][]  
Article  
Gamification Software to educate against Cyber Addiction  
and Digital Threats  
Software de gamificación para educar contra la  
ciberadicción y las amenazas digitales  
Alexander Rangel 1∗ Jose Peña 2  
Alejandro Cuello 3  
Ana Meza 4  
and Julian Castro 5  
1
Mathematics Program, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, 80003, Colombia; alexanderrangel@uninorte.edu.co;  
mezaana@uninorte.edu.co; cjcalvo@uninorte.edu.co  
2
Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, 80003, Colombia; pjosed@uninorte.edu.co;  
mcalejandro@uninorte.edu.co  
∗
Correspondence: alexanderrangel@uninorte.edu.co  
Citation: Rangel, A.; Peña, J.; Cuello, A.; Meza, A.; Castro, J. Gamification Software to educate against Cyber Addiction and Digital  
Threats. OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8. https://doi.org/10.70554/OBJK2025.v01n02.08  
Received: 13/08/2025, Accepted: 29/09/2025, Published: 06/11/2025  
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70554/OBJK2025.v01n02.08  
Abstract: This project addresses the growing need to educate teenagers on digital security practices and emotional  
well-being through an interactive video game inspired by “My Talking Tom.” The game features a cat character who  
faces daily situations involving phishing, spoofing, and cyber addiction, where players must guide it to make responsible  
decisions that affect its self-esteem bar. The project followed an agile development approach, including stages of  
requirements analysis, design, implementation, and testing. The results of the usability evaluation, conducted with 20  
teenagers, showed a 91% task success rate and an average satisfaction score of 4.3 out of 5. Participants demonstrated  
improved understanding of digital risks and reflected positively on how their decisions influenced online safety. The  
conclusions indicate that the objectives were successfully achieved, as the video game effectively combined entertainment  
and education, promoting awareness and responsible digital behavior among teenagers. Identified limitations include  
the variety of scenarios and dependence on access to technological resources. Overall, the game represents an innovative  
and valuable educational tool for strengthening digital literacy and emotional self-management in youth.  
Keywords: Cyber addiction; Cybersecurity education; Educational video games; Emotional well-being; Gamification.  
Resumen: Este proyecto aborda la creciente necesidad de educar a los adolescentes en prácticas de seguridad digital y  
bienestar emocional mediante un videojuego interactivo inspirado en “My Talking Tom”. El protagonista es un gato  
que enfrenta situaciones cotidianas relacionadas con el phishing, el spoofing y la ciberadicción, donde los jugadores  
deben orientarlo para tomar decisiones responsables que afectan su barra de autoestima. El desarrollo siguió un enfoque  
ágil, que incluyó las fases de análisis de requerimientos, diseño, implementación y pruebas. Los resultados de la  
evaluación de usabilidad, realizada con 20 adolescentes, mostraron una tasa de éxito del 91% y un nivel promedio de  
satisfacción de 4.3 sobre 5. Los participantes demostraron una mejor comprensión de los riesgos digitales y reflexionaron  
sobre cómo sus decisiones influyen en la seguridad en línea. Las conclusiones indican que los objetivos se cumplieron  
satisfactoriamente, ya que el videojuego combinó de manera efectiva el entretenimiento y la educación, fomentando  
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8.  
https://revistasescuelanaval.com/obk/  
© 2026 by authors.  
Licensed by Escuela Naval de Cadetes "Almirante Padilla", COL.  
This article is freely accessible and distributed under the terms and conditions  
of Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).  
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
2 of 9  
la conciencia y el comportamiento responsable en el entorno digital. Se identificaron como limitaciones la cantidad de  
escenarios disponibles y la dependencia de recursos tecnológicos. En conjunto, el videojuego representa una herramienta  
educativa innovadora y valiosa para fortalecer la alfabetización digital y la autorregulación emocional en los adolescentes.  
Palabras clave: Bienestar emocional; Ciberadicción; Educación en ciberseguridad; Gamificación; Videojuegos educativos.  
