Playing cards are familiar to all age groups worldwide. There is limited literature comparing gender differences in motivational factors in social card games among older adults. Furthermore, the understanding of how social play and traditional card games affect the well-being and experiences of loneliness among older adults remains limited, particularly with regard to lived experiences, gender-specific motivational factors, and face-to-face, non-digital gaming practices. Hence, this qualitative study examines the experiences of social play of forty-eight older adults, focusing on feelings of loneliness and well-being. The results show the positive effects of social play on the well-being of older adults and their perceived loneliness. This study explores the effects of social play on the well-being and experiences of loneliness among older adults who participate in traditional card game clubs. Utilizing the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory, the research investigates the underlying motivations for playing cards in social settings and examines gender-specific differences in these motivations. Data were collected through semi-structured surveys from forty-eight older adult card club players across Finland. The findings suggest that, among the forty-eight older adult participants in this study, social play may positively affect well-being and reduce feelings of loneliness. These results are based on self-assessment experiences and may not be generalizable to all older adults. Participants reported slight improvements in hand–eye coordination, memory, reaction rate, concentration, and perception. The study also reveals distinct motivational factors between genders, with male participants motivated by communality and competitiveness, while female participants are driven by cognitive challenge, fun, and social reinforcement. The results highlight the importance of social interaction and regularity in weekly activities for enhancing the well-being of older adults.

As the global game industry expands, accessibility for players with disabilities has become a growing concern. Implementing accessibility is mostly technologically feasible, yet it remains scarce. This study investigates how practitioners justify accessibility spending in an industry marked by rapid growth, weak regulation, and platform pressures. Drawing on a mixed-method survey of 272 professionals, we identify three decision-making strategies: proactive (morally driven), rational (profit-driven), and reactive (compliance-oriented). The proactive strategy was associated with relatively higher accessibility spending, and non-male participants showed a higher likelihood of supporting accessibility. The findings highlight the ethical, economic, and organizational tensions professionals navigate in digitized or platform-intensive industries. The findings contribute to research on ethical decision-making and creative labor by theorizing on how moral, financial, and legal considerations intersect within digitized or platformized industries.

This study investigates whether augmenting Interactive Digital Storytelling (IDS) with Digital Learning Activities (DLA) positively impacts elementary school students' academic performance and technical skill learning in STEM education (science subject). We also explore if this combined approach could be a suitable self-learning replacement of classroom, didactic learning. We conducted a field study, following a Design Science Approach. We designed an IDS learning environment and another augmented with DLA in cooperation with educators at an elementary school in Egypt. 69 students were randomly divided into 3 groups. The control group was of students in a traditional didactic classroom. Experimental group A used IDS only, while group B used a combination of IDS and DLA. Findings show a heightened effect of the interactive experimental approaches, compared to traditional learning in the control group. There were no differences between groups A and B in knowledge acquisition. However, technical skill acquisition was higher in the combined IDS and DLA approach.

Educational games played on mobile devices can be utilized in teaching older adults to foster motivation, create a competitive spirit, and provide playful experiences within the classroom. There has been little previous research on the accessibility of educational games and the playful experiences of older adults. To identify which features facilitate or create potential barriers, this article offers insights into the educational games Kahoot! and Quizizz, focusing on their perceived accessibility and the playful experiences they provide for older adults. 27 participants participated in four distinct gaming sessions. Data was collected through surveys and observational methods. The results highlight issues related to accessibility, such as the pace of the game and classroom space design, including lighting and the size of the classroom display. While older adults found educational games enjoyable, interesting, and novel, the rapid pace of the games led to frustration.

Social leisure activities, especially team-based card games, support older adults' functional capacity and well-being. A positive atmosphere and encouragement from close ones enhance these benefits. Card game clubs should be accessible to all to promote participation and inclusion. This study explores how social dynamics influence older adults' participation in card game clubs and examines barriers such as gambling-related stigma. Data were collected from 48 older adults across Finland using semi-structured surveys. Motivational theories, Uses and Gratifications, Gaming Gratifications, and Self-Determination Theory guided the analysis. Findings show that social interactions in clubs were generally positive, and most participants received support from their social circles. The hobby was not associated with gambling, as no money was involved. However, competitiveness was found to affect group dynamics negatively. Understanding these social factors can help design more inclusive and accessible leisure activities that promote well-being and social inclusion among older adults.

In recent years, the digital game industry has grown from a niche market to a multi-billion-euro business with influences that extend beyond entertainment to education, socialization, marketing, and even management practices. During that growth, the industry’s sustainability has faltered, especially in terms of accessible games that can foster the inclusion of gamers who do not possess presumed ‘ideal’ gaming bodies or abilities, for instance, due to disabilities or more common or contextual limitations to their hearing, sight, or other abilities. Most games currently on the market are inaccessible and exclusionary. This situation is not just a threat to human rights and equality but is a threat to the long-term sustainability of the gaming ecosystem as the gaming population continues to age and diversify in terms of needs and abilities. This chapter examines game accessibility and inclusion of people with atypical abilities and disabilities in various aspects of the digital game industry and digital gaming ecosystem. It employs sustainability transitions theory to chart multi-actor interventions, from government to developers, gamers, and players, to transition the industry and ecosystem towards greater inclusivity.

