Design of a serious game to prevent alcohol abuse among university students

Authors

  • Mónica Urrutia Reyes Autonomous University of Queretaro image/svg+xml
  • Ana Marcela Herrera Navarro Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Informática
  • Ileana Cruz Sánchez Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación y Docencia en Educación Técnica

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32870/Ap.v17n2.2679

Keywords:

Serious games, alcohol consumption prevention, university students, digital interventions

Abstract

Alcohol abuse represents a global public health problem, with a high prevalence among university students, where social and academic factors contribute to its normalization. In Mexico, although preventive strategies exist, their effectiveness has been limited. Internationally, serious games have emerged as innovative tools for alcohol abuse prevention; however, no evidence was found of proposals adapted to the Mexican university context. The objective of this work is to present the conceptualization of the design of a serious game aimed at preventing alcohol abuse among university students in Mexico. To achieve this, the ASGD (Art of Serious Game Design) methodology and the MDA Framework (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) were employed, which allowed the structuring of a game experience aligned with educational and preventive objectives. As a result, a design proposal was developed to promote responsible decisionmaking and the use of protective strategies. Future phases will include empirical validation of the prototype with the target population, aiming to develop culturally contextualized digital

Author Biographies

  • Mónica Urrutia Reyes, Autonomous University of Queretaro
    Estudiante de posgrado, por la Facultad de Informática de la Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, México
  • Ana Marcela Herrera Navarro, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Informática
    Profesora de tiempo completo de la Facultad de Informática
  • Ileana Cruz Sánchez, Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación y Docencia en Educación Técnica
    Profesora investigadora de tiempo completo del Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación y Docencia en Educación Técnica
     

References

Cordero-Oropeza, R., García-Méndez, M., Cordero-Oropeza, M., y Corona-Maldonado, J. J. (2021). Characterization of alcohol consumption and related problems in university students from Mexico City. Salud Mental, 44(3), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.17711/SM.0185-3325.2021.015

Digital Education Strategies. (2018). The Art of Serious Game Design. A hands-on workshop for developing educational games: Facilitator guide. The Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University. https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/guide/

Dimitriadou, N., Zefi, A., y Turetken, L. (2023). The Art of Serious Game Design: A Framework and Methodology. AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction, 15(3), 322–349. https://doi.org/10.17705/1thci.00193

Estrategia en el aula. Prevención de adicciones, guía para docentes. (2023). Secretaría de Educación Pública. www.estrategiaenelaula.sep.gob.mx

Fouché, M. (2024). Player Experience of Minimalist Video Game Design: Case Study of Indie Horror Iron Lung. Games and Culture. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120241235437

Gambles, N., Porcellato, L., Fleming, K. M., y Quigg, Z. (2022). “If You Don’t Drink at University, You’re Going to Struggle to Make Friends” Prospective Students’ Perceptions around Alcohol Use at Universities in the United Kingdom. Substance Use and Misuse, 57(2), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.2002902

Graupensperger, S., Jaffe, A. E., Fleming, C. N. B., Kilmer, J. R., Lee, C. M., y Larimer, M. E. (2021). Changes in College Student Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Perceived Drinking Norms Still Relevant? Emerging Adulthood, 9(5), 531–540. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696820986742

Junior, R., y Silva, F. (2021). Redefining the mda Framework—the pursuit of a game design ontology. Information (Switzerland), 12(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/info12100395

Martínez-Miranda, J., y Espinosa-Curiel, I. E. (2022). Serious Games Supporting the Prevention and Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Consumption in Youth: Scoping Review. En JMIR Serious Games (Vol. 10, Número 3). JMIR Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.2196/39086

Patrick, M. E., Boatman, J. A., Morrell, N., Wagner, A. C., Lyden, G. R., Nahum-Shani, I., King, C. A., Bonar, E. E., Lee, C. M., Larimer, M. E., Vock, D. M., y Almirall, D. (2020). A sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) protocol for empirically developing an adaptive preventive intervention for college student drinking reduction. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2020.106089

Salinas, E. (2023). PROGRAMA ANUAL DE TRABAJO (PAT) 2023. https://www.gob.mx/salud/conadic/documentos/programa-anual-de-trabajo-pat-2023

Schunk, D. H. (2012). 4. Teoría cognoscitiva social. En Teorías del aprendizaje. Una perspectiva educativa (6th Edition, pp. 117–176). Pearsons Education.

Straznickas, G. L. (2021). Not Just a Slice: Animal Crossing and a Life Ongoing. Loading, 13(22), 72–88. https://doi.org/10.7202/1075264ar

Valle, A., y Manrique, L. (2022). La Investigación Descriptiva con Enfoque Cualitativo en Educación (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú, Ed.). https://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/182854

World Health Organization. (2022). Alcohol. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

Downloads

Published

2025-09-30

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2025): Inteligencia artificial y entornos digitales para el aprendizaje

Section

Research articles

License

The copyright belongs to the authors of the text. In case the manuscript is accepted for publication, the Sistema de Universidad Virtual of the Universidad de Guadalajara (UDGVirtual) is authorized to modify the text in the correction of style, translate, fix, disseminate, reproduce, publish and market with this. Likewise, the Universidad de Guadalajara is authorized to carry out the above described jointly or through possible third parties. (See the detailed authorization in the copyright letter.)

The authors guarantee to Apertura the right to be the first means of publication of the work. The reproduction of the texts published in the Apertura is authorized, in whole or in part, as long as it is non-profit, the source is cited and the content or design is not modified. Authors may exclusively distribute the final editorial or postprint version in any medium and at any time.

Apertura, its editors and UDGVirtual dissociate themselves from the information provided by collaborators or advertisers. The articles of the contributors do not necessarily represent the point of view of the publisher or UDGVirtual and the content of the advertisements are the sole responsibility of the contractors.

Apertura is registered in the National Institute of Copyright with the ISSN number: 1665-6180 (printed version) and e-ISSN 2007-1094 (electronic version), and with the Certificate of Reservation of Rights to the Exclusive Use of the Title: 04 -2005-120212472000-102.

It is also certified by the Qualifying Commission for Illustrated Publications and Journals of the Ministry of the Interior with the Licensed Certificates of Title number: 13449; and Content Legality: 11022.