Early Playtesting with Clients and Therapists of More Game-Like Therapy

Use of games as a means of rehabilitation therapy is a concept that has been explored extensively in scholarly research. The promise of using game mechanics and gamified systems as a means to motivate rehabilitation clients for therapy has always been the core argument of exploring such concepts. However, the reality is that in different fields of applications these "serious games" are often superficial, constructing gamified systems around a simulated activity, falling short of leveraging the power of agency, choice and narrative. The Village Druid game is a VR game for upper-limb rehabilitation currently under development which is designed around a deeper, or expanded use of games. The game is being developed in collaboration with rehabilitation therapists and undergoing a series of iterative playtests with rehabilitation clients. This paper describes the development goals and design of the Village Druid game together with the prototype used for the first playtest of the game involving rehabilitation clients. This includes the goals for the prototype’s development in how they relate to constraints and goals for the project. The playtest and related semi-structured interviews and focus-groups are described at the level of data collection instruments and research protocol, as well as results. The paper concludes with lessons learned and aspects of developing expanded therapy games that are suggested by the playtest.