Gaming is more popular than ever and people with disabilities play games as any other gamer. Accessible gaming might require both accessible games and suitable assistive technologies, however we lack the knowledge how many use assistive technologies, what devices are used, how suitable technologies are found, and what reasons might hinder the usage. This study addresses the following research questions with a survey study: (1) Do people with disabilities use assistive technology for gaming? (2) What assistive technology do people with disabilities use for gaming? (3) How do people with disabilities find suitable assistive technology? (4) Why do people with disabilities not use assistive technology for gaming? The results suggest that 56

Games and game-based approaches to education have become a part of most online and offline learning. They are thought to engage students and facilitate effective learning. These technologies, nonetheless, are often inaccessible to people with disabilities such as learning, auditory, visual, or cognitive impairments. In this paper, I ask: what is the state of the art of academic research on accessibility of game-based education to people with disabilities? What needs research and development to make sure no student is left behind? This literature study of research published between 2016 and 2020 (66 manuscripts) shows that researchers are directing relatively less attention towards motor and auditory accessibility. Research investigating the use of accessible solutions by people with and without disabilities simultaneously, in the same setting is needed. Emerging technology, such as AR & VR need attention and the range of stakeholders involved in this research needs expansion.

Virtual reality headsets enabling immersive experiences have been used for a long time in various public spaces such as universities, vocational education, and libraries. There is a plethora of different content available for VR headsets that can support education or entertainment, such as games and movies that enrich users' lives. However, there is little literature on the use of VR games by older adults. In addition, the understanding of how older adults experience virtual worlds and games is still limited. It is believed that they experience barriers with gaming and may consider it a waste of time. Older adults, however, can become active gamers if they are offered adequate support measures and when age-related factors are taken into account in the design of the games. Video games can enrich the lives of older adults and aid in managing aging challenges. Thus, it is important to study older adults' playful experiences with VR games. This study examines older adults' playful experiences of VR games and how they experience a VR gaming session in general. Through field observations collected from 33 participants during seven gaming sessions, the results point to several issues related to enjoyable, meaningful, and immersive game experiences: Confusion, fear, thrill, excitement, interest, curiosity, and enjoyment were the most common playful experiences in these VR games. The study revealed that in some cases, older players experienced fear of falling due to the content of the VR world. Most of the participants in the study were excited and some even wanted to continue using the VR glasses after the field experiment ended. This highlights the potential of VR gaming, necessitating further research into the playful experiences of VR gaming with older adults.

This paper explores the intersection of companion animal welfare and video games by investigating the player experiences in Animal Shelter Simulator. A joint analysis of 925 player reviews and profiles on Steam is conducted to explore the potential of using video games to communicate sustainability in the context of companion animal welfare. Our findings reveal various aspects of player experiences and their implications including player agency, the role of achievements in the game, player-perceived emotions, and storification. Moreover, our analysis highlights the significance of interactivities and emotions in engaging players with the game's primary theme, as some players have reflected the game's theme to their real-life experiences. This connection indicates the effectiveness of using video games to communicate sustainability themes.

Educational content has already been made for VR glasses worldwide, for primary school, vocational, and university-level education. Immersive learning environments often simulate real working-life situations so that students can practice in a safe environment. Older adults should be included in the technologizing society also in the form of VR games. Furthermore, understanding of how educational games are accessible to older adults is still limited. It is thought that there are general barriers to older adults' use of (game) technology, such as negative psychological perception of technology, as well as physiological barriers due to visual, hearing, and other physical disabilities. Hence, this article examines the utilization of educational and entertainment VR games and their perceived ease of use according to four accessibility principles among older adults. The results of this qualitative study are based on data analysis based on structured qualitative measures observations and interviews. The results point to several issues related to accessibility such as VR headsets not fitting user heads, intuitive game controls, and differences in mechanics understandability between entertainment and educational VR games. The lack of hand visibility made the educational VR game harder to control. The study revealed that participants with more experience using a smartphone and a computer knew how to use the VR game controls without problems. Using a game controller produced issues for the participants who did not own a smartphone. However, like the younger audience, the older adults seem eager to participate in educational VR games and entertainment VR games.

