Creating an online escape room game for older adults: Needs assessment, design process, and usability testing

Abstract

In this project, an online escape game for older adults was developed collaboratively with five novice developers and 12 older adults who tested the prototype game at several stages of the development process. We followed a User-Centered Design (UCD) process to develop the game. During the design process, older adults tested the game and it was refined based on their feedback and the research team’s observation of their play. We found that incorporating older adults into the design process significantly improved the design, as they provided insights that would not have been available otherwise. We also concluded that the older adults’ involvement in the design process could make the game better tailored to their needs. The game is currently being field-tested.