Digital Serious Games for Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Children: A Case Study in Brunei Darussalam

Obesity, childhood or otherwise, remains a deeply concerning health matter in the modern world, but especially in Brunei Darussalam. As such, this research endeavours to identify and implement a serious game aimed at helping children acquire healthy eating habits as a potentially innovative solution to trim down obesity. The practical aspect of this study involves the digitisation and testing of an existing educational board game centred on healthy diets, known as All You Can Eat (AYCE), on Bruneian children. This digital transition enhances the game’s accessibility from its traditional physical counterpart, making it more readily and widely available in keeping with rising gadget usage. Furthermore, AYCE has been culturally adapted in relation to the food menu and language support to suit the local Malay context. The outcomes of these tests are vital for further validating the concept of serious games and their need within the context of health. The findings from this research can also apply to various other serious games extending well beyond healthy eating habits. In addition to the field of study, ensuring the relevance for future health-related serious games, inspiring not just educators and medical practitioners but game designers alike. This would create more multidisciplinary collaboration, all towards applying serious games for the purposes of first educating and then subsequently improving the health of everyone involved.