"Dementia: The Lost Memories" – A Serious Game Approach to Enhancing Public Awareness and Knowledge

Dementia poses a significant global health challenge, yet public awareness remains low, leading to stigma and delayed diagnosis. The conventional awareness campaigns often fail to engage the younger generation. This study introduces Dementia: The Lost Memories, a narrative-driven serious game designed to improve empathy and knowledge about dementia through interactive storytelling. Players assume the role of a house cleaner helping a dementia patient recover lost memories, learning about symptoms, causes, and challenges. A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted with 33 participants using pre- and post-game questionnaires (Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale/DKAS), Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), and System Usability Scale (SUS). Results revealed a statistically significant increase in dementia knowledge (median DKAS scores: pre-test = 16, post-test = 38; p < 0.001). Participants reported high satisfaction (Positive Affect: Mean = 3.11/4) and usability (SUS score = 74.02, Grade B), with low negative experiences (Negative Affect: Mean = 1.17/4). The game’s immersive narrative and intuitive design effectively encourage cognitive and emotional engagement, demonstrating the potential of serious games as innovative tools for dementia awareness education. These findings highlight the efficacy of serious game interventions in bridging awareness gaps among younger demographics, offering a scalable alternative to traditional methods. Future research could expand narrative depth and integrate real-life scenarios to enhance educational impact.