Abstract
Introduction: Digital games, with an audience of 3 billion globally and 34 million in Iran, have emerged as one of the most significant media of our time for conveying messages. Their rapid growth in popularity and their increasing contribution to the creative and cultural industries highlight the importance of digital games as more than just a tool for entertainment. Among these, serious games—or targeted games—are a distinct category designed with purposes beyond entertainment, such as education, health, and advertising. Since the early 2000s, serious games have become a focal point of global research, offering innovative ways to interact with users and improve their quality of life.
As simulations of the real world, serious games have garnered significant attention over the past two decades. This research aims to review studies conducted in the field of serious games, particularly in education, health, advertising, and social impact, to explore how they facilitate positive changes in individuals and society. These studies demonstrate that, depending on the goals of developers, the target audience, and the application field, serious games represent an undeniable, engaging, interactive, and entertaining medium with immense potential for imparting educational concepts.
The growing number of players in Iran and worldwide reflects a technologically driven society with unique subcultures. This presents an opportunity to harness the positive capabilities of games for education, cultural development, and empowerment. This research reviews and analyzes the most impactful serious games produced globally in the fields of education, health, treatment, and advertising, while also identifying emerging needs in these areas.
Methods: This research adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing a review of recent papers, serious game analyses, and theses. Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data—such as text, audio, images, or video—to understand concepts, perspectives, and experiences. The review method is employed to synthesize findings from recent research on serious games. Unlike scientific-research articles, review articles focus on compiling, categorizing, and presenting existing research and theoretical foundations. This study relies on primary sources and library research to provide a clear and accurate recounting of past information.
Conclusion: Digital games are an undeniable, attractive, interactive, and entertaining medium with significant power to instill educational concepts. According to the "Open View" report by the Digital Games Research Center (DIRAC), Iran has 34 million digital game players, reflecting a large, technology-based society with its own subcultures. This demographic can benefit from the positive capabilities of games for education, cultural adaptation, and empowerment.
For instance, serious games are currently used to treat conditions such as autism, depression, phobias, and other mental and physical illnesses, as well as to rehabilitate stroke victims and individuals with mental or movement disorders. Additionally, serious games address educational challenges by making learning more engaging and accessible. The interactive and powerful nature of games has shifted the focus of research from negative perceptions of gaming to exploring their potential as a transformative medium.