OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The median citation count of Games for Health Journal is 3. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2021-09-01 to 2025-09-01.)

Article	Citations
Acknowledgment of Reviewers: 2021	40
Heal Me!-Investigating the “Red Potion” Concept and Its Influence on Gamers’ Cardiovascular Endurance	37
Active Virtual Reality Games: Comparing Energy Expenditure, Game Experience, and Cybersickness to Traditional Gaming and Exercise in Youth Aged 8–12	30
A Smoking Prevention Intervention Among Young People in an Online Community Game: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial	28
The Impact of Gamified Auditory–Verbal Training for Hearing-Challenged Children at Intermediate and Advanced Rehabilitation Stages	27
Usage of RePlay as a Take-Home System to Support High-Repetition Motor Rehabilitation After Neurological Injury	23
A Self-Administered Gamified Mobile Application for Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease in Patients Following a Cardiac Event (MyHeartMate): Process Evaluation from a Randomized Controlled Trial	23
Effects of Serious Games on Memory Improvement in Older Adults Without Obvious Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	23
Effects of Exergaming on Physical Fitness of Youth with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	21
Beyond Intrinsic Motivation: Why Researchers Should Consider the Full Motivation Continuum in Games for Health Research	20
Game-Based Virtual Reality System for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke in a Clinical Environment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	20
Evaluating the Usability and Safety of Virtual Reality Application Combined with the SWalker for Functional Gait Rehabilitation	19
Temporal Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Goodville Farm Game Players: A 6-Week Observational Study	19
Effects of Motor-Cognitive Dual-Task Standing Balance Exergaming Training on Healthy Older Adults' Standing Balance and Walking Performance	17
Acceptability Assessment of an Executive Function Training Game FISHERMAN for Older Adults	17
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Multicomponent Smoking Cessation Intervention for Adults with Serious Mental Illness	16
Attention Training Improves Executive Functions and Ameliorates Behavioral Symptoms in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Implication of Tele-Cognitive-Rehabilitation in the Era o	15
Effects of the Regular Use of Virtual Environments on Spatial Navigation and Memory	15
Oral Health Education for Children: Development of a Serious Game with a User-Centered Design Approach	13
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Impact of Full-Body Interaction on Computerized Cognitive Training Based on Instrumental Activities of Daily Living: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial wit	13
Experiences of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment from Cognitive Self-Training Using Touchscreen Tablets	13
Developing a Motion Sensor-Based Game to Support Frozen Shoulder Rehabilitation in Older Adults through a Participatory Design Approach	13
Effects of an 8-Week Virtual Reality Training Program on Pain, Fall Risk, and Quality of Life in Elderly Women with Chronic Low Back Pain: Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial	12
Effectiveness of Active Video Games Used to Augment Physical Therapy for Improving Gross Motor Outcomes of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	12
Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Board Games on Cognitive Function and Mental Health for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cluster Randomized Trial	12

Games for Mental Health	12
Physical Activity and Exergames Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review	12
Safety and Potential Usability of Immersive Virtual Reality for Brain Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study	11
Immersive Virtual Reality Fitness Games to Improve Recovery After Colorectal Surgery: A Randomized Single Blind Controlled Pilot Trial	11
Gamification in eHealth for Chronic Disease Self-Management in Youth: A Systematic Review	11
Effects of Gaming on Pain-Related Fear, Pain Catastrophizing, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	10
Virtual Reality-Induced Dissociative Symptoms: A Retrospective Study	10
Acute Effects of Heart Rate-Controlled Exergaming on Vascular Function in Young Adults	10
Effectiveness of Active Exergames for Improving Cognitive Function in Patients with Neurological Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	10
