Games for Health

Digital games designed to promote health outcomes, deliver therapy, support rehabilitation, or encourage healthy behaviors. Unlike entertainment games, games for health have specific therapeutic or health-promoting objectives integrated into gameplay. In accessibility contexts, games for health have been developed for speech therapy, motor rehabilitation, cognitive training, and chronic disease management. Effective health games must balance therapeutic requirements with engaging gameplay—research shows children often enjoy short-term play but games need sustained engagement mechanics to support long-term treatment protocols. Design recommendations include multiple difficulty levels, personalization options, and limiting daily play to maintain anticipation.