Ubiquitous Biofeedback Serious Game for Stress Management

Abstract

Serious games augment utilitarian applications with an entertainment dimension. Hence, information pertaining to a utilitarian objective is seamlessly incorporated into the gaming scenario. In this paper, we present the concept of ubiquitous biofeedback serious games (UBSGs), a family of games that integrate biofeedback processes in their operation. They rely on physiological inputs collected from the player through biological sensors for game control. These physiological inputs are converted into quantifiable parameters that reflect the status of a certain physiological process. To prove the practicality of this concept, we develop a UBSG aimed at providing mental stress management services to players. We assess the ability of the game feedback to assist players in modulating their behavior to reduce their stress levels. In our evaluation, we have shown that the majority of participating subjects showed more control over their mental stress when game feedback was enabled.