Effectiveness of Serious Games in Improving Genetic Literacy and Genetic Risk Awareness in the General Public: A Pilot Study	10
Digital Game-Based Korean Language Learning for Russian Immigrant Children	10
Older Adults and Three-Dimensional Exergaming: Motivators and Barriers to Participation and Retention	9
Comparison of Nonimmersive Virtual Reality and Task-Oriented Circuit Training on Gait, Balance, and Cognition Among Elderly Population: A Single-Blind Randomized Control Trial	9
Serious Gaming for Upper Limbs Rehabilitation—Game Controllers Features: A Scoping Review	9
Test–Retest Reliability and Precision of GripAble: A Multipurpose Exergaming Device	9
The Technology to Enhance Patient Motivation in Virtual Reality Rehabilitation: A Review	9
Impact of Exergames on the Mental Health of Older Adults: A Systematic Review and GRADE Evidence Synthesis	9
Rosalind Franklin Society Proudly Announces the 2022 Award Recipient for Games for Health Journal	8
Gamified Interventions for Promoting the Psychosocial Well-Being of School-Aged Children: A Scoping Review	8
Active Videogaming Interventions in Adults with Neuromuscular Conditions: A Scoping Review	8
Gameful Experience Scale: Reliability and Validity in Nursing Students	8
Impact of Modern Board Games on Executive Functions and Quality of Life in the Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial	8
Digital Educational Game “O Jardim do Ferro”: A Tool for the Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Childhood	8
Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Aerobic Exercise on Perceptions of Pain and Fatigue in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury	8
Efficacy of Biofeedback-Based Serious Game for Pain Alleviation in Middle-Aged and Older Patients with Ovarian Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial	7
Running App “Zombies, Run!” Users' Engagement with Physical Activity: A Qualitative Study	7
Effects of Video-Based Exercises and Conventional Physiotherapy on Upper Extremity Functionality, Selective Motor Control, and Proprioception in Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Tria	7
Effects of Mat Exergame-Based Multicomponent Training on the Standing Balance of Community-Dwelling Older Adults With and Without Fall Risk	7
Exergaming Improves Cardiac Risk Factors in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial	7
Health Communication in Games at the Early Stage of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Grounded Theory Study Based on Plague, Inc.	7
The Effects of Technology-Based Rehabilitation in Rheumatic Diseases with Hand Involvement: A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial	6
Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials	6
Personalized Touch-Based Exergame System for Unilateral and Bilateral Rehabilitation Training	6
Effects of Cooperative, Competitive, and Solitary Exergames on Cognition and Anxiety Levels in Children with Developmental Disabilities	6
Acceptance and Usability of Different Virtual Reality-Based Technologies Supporting Physical Rehabilitation of the Upper Limb: Results of Experiments with Patients After Upper Limb Injury at Work	6
A Scoping Review on Mobile Health Technology for Assessment and Intervention of Upper Limb Motor Function in Children with Motor Impairments	6
Loss Aversion Explains Physical Activity Changes in a Behavioral Gamification Trial	6
The Effects of Virtual Reality Physiotherapy Interventions on Cardiopulmonary Function and Breathing Control in Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review	6
Effects of Active Video Games on Energy Expenditure and Weight Management Among Young Adults: A Systematic Review	6
Gamified Assessment of the Emotion Regulation Abilities in Youth: Validation of the REThink Online System	6
Where Exactly Is the Therapist in Virtual Reality and Game-Based Rehabilitation Applications? A Randomized Controlled Trial in Children with Specific Learning Disability	6
Effects of Virtual Reality Training Using Xbox Kinect on Balance, Postural Control, and Functional Independence in Subjects with Stroke	6
Effects of Tabletop Games on Cognition in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	5
Acceptability of a Game-Based Intervention to Prevent Adolescent Prescription Opioid Misuse	5
The Impact of Computer Games on the Social Skills of Elementary School Students: A Comprehensive Analysis	5
BOXVR Versus Guided YouTube Boxing for Stress, Anxiety, and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial	5
Feasibility of a Mobile Exergame for Patients with Heart Failure	5
Biofeedback-Based Videogames: Fostering Emotion Regulation at a Diverse Community Summer Camp	5
