When Play Hurts: Understanding Common Barriers in Movement-Based Games

Exergames promise enjoyable physical activity through gameplay, yet players often face barriers that undermine engagement, safety, and retention. To date, knowledge about which barriers are encountered by end-users of commercial exergames and which mitigation strategies are used is limited. To address this gap, we conducted an online survey with 174 participants and provide a comprehensive organization of 60 reported barriers across six categories: physical, mental, social, environmental, technological, and game design. Key barriers include space limitations, social discomfort, addictive gameplay, and injuries. Our analysis reveals that while players try to mitigate barriers through ad-hoc strategies, issues like embarrassment, addiction, and harassment remain difficult to overcome. These findings highlight the need for more adaptive game designs, including dynamic spatial adjustments, personalized pacing mechanisms, and supportive social features. This work advances the understanding of exergame barriers and their impact and offers actionable insights for designing more inclusive and resilient movement-based games.