Smoking relapse remains a significant public health concern with high costs. Behavioral rehearsal can help smokers master coping skills to manage smoking urges. A collaborative team of doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and game designers at Muzzy Lane software have been exploring the potential of a game-based approach to this challenge, focusing on post-operative cancer patients who need support to avoid resuming smoking when returning home.
The team has developed multiple game prototypes, and tested these prototypes with our target audience and expert reviewers. Both the design and testing have yielded unexpected insights: Because much of the work of smoking abstinence is internal, we developed game mechanics for “internal dialog” that work alongside other mechanics for conversation, and that allow players to practice a variety of coping skills. We will report on what we have learned in Phase 1 of the project, and what next steps will be in this ongoing project.