JS

JMIR Serious Games

JMIR Serious Games is a multidisciplinary journal devoted to computer, web, virtual reality, mobile applications, and other emerging technologies that incorporate elements of gaming, gamification, or novel hardware platforms such as virtual reality devices or wearables. It focuses on using these technologies to address health behavior change, physical exercise promotion, medical rehabilitation, diagnosis and treatment of psychological and psychiatric disorders, medical education, health promotion, teaching and education, and social change, while also covering health-adjacent and interdisciplinary contexts including military, education, industry, and workplace applications.

Looking to publish in JMIR Serious Games? Livewrite integrates seamlessly with Word to help you write, edit, and format faster.

Existing customer login
Subject Health Care Sciences & Services, Medical Informatics, Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Impact Factor 4.1
Quartile Q1
Open Access Type Open
ISSN 2291-9279
eISSN 2291-9279
Invitation Only No
Cost Range $2950 USD payable upon acceptance; modified APF $2360 for Viewpoints and $1475 for Research Letters

Submission Instructions

JMIR Serious Games accepts the following article types. Click on an article type to view submission instructions.

Original Paper

Cover Letter A cover letter must be submitted.
Abstract Original Papers must include a structured abstract. Abstract must not exceed 450 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract must use the headings Background, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Authors should aim for a maximum of 10,000 words in the main body. Original Papers must use the main headings Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion, and include Title, Abstract, Keywords, Acknowledgements, Funding Statement, Conflicts of Interest, Data Availability, Author Contributions, Abbreviations, and References. Manuscript must include 5-10 keywords, an Abbreviations section, a required Data Availability statement, funding and conflicts disclosures, Author Contributions, and disclosure of any generative AI use in the Methods or Acknowledgments section.
References References should be formatted according to AMA style. References must be cited and listed in numerical order, and each reference must include a DOI, PMID, ISBN, or functional URL with access date when available.
Figures & Tables Authors are encouraged to include no more than 8 figures and no more than 5 tables per article. Tables must be embedded in the manuscript near first mention, while figures should remain in the manuscript file for peer review and also be uploaded separately. Tables must be created with Word’s table function in portrait orientation, and simple pie charts, simple bar graphs, and word clouds are not permitted as main figures.
Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Review

Cover Letter A cover letter must be submitted.
Abstract Reviews must include a structured abstract. The abstract must not exceed 450 words. The abstract must be structured. The abstract must use the headings Background, Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Authors should aim for a maximum of 10,000 words in the main body. Reviews must use the main headings Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The manuscript must include 5-10 keywords or key phrases, an alphabetized abbreviations section for abbreviations used in the abstract or main text, disclosure of any generative AI use in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, and sections titled Funding and Conflicts of Interest.
References References should be formatted according to AMA style. References must be cited in numerical order and listed in matching numerical order, and each reference must include a DOI, PMID, ISBN, or functional URL with access date when available.
Figures & Tables Authors are encouraged to include no more than 8 figures and no more than 5 tables per article, but review articles may include tables longer than 1.5 pages. Tables must be included in the manuscript file near first mention, figures should remain in the manuscript file for review and also be uploaded separately, and systematic review flow diagrams must appear as figures in the Results section rather than as a multimedia appendix. Reviews should include one flow-diagram figure in the Results section for study selection, and review articles may use *, **, and *** footnotes in tables to indicate significance levels.
Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Research Letter

Cover Letter A cover letter must be submitted.
Abstract Research Letters do not require a full abstract, but a one-sentence summary is recommended in the abstract field under the heading Abstract. Research Letters do not include a full abstract. The recommended abstract field entry should appear under the heading Abstract.
Manuscript Research Letters must not exceed 1,000 words. Research Letters must use the main headings Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Manuscripts must include 5-10 keywords separated by semicolons, disclose any use of generative AI in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, include an alphabetized Abbreviations section for abbreviations used in the abstract or main text, and include a Conflicts of Interest section stating "None declared" if applicable.
References Research Letters must include no more than 10 references. References should be formatted according to AMA style. References must be numbered in the order cited and each journal reference must include a PMID or DOI if available.
Figures & Tables Research Letters must include no more than 2 tables or figures. Tables must be embedded in the manuscript near first mention, while figures should remain in the manuscript file for peer review and also be uploaded separately as figure files. Tables must be created with the Word table function and figures require descriptive captions.
Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Case Report

