Go-Go Biome: Evaluation of a Casual Game for Gut Health Engagement and Reflection

Title of the Paper

Go-Go Biome: Evaluation of a Casual Game for Gut Health Engagement and Reflection

Paper Information

• Thematic Area: Human-Computer Interaction and health game design to promote awareness and reflection on gut health
• Keywords: Casual games, reflection, gut health, gut microbiome, activity engagement, health reflection

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges:

  • The general public has limited awareness of factors affecting gut health (e.g., physical activity, social interactions, and emotions beyond diet).
  • The importance of gut microbiota is difficult to visualize and perceive, making it challenging to inspire attention and action.
  • There is a lack of engaging, interactive design tools to promote reflection on gut health.

• Why This Problem is Important:

  • A well-balanced gut microbiome plays a crucial role in immune system health, cognitive function, emotional regulation, and weight management.
  • Gut health issues are on the rise due to sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary habits.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Leveraging experiential systems (e.g., games) to stimulate public engagement and active reflection.
  • Existing research on health activity games primarily focuses on exercise interventions and dietary choices, with little attention to gut health-specific game design.

Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution:

  • Designed a casual mobile game called Go-Go Biome, which integrates real-life behaviors (e.g., physical and social activities) with in-game gut microbiome ecosystem simulation.
  • The game’s goal is to achieve an 85:15 ratio of "friendly" microbes (Bugsy) to "hostile" microbes (Minion) by engaging in diverse activities.
  • The game employs unstructured gameplay, emotional feedback, and immersive visual simulations to motivate players to engage in daily healthy behaviors.

• Innovative Aspects:

  • The game links the body's biological rhythms with in-game feedback (e.g., changes in the state of "friendly" microbes), giving a "voice" to gut microbiota.
  • Four reflection design strategies were proposed and implemented: Bio-temporality, Visceral Conversations, Wellness Comparison, and Inner Discovery.

• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:

  1. Developed the game using a Research through Design approach.
  2. The game includes four types of activity card sets: "Green Walk" (interaction with nature), "Active Exercise," "Social Interaction," and "Mental Health."
  3. The game provides real-time and delayed feedback through features like bio-energy status, microbiome garden, daily activity logs, and maps, guiding players to complete activities, record insights, and reflect.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results:

  • Go-Go Biome educated players about the diversity and complexity of factors influencing gut health.
  • Participants showed significant improvement in health behavior awareness and reflected on their lifestyle habits through the game.
  • Proposed four design lenses for gut health reflection and engagement, offering guidance for future designs.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • Externalized complex microbial processes in an intuitive, personified manner to support daily health reflection.
  • Enhanced players' decision-making autonomy and engagement in health behaviors through unstructured gameplay.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • In a two-week field study, 14 participants completed an average of 9 days of gameplay and reported a renewed understanding of their health behavior patterns.
  • Players demonstrated an improved understanding of "microorganisms" and their connection to personal health and replaced unhealthy habits through game activities.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Small sample size; future studies could involve larger samples and long-term research to observe the sustainability of behavior changes.
  • The game did not directly address dietary factors; future iterations could integrate dimensions like diet and sleep for more comprehensive health assessments.
  • Exploration of ambient gaming and physical interaction systems could further support individual and group health reflection.