Background Gamification research and practice have gained popularity, but there is a lack of experimental and field evidence regarding the effectiveness of specific design elements and their use contexts especially in developing countries.Aim This research aimed to measure the effect of gamifying digital learning environments and compare the effects of badges and leaderboards on the development of cognitive and achievement motivation of elementary school students.Method A gamified environment focused on the circulatory system and employing interactive storytelling was developed. It was tested through an in-field experiment at an elementary school in Egypt. The research sample was of 30 students in the 5th grade, divided into two equal experimental groups (badges - leaderboard).Results The results indicated an increase in cognitive and achievement motivation among students in both experimental groups. However, there were no significant differences in the effects of badges and leaderboards on the cognitive and achievement motivations of the participants in the two experimental groups.Conclusions These findings suggest that the effects of gamification are more likely due to the holistic design and novelty, rather than the specific use of a specific game element.

Digital game technologies, that is, games and emerging game-based applications, are pervasively spread in society as a means of entertainment, education and exercise, amongst other uses. With this popularity, attention has been directed towards the accessibility of these technologies to people with disabilities to ensure equity, equal access to opportunities and realize earnings from a significant customer group. This study investigates: How is the attention of academic game accessibility research divided across game technologies, disability categories and use domains? And where is attention needed? To answer these questions, I conducted a review of research (162 manuscripts) on game technologies’ accessibility published between 2016 and 2020, inclusive. The reviewed literature appears to have a utility focus (e.g. on education and health management) that relatively de-emphasizes the importance of game accessibility for entertainment or fun purposes. Auditory, motor and mobility disabilities, and emerging gamification, exergames, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are especially under researched in the academic domain.

Background Socialization during gaming is an important aspect of gaming for people with and without disabilities. However, we know little about how gamers with disabilities play with others.Aim This study investigated the social gaming experiences of individuals with disabilities focusing on research questions 1) Who do people with disabilities play with?, and 2) How do people with disabilities communicate while gaming?Method We conducted a survey study which focused on experiences of gaming with disabilities. In total 92 responses were analyzed.Results The results suggest that gamers with disabilities play digital multiplayer games locally and online with friends, family, strangers, and people they know. The most used communication methods were speech, text, and built-in features. However, some were not communicating at all due to a lack of suitable communication methods. Furthermore, communication varied depending on if the gaming was happening online or locally, and depending on the gaming companions.Discussion The results align with previous research indicating that people with disabilities engage in gaming with friends, family, and strangers similar to any other gamer. However, there is a lack of studies on how people generally communicate in games, nonetheless, as speech and text communication methods are most commonly seen in games, we can assume that they are the most used communication methods for all gamers.Limitations and Future Research This study has limitations both related to the survey questions and the survey participants. We cannot be sure if all understood the questions in the same way, furthermore, most of the participants were experienced Finnish gamers with physical disabilities which could have skewed the results. Further research is necessary to address these limitations and broaden the scope of the study's findings.Conclusions Based on the results, we argue that games should provide multiple means of communication to make social gaming more accessible.

Visual impairment can make gamers more reliant on auditory feedback. Sound effects have been known to have a significant impact on improving gaming experiences for people with visual impairments. Little has been known, however, on the impact music itself could have. How can game music improve game accessibility to Visually Impaired and Blind (VIB)? We employed a design science process where we started with interviews with 6 VIB and 6 sighted participants to develop an initial answer to the question. Based on that we composed and evaluated 3 pieces of game music for the game Returnal by Housemarque. We evaluated the test compositions with the participants along with original Returnal music. Our findings indicated that music generally did not play a significant accessibility role for VIB, however, the test composition designed to provide heightened environmental information and player status feedback was highly appreciated by the participants. We, hence, contribute an approach to game music composition that is likely to increase game accessibility to VIB and sighted.

Learning is a lifelong process and the ways of learning and teaching have been changing in recent years, reform traditional classroom teaching to interactive, entertaining, and engaging teaching. Recent years have shown the popularity of educational games as a pedagogical method for children and youth in particular. Games are often employed to engage, inspire and motivate learners, as well as to support teachers in delivering various pedagogical content. Learning and teaching methods are in the transition phase. However, only scarce literature exists on the utilization of educational games with older adults and the elderly. Additionally, the understanding of how accessible educational games are for the senior citizens is still limited. Educational games are often utilized in classrooms, next to traditional teaching methods. In such situations, the accessibility of a whole gaming session must be taken into consideration to ensure inclusion. It is thought that there are general barriers to their use of (game) technology such as psychological apprehension of technology, as well as physiological barriers, e.g., visual, hearing and other bodily impairments. Hence, this article examines the utilization of the educational games of Kahoot! and Quizizz, as well as their perceived accessibility with elderly students. Through surveys and observational data gathered from 27 participants in four different sessions, the results point to several issues in terms of accessibility, game tempo, as well as issues related to the classroom space design, such as lighting and size of the board on which the games are projected. However, similar to younger audiences, the elderly appears eager to engage with educational games, especially with appropriate game design and facilities.