Pine R, Te Morenga L, Olson M, Fleming T. (2021). Development of a casual video game (Match Emoji) with psychological well-being concepts for young adolescents. Digital Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076211047802
Researchers developed a casual video game called Match Emoji to promote psychological wellbeing among young adolescents. The researchers described the phased process of creating the intervention. First, a systematic review was conducted to investigate the documented evidence for effects of casual video games on anxiety, depression, stress, and low mood. Next, the researchers carried out a scoping study among 207 young adolescents to assess their perspectives on casual video games and interest in use of casual video games for mental health. Many participants reported they play casual video games multiple times a week or day to relieve stress or relax. A majority of participants indicated interest in casual video games with psychological wellbeing content. Based on these formative results, researchers developed a casual video game to promote psychological wellbeing among adolescents ages 13-15 years. An iterative development process involved active participation of 5-7 target users to provide input at each phase of creating and refining Match Emoji. The game is a match-three game similar to “Candy Crush” and advertisements were replaced by micro-messages based on a combination of psychological wellbeing theories. Software developers used a dynamic message loading system to enable micro-messages to be stored, retrieved, and modified. There are nine different message sets, each with specific learning objectives that gradually increase in complexity. As participants progress, the game encourages them to try skills. Researchers plan to assess the acceptability and feasibility of Match Emoji with young adolescents in New Zealand.