Universal Design in Exergames

ExergamesExergames offers an exciting avenue for game developers both in terms of heightening the player experiencePlayer experience (PX) and promoting health-related outcomes. Common to all exergamesExergames is the use of movements during gameplayGameplay. Previous research has shown that by incorporating movements into gameplayGameplay can facilitate the additional enjoyment, immersion, and game challenge of exergamesExergames. Balancing the inclusion of movements with the already complex terrain of the game design introduces new challenges that exergameExergames designers need to be aware of, especially in striving for a universally attainable game experienceAttainable game experience. Consequently, design constraintsDesign constraints and attainable game design heuristicsDesign heuristics need to be understood in light of the exergamesExergames’ movement-based nature. This chapter introduces the concept of exergamesExergames, what they are, how they vary from one another, and the complicated dynamics that can arise in combining enjoyment with utilitarianUtilitarian purposes behind movements. Thereafter exergamesExergames are discussed in relation to the Universal DesignUniversal design perspective and the AGE frameworkAGE-framework presented in Chap. 2 . The purpose of the chapter is to provide you with insights about the unique nature of exergamesExergames compared to non-movement-based games and what it can imply in striving toward attainable exergameExergames experiences.