NutriMine - A serious game modification for Minecraft to support people keeping a healthy diet

Abstract

The escalating issue of obesity, a huge risk factor for contracting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in industrialized countries necessitates innovative intervention strategies. Serious games designed to impart educational and transformative experiences have emerged as a potential solution. This research identifies the critical elements required for serious games to effectively influence behavioral change, specifically through a novel medium: a serious game developed as a modification for the popular video game 'Minecraft.' This modification was constructed based on identified requirements from a nutritional expert through a qualitative interview, and a preliminary evaluation was performed in a pilot study with eleven users. The results revealed a reasonable level of engagement with the serious game. On a scale of one to five, participants rated their diet confidence at an average level of 2.91. Satisfaction with their diet was generally average, with most participants rating it between three and four. Notably, a few participants acknowledged experiencing mental or physical health issues due to their diet. The participants' familiarity with video games, particularly Minecraft, was relatively high, with mean values of 3.82 and 3.72, respectively. These findings suggest that the novel serious game, implemented as a modification for the video game 'Minecraft,' has the potential to influence behavioral change and thus help prevent NCDs.