Leveraging Idle Games to Incentivize Intermittent and Frequent Practice of Deep Breathing

The need for frequent and brief practice in deep breathing presents challenges in maintaining motivation and consistency. While persuasive technologies have been shown to improve engagement in therapeutic exercises, there is a lack of insight into specific motivational strategies for such intermittent activities. We investigate how idle games can incentivize behaviors like deep breathing and identify specific mechanics for fostering an optimal practice cycle. We illustrate this approach in a game called BreathPurr-suade. After validating the physiological efficacy of the embedded breathing guide, our four-week study revealed idle games are more effective in maintaining deep breathing adherence than a standard breathing guide. Our work highlights the capacity of idle games to foster deep breathing, revealing their efficacy in subtle persuasive game designs that encourage intermittent therapeutic practices.