asthma summer camps. Studies have found that young people with asthma who have the Bronkie video game available to play at home reduce their asthma-related emergency and urgent-care visits by 40 percent.

Created for Super Nintendo and Windows 95 by Click Health (currently not in business but seeking investors and partners). For further information contact Debra Lieberman.

URL: Asthma

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2003-09-13 14:04:47 |

Biofeedback - The Journey to Wild Divine

Biofeedback - "The Journey to Wild Divine"

The first in a series of “Inner Active” (i.e. bio-feedback controlled) multi-media, computer adventures "that integrate the power of the spiritual quest with an innovative biofeedback interface and high-end multimedia production."

The game uses three sensors, attached to the player's fingertips, to monitor skin response and pulse rate, enabling player (according to the site) "to use breathing, mood, and state of mind to navigate."

From the Wild Divine Project. Projected release date: November 2003.

URL: the Journey

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2003-09-27 11:09:58 |

Cancer - Ben's Game

Cancer - "Ben's Game"

When nine-year-old Ben Duskin, now in remission from Leukemia, came to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he wanted to create a video game in which the hero battle cancer cells through several levels. Ben felt that the game would be helpful for kids like him who have cancer by providing a way to fight back and relieve some of the pain and stress involved with treatment.

Eric Johnston of LucasArts not only made Ben's wish a reality, he involved Ben in every step of the process.

URL: Ben's Game

ARTICLE: SiliconValley.com

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2004-05-18 15:00:47 |

Cancer - Re-Mission

Cancer - "Re-Mission"

Re-Mission is a PC-based video game for kids who are cancer patients, from Hopelab. The goal of the game is to help these kids understand and manage their disease better, while feeling better about themselves. The game is available though re-mission.net, which also serves as an interactive, online community for teens and young adults with cancer, who are often isolated as a result of their disease. The game is available in English, French and Spanish, free of charge to teens and young people living with cancer. Itis available to others at a suggested donation of $20. The game is rated "T" (for Teen).

Kids who played Re-Mission developed a stronger sense of the seriousness of a diagnosis of cancer, stronger beliefs that that there are effective ways to help prevent cancer, and, as a result, developed stronger intentions to engage in cancer prevention and selfcare behaviors.

URL: Remission

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2003-04-15 09:26:45 |

Child Predators - Missing

Child Predators - "Missing"

A game for 11-14 year old children created by LiveWires Design in Canada, and distributed in the US by Web Wise Kids.

"The computer game, on two discs, tells the story of a teenager who meets a predator online and decides to run away from home. In Missing 1 the player takes the role of a police officer, examining the chat room conversations between Zack and his new "friend."

In Missing 2, the "friend" has taken Zack to San Diego. The player must track them before Zack disappears. Based on a true story, the game points out tactics predators use to win the trust of vulnerable children."

The game comes with a guide for parents and teachers, in both a family and a school kit.

URL: Web Wise Kids

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2003-12-27 16:05:16 |

Diabetes - Escape from Diab

Diabetes - Escape from Diab

The player must outwit the nefarious king Etes and his guards to return to the golden city. Developed with the Baylor College of Medicine.

URL: archimage

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2006-07-16 14:28:26 |