This study explores how a game can be an effective active learning methodology for promoting health education and healthy eating habits among young students. The primary objective of the research was to develop an educational game that emphasizes the importance of healthy behaviors. To achieve this, the team created a game design document that described the game's main features, including themes, game mechanics, characters, scenarios, challenges, and feedback. The team used the Unity platform, a game development tool, to develop the game to create a unique game that engages young students in healthy activities. The game's educational content is reinforced through mathematical simulations that give players feedback about healthy choices, such as healthy eating and regular exercise. The feedback system aims to highlight the significance of healthy habits for overall health, even when the results of these habits may not be immediately visible. The team collaborated with health and nutrition experts to ensure the game's educational content was accurate and up-to-date. Experts validated the game to ensure its quality and effectiveness, while teachers tested its usability to identify any issues that could affect its use in the classroom. As a result of the research, the team developed an educational simulation tool primarily aimed at slightly older students. The game demonstrates the impact of good habits, breaking the problem of delayed gratification that affects young people. The game development methodology presented in this study can be a helpful model for educators and developers working in educational technology. The game's potential as an educational tool and its success in fostering healthy behaviors must encourage further research and development. In conclusion, an educational game emphasizing the importance of healthy behaviors can promote health education among young students. As presented in this study, the educational game Health Tycoon shows evidence that teachers can use it to promote healthy behaviors among students effectively. By developing engaging ed-ucational games, teachers and developers can encourage students to learn about healthy behaviors in a fun and interactive way.

Game-based learning has gained popularity in recent years, as it is an effective method to engage students and improve their learning experience. The present study aimed to investigate the use of game-based learning in teaching eating habits and health to elementary school students, focusing on nutrition and obesity. The study was part of a larger project to update elementary and high school teachers in Brazil on metabolism and obesity, linked to the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign entitled Beat Diabetes. Our research can be split into three methodological stages. In the first stage, we established the requirements for the topics covered in the game through meetings with experts in metabolism and obesity. The digital game was developed in the second stage using the Unity Engine and the C# language. The game was titled Food Battle and was inspired by another popular game called Plants vs. Zombies. In this game, the players had to choose healthy and unhealthy food options while fighting off junk food monsters. The third and final stage of the study was responsible for the verification, validation, and testing (VV&T) of the game. Programmers, computers, and medical teachers initially tested the Food Battle game. Then, the game was validated by its end-users, which included elementary and high school teachers and undergraduate students in biomedical sciences. The study's results showed a positive acceptance of the game as a teaching tool. The Food Battle game was playful, engaging, and effective in reaching various age groups of students. The use of games in education can offer various benefits to students, including increased motivation, engagement, and interest in the topic being taught. Additionally, games can assist teachers in the classroom by providing them with a tool that facilitates teaching complex issues such as obesity and healthy eating. The present study highlights the importance and benefits of games in education and how they can effectively improve the student learning experience. Food Battle has shown to be an engaging and effective tool for teaching students about healthy eating habits and the risks of obesity. Further research is needed to explore the potential of games in education and develop new tools to enhance student's learning experiences in different areas.

This paper presents a novel game to teach metabolism and enzymatic activity concepts, exploring game-based and active learning. This study is part of a larger project that aims to update primary and secondary school teachers with scientific knowledge, allowing them to include novel teaching strategies and general discussions about eating habits and health with their students. The game impact was measured by qualitative assessment of 75 teachers who used the game, and overall, the feedback was very positive. Enzigame has been developed to explore essential concepts of metabolism and enzymatic activity. A heterogeneous group of people from computing and biomedical science participated in creating the game's software, and another group worked on reviewing the pedagogic issues in the game to make it able to be used in the classroom. The computing subgroup created a game design document describing the game's features, mechanics, elements, and scenarios. The game's development was cyclic, constantly reviewing the requirements for pedagogic, content, and computing technical aspects. Our results show the strong game's evolution, which was possible through the constant feedback from teachers from middle school, high school, and university education. Now, we have Enzigame's stable final version, with several mechanics that approach the contents in a playful and didactic way. Enzigame teaches about metabolism and enzymes, and, at the same time, it tests the motor and reasoning player's capacity through its gameplay, where the player controls an enzyme and needs to lead that one to its substrates, regulating the body's metabolism. The gameplay is accompanied by the “Teacher” character, who appears occasionally and explains things to the player, like an enzyme and how it works. The game has different levels, representing distinct places of the body. Such levels allow us to explore the various kinds of enzymes and the different phases of our metabolism. Through game development and its presentation to teachers, we can conclude that using games for didactic purposes brings great benefits. The game simulates enzymatic activity in the body and explanatory texts and significantly promotes knowledge through play activity.

Traditional teaching methods often need help engaging students and effectively fostering active participation and knowledge retention. There is a growing need for innovative educational tools to address this challenge that can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Educational games have gained significant attention as an effective method to improve motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes in educational settings. This paper introduces Metabuleiro, a digital multiplayer board game developed as a gamified learning tool. While initially focused on teaching metabolism, obesity, and a healthy diet, Metabuleiro's versatility allows its application in various subjects. The objective is to provide teachers with a unique and engaging resource that enhances student engagement and promotes effective learning. Experts collaboratively developed Metabuleiro from computer science and biomedical science. The game combines elements of board games and quizzes to offer a collaborative and competitive learning experience. Careful consideration was given to the game's features, mechanics, and components to ensure an effective learning environment while maintaining an enjoyable gameplay experience. Throughout the development process, feedback from teachers at different educational levels was collected and incorporated into the game's revisions. The final version of Metabuleiro received positive evaluations from teachers, demonstrating high satisfaction and intentions to integrate the educational game or similar tools into their classes. This positive feedback highlights Metabuleiro's potential as an effective educational tool for enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. Furthermore, the game's adaptability allows it to be applied across various fields of study, making it a valuable resource for educators seeking to incorporate game-based learning and active educational methodologies in their classes. To further enhance our understanding of the game's educational benefits, future research can explore direct feed-back from students and evaluate the impact of Metabuleiro on academic performance. Such research would provide additional insights into the game's effectiveness and validate its use as an educational tool.