Cognitive Computerized Training for Older Adults and Patients with Neurological Disorders: Do the Amount and Training Modality Count? An Umbrella Meta-Regression Analysis	5
Understanding the Relationship Between User Game Preferences and Depressive Symptoms: A Pilot Study	5

Single or Multiplayer Mode? Examining the Effects of Exergames in Improving Physical Health and Well-Being Among Older Adults	5
Acute Affective Responses to Virtual Reality Exercise: A Crossover Randomized Clinical Trial	5
The Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation as an Innovative Learning Strategy for Acquisition of Clinical Skills in Nursing Education: Experimental Design	5
A Convergent Mixed Methods Design to Assess the Use of the Home Virtual Rehabilitation System By Persons with Chronic Stroke	4
Effect of Exergame on Pain, Function, and Quality of Life in Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study	4
Interactive Videogame Improved Rehabilitation Motivation and Walking Speed in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Dual-Center Controlled Trial	4
Does Physical Dance Training with Virtual Games Change Muscle Quality of Community-Dwelling Older Women?	4
Acknowledgment of Reviewers: 2023	4
Moniz Game: Usability and User Experience Evaluation of a Musical Game for Motor Coordination	4
Gaming Preferences and Motivations Among Bullied Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: An Interview Study	4
The Effects of Playing Versus Watching an Interactive Video Game Featuring an Older Adult Protagonist on State Empathy and Ageism Reduction	4
Costs of an Off-the-Shelf Exergame Intervention in Patients with Heart Failure	4
Investigation on the Efficiency of the Closed Kinetic Chain and Video-Based Game Exercise Programs in the Rotator Cuff Rupture: A Randomized Trial	4
Virtual Reality Game Selection for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: A Therapist's Wish List for Game Developers	4
Improving Health Care Training: A Serious Game Approach to Malnutrition Screening	4
Correction to: Games for Health Journal 2022; 11(2): 85–92	3
The Efficacy of Guided and Unguided Game-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Distress in College Students	3
The Effect of a Reminiscence Therapy-Based Hybrid Board Game on Anxiety and Loneliness Levels in Older Adults: An Experimental Study	3
Effectiveness of a Game-Based Mobile Application in Educating Nursing Students on Venous Blood Specimen Collection: A Randomized Controlled Trial	3
Comparative Effectiveness of Developed Serious Game Versus Standardized Patients’ Simulation in Nursing Education	3
Establishing the Validity and Reliability of an Online Motor Learning Game: Applications for Alzheimer's Disease Research Within MindCrowd	3
The Cognitive Processes Behind Commercialized Board Games for Intervening in Mental Health and Education: A Committee of Experts	3
Serious Game-Based Balance Training with Augmented Kinesthetic Feedback Enhances Aspects of Postural Control in Poststroke Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial	3
Older Adults’ Perceptions of Cognitive, Physical, and Exergame Training: A Mixed Methods Investigation of a Four-Armed Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial	3
Enhancing Cognition, Self-Efficacy, and Postural Control Skills of Persons with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Using Immersive Puzzle Video Games	3
Effect of Adding Virtual Reality Training to Traditional Exercise Program on Pain, Mental Status and Psychological Status in Unilateral Traumatic Lower Limb Amputees: A Randomized Controlled Trial	3
Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Exercise on Physical Fitness in People with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials	3
The Effects of Stress Mindset, Manipulated Through Serious Game Intervention, on Performance and Situation Awareness of Elite Female Football Players in the Context of a Match: An Experimental Study	3
Computer-Based Gamified Tools for Facial Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review	3
“STAR WARS: The first Jedi” Gamification Program: Use of a Mobile App to Improve Body Composition in College Students	3
Enhancing English Proficiency in Korean Schoolchildren with Problematic Behaviors: Efficacy of Digital Game-Based Learning	3
Acceptability of Physical Therapy Combined with Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure Exergame for Geriatric Hospitalized Patients	3
Effects of Exergames and Conventional Physical Therapy on Functional Physical Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial	3
The Effect of Robot-Mediated Virtual Reality Gaming on Upper Limb Spasticity Poststroke: A Randomized-Controlled Trial	3