Islander: Informing Leverage Points for Design of a Location-based Mobile Game promoting Physical Activity

Health issues, due to a sedentary lifestyle and a decrease of physical activity are a raising issue in today's society. In order to provide incentives to stay physically active the potential of digital games gets evaluated in a scientific context towards their motivational effects. Games or game related applications offer a range of opportunities regarding the integration of physical activities replacing traditional controller input with bodily exertion, such as location-based mobile games. However, game design is a complex process and integrating physical activities in a meaningful way makes it even a greater challenge. With this work, we aim to provide a design case describing how this challenge can be approached. We illustrate how formal recommendations for physical activity by the World Health Organization and principals of meaningful play can inform the blueprint for the design of a location-based mobile game using a user-centered approach.