GAMES FOR HEALTH and Wellbeing
The games for health theme brings together a group of multidisciplinary researchers with expertise in games for health, an interest in games for health, or who have used games for health as part of a research project. The group consider both physical and mental health, with a range of existing research activity currently underway. The Games for Health research area is led by John Henry.
Staff and PGR students working in Serious Games for Health
Ganna Borzenkova is a Research Fellow and primary member of Design for Health and Wellbeing research group (DoWell), exploring how design and craft practices can improve both mental and physical wellbeing and health.
Oscar O’Brien is a PhD student investigating how game experiences and sensors can help improve motor skill competency in young children.
Sören Henrich is a Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the Manchester Metropolitan University. His research explores the interplay of mental health needs and group identity, with a focus on violence prevention and resilience. This includes the therapeutic utility of roleplaying games.
John Henry has interdisciplinary research interests in Games, Serious Games, Gamification and Game Technology, along with sensors and the Internet of Things ecosystem.
Connah Kendrick’s interests are in mixed reality technologies and game fundamentals. His research focuses on healthcare and AI, but uses approaches commonly found in games to improve healthcare system in Tech for Good.
Adinda Van’t Klooster is an international artist who works with digital media, drawing, animation, 3D printing, sound, light, Virtual Reality, interactive sculpture, and live (generative) audiovisual performance.
Huw Lloyd carries out research in evolutionary computation and machine learning.
Kristina Niedderer led the European Project MinD 'Designing for people with dementia: designing for mindful self-empowerment and social engagement' (2016-2020), and co-created a life storytelling board game, All About Us.
VRoar by Adinda Van’t Klooster
VRoar is an immersive and interactive Virtual Reality (VR) app, distributed freely for Oculus Quest in July 2023. This art game, made by Adinda van’t Klooster (design, visuals and animation) and Nick Collins (Unity programming), allows the user to see their vocal expression directly affect the graphics in a surreal landscape. This interface provides a new form of expression where the user is encouraged to experiment with their voice and make unusual vocal utterances, setting off interesting semi-abstract animations. As an artistic practice, the VR scenes combine 2D drawings with 3D models, pushing for new ways for an artist to develop works. Whilst artists like Char Davies and Agnes Hegedüs have used VR as a medium to create artworks since the nineties (van’t Klooster & Collins, 2021), there is little research on defining new aesthetic possibilities and effective mappings in this medium outside of more standard gaming tropes. VRoar facilitates testing theories combining knowledge from video gaming, vocal improvisation and audiovisual aesthetics and contributes to developing novel interfaces for musical and audiovisual expression.
CARDIA: The Use of Wearable Technology in an Exercise Game
The use of wearable technology in games has seen new ways of interacting with games that empower experiences, not previously possible. The use of wearable technology to control games usually relates to body motion. Dr John Henry and a team of researchers at the Department of Computing and Mathematics at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and members of the Manchester Game Centre, including Dr Connah Kendrick, are investigating how sensor-driven experiences can determine play and empower new interactions. Their research considers how biofeedback, particularly heart rate, can be used as the sole game input for an exercise game with pervasive technology. This research direction has designed several projects, including CARDIA – a heart-rate-controlled game. The game has been used as an outreach activity for British Science Week 2023 and 2024 and has helped introduce a new understanding of how we may design new experiences led by sensors and biofeedback.
All About Us/ This is Me - A Game Designed as part of MinD: Designing for people with dementia: designing for mindful self-empowerment and social engagement
The This is Me mindful life-storytelling board game allows you to explore your life and others’ in a convivial and equitable setting. It offers exploration of, and reflection on, past experiences, current feelings as well as future wants and wishes with family and friends. The This is Me board game is based on ideas of life-storytelling, reminiscence and mindfulness. By integrating these ideas into the board game format, This is Me aims to help people refocus following the dementia diagnosis, to take a positive attitude and manage their lives with confidence.
Dungeons and Dragons for Mental Health
MGC Researcher, Dr Sören Henrich is exploring how Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) may be used as a form of psychological therapy. The therapeutic interest in the game only arose in the last five years, when D&D experienced a renaissance. Once a niche nerdy interest, it now has flourished into a multi-million dollar business. Several organisations used the rise in D&D’s popularity as the perfect opportunity to marry mental health with fun. This includes, for example, the US Critical Role Foundation, which supports creativity and empowerment in disenfranchised children. In the UK, youth group the Scouts encourage their members to learn skills of entertaining by facing fantasy adventures. Our own findings showed that the game increases confidence, helps people to express themselves and makes them feel connected.