Fitter Critters: Designing a Persuasive Video Game

The unique ability of video games to command players’ attention and express meaning procedurally may make them, among user experience channels, an ideal way to persuade. This presentation will provide an overview of the specific strategies that our team employed in designing Fitter Critters, a prizewinning game designed to persuade children to adopt healthier eating habits. The game’s design drew upon our background in user experience design and the unfolding theoretical frameworks for the development of games that serve broader social objectives. Attendees will acquire methods for building persuasive games, and volunteers will be invited to play Fitter Critters live to demonstrate the process by which the game effects meaningful change in people.