DROP DASH: A Persuasive Mobile Game to Promote Healthy Hydration Choices Using Machine Learning

The increasing consumption of unhealthy beverages is a significant public health concern, contributing to a range of health issues. Recognized as effective tools for behavior change in various domains, persuasive games offer a promising opportunity to address these challenges. This research explores the design of “Drop Dash,” a persuasive game strategically designed to encourage users to prioritize water as their primary source of hydration while discouraging the intake of unhealthy beverages through immersive gameplay focused on fostering and maintaining healthy hydration habits. Notably, the game incorporates machine learning (ML) and adopts a user-centered design approach to enhance user engagement. We developed a high-fidelity prototype of the game and evaluated it. The evaluation aimed to understand the overall usability of the game and how persuasive the strategies implemented in the game are in discouraging unhealthy hydration options and encouraging healthy hydration. The results showed that the game is highly persuasive, with the competition strategy standing out as the most effective among the eight implemented strategies. Additionally, the game received an overall usability score of 77, indicating that users generally found the game usable.