Gamified Physical Activity App for Students at Universities: Results of Five Development Loops MHCI013

There is substantial evidence that young adults aren't exercising enough, which harms their health. Although occupational health services for students are expanding, they're often not used due to time, motivation, and accessibility constraints. Research has demonstrated that gamification and mobile solutions can effectively address these challenges. In light of these, we have developed a gamified mobile application, comprising various game levels and components, which was refined through successive design iterations. This article illustrates the steps in the game development process that have led to the greatest advances in user-friendliness and determines which optimizations achieve a top rating. The analysis was conducted after each game round, with the game elements optimized for the target audience. The results of the study, derived from four iterative design loops with N = 455 participants, are empirically proven and provide actionable recommendations for the efficient development of mobile health applications.