ChillFish: A Respiration Game for Children with ADHD

Abstract

Breathing exercises can help children with ADHD control their stress level, but it can be hard for a child to sustain attention throughout such an exercise. In this paper, we present ChillFish, a breath-controlled biofeedback game designed in collaboration with ADHD professionals to investigate the possibilities of combining breathing exercises and game design. Based on a pilot study with 16 adults, we found that playing ChillFish had a positive effect, helping the participants to reach a relaxed state similar to the one offered by traditional breathing exercises. Further, we analyze the opportunities and challenges of creating a tangible respiration-based controller and use it as a core game mechanic. Finally, we discuss the challenge of balancing engagement and relaxation in physically controlled games for children with ADHD in order to make a game that can be calming and still sustain their attention.