Research / Games for good

Full paper · 2026

Narrative-Driven VR Exergames for Active Older Adults: Examining the Impact of Narrative Styles and Themes on Motivation and User Experience

Zhou, M., Jin, M., Peng, X., Stawarz, K., Denisova, A., Huang, J., & Barathi, S. C.

JournalCORE AInternational Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2026

Teaser figure: Narrative-driven VR exergames. An older adult cycling in VR chooses between story paths A and B. Bar charts from Study 1 (N = 15) show autonomy, competence and relatedness were highest with interactive narrative, then auto narrative, then no narrative. Study 2 (N = 36) compared hedonic, eudaimonic and mixed narrative themes, with mixed giving the most balanced trade-off.
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In short

Can a story keep active older adults motivated in a VR cycling exergame? Across two studies we compared narrative styles that asked for different amounts of interaction, and three kinds of story: hedonic, eudaimonic and mixed-affective.

The game in the study

A VR cycling exergame developed in Unity and played on a stationary bike, told from the perspective of the protagonist, David.

First-person view of the VR cycling exergame: a dirt road through grass and trees, past a house and a red tractor.
First-person view in the Non-Narrative condition: realistic roads with natural scenery, for a pure cycling experience. © Min Zhou
Participant gameplay flow in Study 2, in three rows of in-game screenshots and photos: the narrative contents (background info, interactive dialogues, meaningful choices, new plot), the operational process (view the background, cycle at a steady pace, make selections, pedal harder, stop to make a choice), and the game scenario (signs slow down, steady cycling, at a junction, pedal harder uphill, coast downhill).
Participant gameplay flow in Study 2, from narrative interactions to cycling phases and final choices. © Min Zhou

Key findings

  • With 15 participants, interactive narratives increased feelings of autonomy and relatedness and lowered perceived exertion, though they were more cognitively demanding.
  • With 36 participants, hedonic stories supported flow and motivation at a low cognitive cost, while eudaimonic stories prompted deeper reflection but were more demanding and less replayable.
  • Mixed-affective stories offered the best balance between motivation and feeling competent.

Read and cite

PDF (accepted version) Publisher's version (DOI)

© 2026. This manuscript version is made available under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.

APA citation

Zhou, M., Jin, M., Peng, X., Stawarz, K., Denisova, A., Huang, J., & Barathi, S. C. (2026). Narrative-Driven VR Exergames for Active Older Adults: Examining the Impact of Narrative Styles and Themes on Motivation and User Experience. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 103954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2026.103954

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