iGame · Project

Gamification Toolkits That Make Health Apps People Actually Want to Use

healthPrototypeTRL 4

h2020-igame.eu

You know how most health apps end up forgotten on your phone after a week? This project figured out how to bake game mechanics — points, challenges, progress tracking — into health and fitness apps so people actually stick with them. They built ready-to-use toolkits that health app developers can plug in, plus a mobile game prototype that uses your phone's sensors to turn physical activity into gameplay. The whole thing was tested with real patients in primary care who needed to move more but struggled with motivation.

By the numbers

EUR 837,200

EU research investment

consortium partners

countries represented

SME partners in consortium

50%

industry participation ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Health and fitness apps suffer from massive user drop-off — most people abandon them within weeks. For digital health companies, this kills retention metrics, subscription revenue, and clinical credibility. The missing ingredient is engagement design that makes healthy behavior feel rewarding, not like a chore.

The solution

What was built

The project built a gamified mobile game prototype that uses phone sensors (pulse oximetry, geolocation) to turn physical activity into engaging gameplay, plus ready-to-use gamification toolkits, an integrated ICT platform, and clinical assessment methods for measuring whether gamified health interventions actually work.

Audience

Who needs this

Digital health app developers struggling with user retentionCorporate wellness platform providersInsurance companies building prevention programsGame studios entering the health-tech marketClinical research organizations studying digital interventions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Digital Health / mHealth

SME

Target: Health app developers and digital therapeutics companies

If you are a health app company struggling with user drop-off rates — this project developed ready-to-use gamification toolkits and a tested game engine that turns physical activity tracking into engaging gameplay. The tools use smartphone sensors like pulse oximetry and geolocation to personalize the experience. Built with 3 SME partners across 5 countries, the toolkits are designed to plug into existing eHealth products.

Insurance & Corporate Wellness

enterprise

Target: Insurance companies and corporate wellness providers

If you are a wellness provider dealing with low engagement in employee health programs — this project created a gamification platform tested in clinical settings with physically inactive patients. The procedural content generation technique means the game adapts to each user, keeping them engaged longer. The platform tracks real health metrics through connected devices, giving you measurable outcomes.

Gaming & Entertainment

any

Target: Game studios looking to enter the health-tech market

If you are a game development studio exploring the growing digital health market — this project built production-ready game development techniques specifically for health applications. The prototype uses procedural content generation and social network integration, built on an EUR 837,200 research investment with 6 partners including 3 industry players. The clinical evaluation methods included give your products credibility with healthcare buyers.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate these gamification toolkits?

The project was funded under MSCA-RISE with EUR 837,200 in EU contribution across 6 partners. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with Bournemouth University as coordinator. MSCA-RISE outputs typically have flexible IP arrangements, especially for SME partners who were part of the consortium.

Can this scale to thousands or millions of app users?

The prototype was built using procedural content generation, which means game content is generated automatically rather than hand-crafted — a technique that scales well. The architecture was designed as a platform with ready-to-use toolkits, suggesting it was built with scalability in mind. However, large-scale deployment data is not available from the project outputs.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP from MSCA-RISE projects is typically shared among consortium partners according to their contribution. With 3 industry partners and 3 SMEs in the consortium, commercial licensing paths likely exist. Contact Bournemouth University as the coordinating institution for specific IP terms.

Was this actually tested with real patients?

Yes. The project objective explicitly states the gamification tools were evaluated and tested with patients in primary care settings who were identified as physically inactive and at risk due to sedentary behaviours. Focus groups were used to test the eHealth app prototype.

How long would integration into an existing health app take?

The project developed ready-to-use toolkits specifically designed to accelerate the innovation process for eHealth and mHealth products. Based on available project data, the toolkits and integrated ICT platform were built to reduce development time, though specific integration timelines are not documented.

Does this meet healthcare regulatory requirements?

The project developed clinical assessment methodologies for measuring the efficacy of gamified health interventions. While this provides a foundation for regulatory submissions, specific regulatory approvals (CE marking, FDA clearance) are not mentioned in the project data.

What devices and sensors does this work with?

The prototype uses smartphone-based connected digital features including pulse oximetry and geolocation tracking. The architecture was designed for IoT integration, supporting both web-based eHealth tools and mobile mHealth apps.

Consortium

Who built it

The iGame consortium is well-balanced for a health-tech R&D project, with 6 partners across 5 countries (Spain, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, UK). The 50% industry ratio — 3 out of 6 partners are from industry, all SMEs — signals genuine commercial interest, not just academic curiosity. Bournemouth University (UK) leads the coordination, providing the clinical and research backbone, while the 3 SME partners bring real-world product development experience in games, IoT, and ICT. This mix is exactly what you want when toolkits need to work in production, not just in a lab paper.

BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITYCoordinator · UK
UNIVERSIDAD DE MALAGAparticipant · ES
SERVICIO ANDALUZ DE SALUDparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Bournemouth University (UK) — reach out through their research office or the project website contact page

Order a report on this consortium See BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the iGame team to discuss licensing their gamification toolkits for your health app? SciTransfer connects businesses with EU research teams — contact us for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical