Evaluation of the Game Exermon – A Strength Exergame Inspired by Pokémon Go

Abstract

Sedentary lifestyle has become a major concern across the world as a result of an increasing number of desk jobs, and a steady increase in digital media consumption. This type of lifestyle can cause major health issues. The immensely popular game Pokémon Go has proven that it is possible to develop games that will motivate people of all ages to be physical active. Our exergame, Exermon, got its inspiration from Pokémon games as well as the Tamagotchi games, where our goal was to motivate the player to do strength exercises to evolve a fantasy character. This paper describes the Exermon game concept, and presents the results from an evaluation of the game where the focus was on the physical, motivational, enjoyment, and engagement effects of playing the game, as well as evaluating the game control, progression and social interaction.