Serious game design for and with adolescents: Empirically based implications for purposeful games

Abstract

Serious games have been successfully implemented in many fields in recent years. Along the way, the call for audience specific solutions rose within the game community. In the course of a project focusing on fostering social media literacy among adolescents, we have developed a design for a serious game tailored to this specific age group. We present the results of a survey conducted among Austrian youths ($$N=86$$) in which the participants reported on their gaming preferences and habits. The results are supplemented with data from participatory design workshops. Considering prospective players, their resources, play environments, and the game’s characteristic goal, we provide general directions for serious game design for adolescents and address ethical questions.