The book “Designing Serious Games” published by the MIT Press. Among its authors is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at RU

The book "Designing Serious Games" has been published by the MIT Press. Among its authors is Dr Elín Carstensdóttir, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Reykjavík University. Her co-authors are her colleagues at the University of California, Santa Cruz, California, Dr Magy Seif El-Nasr and Michael John.

They previously taught together in the master’s program in the field at UC Santa Cruz and also collaborated on designing such games for research purposes. For many years, they have worked with, designed, and evaluated computer games intended to serve a specific purpose (games for impact), such as education and health promotion.

The design and development of games intended to have a specific and measurable purpose is, at its core, similar to that of the mainstream game industry, but at the same time far more complex. This is because such games must combine entertainment with measurable outcomes and impact. The design of the game itself therefore needs to be carefully thought out, tested, and built in order to achieve the intended results. This requires extensive collaboration among many different user groups and experts, including those who design and develop the game itself—a process that often demands specialized technical expertise.

Says Elín.

Serious games—or games for impact—encompass everything from educational, therapeutic, and rehabilitative games to games for social, scientific, and cultural impact. While the field is flourishing, the practice of actually designing such games is not readily understood. Filling this gap, Designing Serious Games provides a comprehensive guide to the design and development process of this unique interdisciplinary field.

The book guides readers through a user-centric design process that includes methods for defining the game’s goal, understanding its target audience, designing accordingly, and evaluating outcomes. Featuring diverse case studies, actionable advice, and incisive interviews with transformational game practitioners and industry leaders, this practical book is an essential resource for anyone interested in designing serious games.