Effects of an Augmented Reality University Drug Prevention Board Game on University Students’ Gaming Anxiety and Flow Experience

In response to the escalating severity of drug abuse issues among adolescents and university students, traditional campus drug prevention strategies are often found lacking in interactivity and appeal, thereby diminishing the effectiveness of drug prevention efforts. Addressing these limitations, this study developed an augmented reality (AR) board game entitled “Campus: Say No to Drugs,” which merges game-based learning, AR technology, and board game mechanics to explore the impact on students’ gaming anxiety and flow experience during gameplay. The research involved 38 students from a university in Eastern Taiwan who participated in the study. The findings reveal that the AR board game not only effectively reduced gaming anxiety but also significantly enhanced the students’ flow experiences while playing. These results highlight potential avenues for future improvements in the quality and interactivity of the board game, to further enrich the overall gaming experience. Future enhancements could further improve the board game's quality and interactivity to enrich the gaming experience. This study used a single-group experimental design, and future studies could consider adding a control group for more in-depth analysis.