Design considerations for a serious game for children after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

We present the results of a three-stage method where we compare the data from sick children with data from healthy children. We describe an explorative design approach and evaluate gaming preferences through a survey and an art-based drawing approach. The results show a preference of animal and fantasy characters and a majority of children illustrate a nature environment in their drawings. The most appealing game elements are “exploration”, “adventure”, “fighting” and “action”, partly with gender differences. We further reflect on the chosen array of design research methods and the use of proxies for sick children.