Cover Letter A cover letter must be submitted.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 450 words. The abstract must be unstructured.
Manuscript Authors should aim for a maximum of 10,000 words in the main body. The manuscript must state the article type at the beginning just before the title. The manuscript must include 5-10 keywords, disclose any use of generative AI in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, include an alphabetized Abbreviations section for abbreviations used in the abstract or main text, include a Funding section, include a Conflicts of Interest section, and include a statement that patient consent was obtained.
References References must be formatted according to AMA style. References must be cited and listed in numerical order and each reference must include a DOI, PMID, ISBN, or functional URL with an access date when applicable.
Figures & Tables Case Reports should include at least one clinical image, and authors are encouraged to include no more than 8 figures and no more than 5 tables. Tables must be embedded in the manuscript near first mention, while figures should remain in the manuscript file for review and also be uploaded separately. Tables must be created with Word's table function in portrait orientation with descriptive captions, and figures must have descriptive captions.
Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Letter To The Editor

Cover Letter A cover letter must be submitted.
Abstract Abstract is not required for Letter To The Editor.
Manuscript Letter To The Editor must comment on a previously published article in a JMIR Publications journal, usually not older than 6 months, and must provide important additional information or critical questions that add value to understanding the published paper. The manuscript must include 5-10 keywords or key phrases separated by semicolons and must disclose any use of generative AI in the Methods or Acknowledgments section.
References References must be formatted according to AMA style. References must be cited in square brackets in numerical order of appearance and listed in numerical order with a DOI or PMID when available.
Figures & Tables Authors are encouraged to include no more than 5 tables and no more than 8 figures. Tables must be embedded in the manuscript near their first mention, while figures should remain in the manuscript file for peer review and also be uploaded separately as PNG files. Tables must be created with Word’s table function in portrait orientation, and pie charts, word clouds, and simple bar graphs are not permitted as main figures.
Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Recent Publications

User-Centered Design and Evaluation of a “Lehuo Pingpang” Exergame for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cross-Sectional Convergent Mixed Methods Study

Xi Chen, Hongting Ning, Lin Peng, Chi Zhang, Jiaji Zhang, Dian Jiang, Xiaoyang Li, Xiao Wan, Jundan Huang, Qi Xie, Weiping Huang, Juanfang Jiang, Hui Feng

10.2196/93081
View Publication

Design, Implementation, and Effectiveness of Virtual Reality and Digital Simulation Tools for Pediatric Dental Behavior Management Education: Systematic Review

Qiongling Shi, Lihua Lyu, Jun He, Wenxiang Jiang, Mingli Pang, Jinsong Chen, Zhifang Wu

10.2196/89738
View Publication

Needs, Acceptability, and Functional Requirements of Gamified Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training Kits Among Children and Their Parents in China: Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study

Pan Wang, Zeya Shi, Furong Xu, Ying Huang, Yu Tian

10.2196/88145
View Publication

Correction: The Mechanism and Design Principles of Serious Games in Enhancing Adolescents’ Internet Adaptability

Shijie Gao, Min Jia, Weijun Wang, Jianping Hu, Shihao Ma

10.2196/100612
View Publication

Investigating the Usability of a Multidimensional Metaverse Rehabilitation Platform for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer: Mixed Research Design Experiment

Yuru Hu, Zheng Ruan, Huan Peng, Zhongmou Huang, Xinhui Yu, Lu Cai, Yao Xiao, Bo Chen, Xinyu Huang, Qiufen Sun, Haiyan Zhuo, Qu Shen

10.2196/63543
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

Open peer review periods listed include April 23, 2026 to June 18, 2026; April 20, 2026 to June 15, 2026; April 19, 2026 to June 14, 2026; April 17, 2026 to June 12, 2026; April 15, 2026 to June 10, 2026; April 10, 2026 to June 05, 2026; April 09, 2026 to June 04, 2026; April 01, 2026 to May 27, 2026; and March 27, 2026 to May 22, 2026.

Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Is a cover letter required?

A cover letter is mentioned for APF waiver requests with a compelling justification on submission.

Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

What are the publication costs?

Article processing fee: $2950 USD payable upon acceptance. Modified APF: $2360 for Viewpoints and $1475 for Research Letters.

Reformat to JMIR Serious Games using Livewrite Premium

Research Topics

Educational Games and Gamification Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Digital Mental Health Interventions Impact of Technology on Adolescents Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare Mobile Health and mHealth Applications Physical Activity and Health Child Development and Digital Technology Behavioral Health and Interventions Technology Use by Older Adults Children's Physical and Motor Development Surgical Simulation and Training Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet Augmented Reality Applications Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders Cognitive Abilities and Testing Media Influence and Health Mental Health Research Topics Aging and Gerontology Research COVID-19 and Mental Health Pediatric Pain Management Techniques Eating Disorders and Behaviors

Related Journals

BA
Biosafety and Health Elsevier BV
OA
Occupational and Environmental Medicine BMJ
JO
Journal of Health and Social Behavior SAGE Publishing
CE
Clinical Epidemiology Dove Medical Press
JO
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health Elsevier BV
JM
JMIR mHealth and uHealth JMIR Publications