Harnessing serious games to foster healthier and more sustainable food experiences

In an era of rapid technological advancement, global food systems continue to fall short at addressing complex challenges such as malnutrition, food waste, and sustainability. While policy interventions have partially succeeded in addressing these challenges, persistent citizen behavior and systemic barriers necessitate innovative approaches. This review analyzes the role of serious games (SGs) as innovative tools to support a healthier and more sustainable food sector. We conducted a literature search identifying a total of 270 publications. Bibliometric analysis underscores the great diversity of SGs and their effectiveness. A total of twenty-seven serious games were described. Educational role-playing games, simulation-based planning tools, and persuasive mobile applications have been leveraged to support food behavioral change, nutritional education, resource conservation, and climate-resilient practices. Documented outcomes include a 29% increase in broccoli and 17% in cauliflower consumption, alongside reductions of 25% in French fries and 21% in candy, following gameplay in a nutrition-focused SG for children. Adolescents showed reduced intake of high-energy snacks, while adult women experienced measurable body mass index reductions over 90 days. Games targeting environmental impact achieved a 23% reduction in diet-related carbon emissions.