Developing a serious game for indoor air quality and mold prevention education in residential buildings

Purpose This study explores the development and prototyping of a serious game aimed at teaching individuals how to prevent mold growth in homes. Design/methodology/approach The development process involved several steps including identifying learning objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, establishing educational content through literature review, designing game mechanics followed by Octalysis, designing the game’s narrative and storyline, developing the prototype using Storyline 360, verifying the educational content via interview and home visit, and refining it through the verification outcomes. Findings Key findings highlighted the most mold-prone areas in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, the main factors contributing to mold growth: moisture, cold surfaces, nutrients, and spores. Also, the study recommends maintaining indoor temperatures between 20–24°C and humidity levels between 40–60% to prevent mold and keep moisture levels in check. Practical mold prevention strategies were identified and integrated into the game. The game incorporates a variety of mechanics, including narrative, points, progress bars, quest lists, step-by-step tutorials, level-ups, milestone unlocks, instant feedback, avatars, mentorship, visual storytelling, and progress loss. The preliminary assessment of a within-subject experiment (pre-test vs post-test) on 60 participants demonstrated that knowledge was improved after the intervention. Practical implications The game offers an innovative tool for a healthy built environment to educate the general public on mold risks and prevention strategies. Social implications By promoting healthy housing practices and awareness of indoor environmental quality, the game has the potential to improve respiratory health outcomes and reduce health disparities in vulnerable populations in the built environment. Originality/value This study represents the first attempt to design, develop, and verify a serious game specifically focused on mold prevention in residential buildings, integrating verified real-world data, expert insights, and user-centered design principles.