Can game-based therapies be trusted? Is game-based education effective? A systematic review of the Serious Games for health and education

This review sets out the lines of development and research currently being conducted into Serious Games which pursue some form of benefit in the field of personal health. Although video games are traditionally associated with software developments, developing them in the social and health-care field involves studying the associated hardware and paying attention to aspects related to interaction with the game. Serious Games for Health cover matters related to education and the treatment of illnesses, awareness enhancement and psychological treatment, as well as training doctors in surgical techniques, for example. This chapter includes a review of relevant Serious Game developments over the last ten years and examines new trends.