Developing Sensorimotor Art Games for Psoriatic Arthritis using Agile Storyboarding and Game Co-Design Processes

Serious Games (SGs) have the potential to provide clinical care and enhance patients’ quality of life, while incorporating an element of entertainment. As part of the iPROLEPSIS Horizon Europe project, we introduce two Sensorimotor Art games designed as SGs to assist Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) patients in managing their symptoms. These SGs provide a platform for self-expression and pain relief through engaging in rhythmic puzzle activities. The co-design process for the proposed Sensorimotor Art games followed an agile methodology, involving 14 experts (including clinicians, researchers, and game developers), to gather feedback on game requirements, storyboards, and mechanics. From the thematic analysis of the transcribed discussion, four main themes emerged, namely: Clinical value (Theme 1), Motor skills and adaptation (Theme 2), Creative engagement (Theme 3), and Feedback and future directions (Theme 4). Clinical value underlines the therapeutic benefits of Sensorimotor Art games for pain distraction and emotional well-being. Motor skills and adaptation focus on hand/finger use and adapting games for older patients. Creative engagement emphasizes fostering creativity, a positive environment, and goal achievement. Finally, Feedback and future directions highlight the importance of continuous feedback
and occupational therapists’ involvement in coming sessions. The development of Sensorimotor Art games lays the groundwork for digital interventions to alleviate psychological distress and improve fine motor symptoms in PsA patients. At the same time, these SGs can also provide insights to healthcare providers and policymakers for developing future digital solutions tailored to PsA patients.