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A serious game was designed to improve cybersecurity awareness among university students.
The game aims to move beyond traditional rote learning by creating an interactive, story-driven environment. Users must actively engage with and apply security concepts.
Game Goal. The serious game was designed to enhance cybersecurity awareness through interactive engagement.
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- 01The serious game achieved an average score of 8.4 out of 10 for situational understanding and 7.6 for overall cybersecurity knowledge improvement among university students.See it on page 2
- 02The ATMSG (Activity Theory-based Model of Serious Games) framework successfully aligned educational objectives with game mechanics to teach complex security scenarios like phishing and public information safety.See it on page 2
- 03Beginner-level participants reported higher satisfaction with the game, finding the visual novel format both novel and accessible for learning cybersecurity concepts.See it on page 6
- 04The current iteration lacks sufficient interactive depth, which limits the game's ability to sustain long-term player motivation and high levels of enjoyment.See it on page 7
- 05Future development of the training tool will prioritize increasing user interaction and refining task-reward structures to improve overall entertainment value.See it on page 7
- 06The study utilized a visual novel software platform to implement a problem-solving gameplay style that provides users with immediate feedback on their security-related choices.See it on page 2
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Summary
This study explores the design and evaluation of a serious game intended to improve cybersecurity awareness among university students. The primary objective is to move beyond traditional rote learning methods by creating an interactive, story-driven environment that requires users to actively engage with and apply security concepts. By utilizing the Activity Theory-based Model of Serious Games (ATMSG), the research provides a structured framework for aligning educational objectives with game mechanics, ensuring that the training tool effectively communicates complex security scenarios.
The methodology involved a four-step design process using the ATMSG framework to define game activities, sequences, and pedagogical goals. A functional game demo was developed using visual novel software, focusing on a "problem-solving" gameplay style where users navigate realistic scenarios—such as identifying phishing attempts or securing information in public spaces—and receive immediate feedback on their choices. The evaluation phase consisted of a survey administered to 10 university students, categorized by their existing cybersecurity knowledge levels (beginner and intermediate). Participants rated the game on a scale of 1 to 10 across various metrics, including clarity, educational value, and engagement.
Key findings indicate that the game is highly effective at improving users' understanding of cybersecurity problems and resolutions, with an average score of 8.4 for situational understanding and 7.6 for overall knowledge improvement. The game was particularly well-received by beginners, who found the material novel and the gameplay accessible. However, the study concludes that while the narrative approach successfully imparts knowledge, the current iteration lacks sufficient interactive depth to sustain long-term motivation or high levels of enjoyment. Future development will focus on increasing user interaction and balancing task-reward structures to enhance the entertainment value of the training tool.