1. Introduction  
In today’s hyperconnected world, teenagers are immersed in a digital environment that provides  
unprecedented opportunities for learning, communication, and entertainment, but also exposes them to a  
wide range of cyber risks. Threats such as phishing, spoofing, identity theft, and cyber addiction not only  
compromise personal data and online security, but also have a direct impact on adolescents’ emotional and  
psychological well-being. The increasing dependence on digital platforms and social networks has intensified  
adolescents’ vulnerability to manipulation, misinformation, and social pressure. Despite this reality, digital  
security education and emotional self-regulation are often insufficiently addressed within formal educational  
curricula, leaving young users without the necessary skills to identify and respond effectively to online  
threats.  
Addressing this gap requires innovative pedagogical approaches that go beyond traditional instructional  
methods. Gamification, defined as the application of game design elements in non-entertainment contexts,  
has emerged as an effective educational strategy to enhance motivation, engagement, and learning retention  
among students. By embedding educational content within interactive and playful environments, gamified  
systems allow learners to experiment with decision-making processes, observe consequences, and reflect  
on their actions in a safe and controlled setting. In recent years, serious games focused on cybersecurity  
education have demonstrated positive outcomes in increasing awareness and encouraging responsible digital  
behavior.  
Within this context, this project proposes the development of an interactive educational video game  
aimed at raising awareness among teenagers about cyber risks and emotional self-regulation. The game  
follows the narrative of a cat character inspired by *My Talking Tom*, who encounters everyday digital  
situations involving threats such as suspicious messages, fraudulent websites, and excessive device usage.  
Players are required to guide the character’s decisions, with each choice dynamically influencing a self-esteem  
indicator that represents the balance between emotional stability and responsible digital behavior. Rather  
than presenting binary correct or incorrect responses, the game encourages critical thinking and ethical  
reflection, allowing players to better understand the real-life implications of their online actions.  
The primary objective of this initiative is to create a meaningful learning experience that integrates  
cybersecurity education with emotional intelligence through an engaging digital platform. By combining con-  
textual learning, adaptive feedback, and decision-based scenarios, the proposed solution seeks to strengthen  
teenagers’ ability to recognize digital threats, regulate their emotions, and adopt safer online habits. In  
doing so, the project contributes to the promotion of responsible digital citizenship, complementing formal  
education with a technological tool that is both educational and engaging.  
The structure of this paper is as follows. Section 2 describes the main contributions of the proposed  
work. Section 3 reviews relevant related studies on cybersecurity education, gamification, and digital well-  
being. Section 4 details the methodological approach and development process of the video game. Section 5  
presents and discusses the results obtained from the functionality and usability evaluations. Finally, Section 6  
summarizes the main conclusions and outlines future improvements and research directions.  
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
3 of 9  
2. Contributions  
This research presents the following contributions:  
i.  
This work presents the design and development of an educational gamification-based software  
application aimed at raising awareness among teenagers about cyber addiction and common digital  
threats, including phishing and spoofing, by integrating cybersecurity concepts with emotional  
self-regulation mechanisms.  
ii.  
It proposes an interactive video game model in which user decisions dynamically affect an emotional  
feedback indicator (self-esteem bar), enabling players to reflect on the consequences of their digital  
behavior in a safe and engaging learning environment.  
iii.  
iv.  
It applies an agile software development methodology to combine pedagogical objectives with tech-  
nical implementation, covering requirements analysis, game design, implementation, and usability  
evaluation.  
It provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of gamified learning for cybersecurity education  
through usability testing with adolescents, demonstrating high task success rates, user satisfaction,  
and improved understanding of digital risks.  
3. Related Works  
This project explores topics such as cybercrimes and cybersecurity, particularly in the context of an  
educational video game aimed at raising awareness of online risks, including phishing, identity theft, cyber  
addiction, and the responsible use of Information, Communication, and Relationship Technologies (ICRT). A  
relevant study validated a cybercrime awareness scale among university students, highlighting factors like  
phishing, spamming, antivirus effectiveness, and online bullying [8]. A 20-item questionnaire was applied to  
372 students, revealing difficulties in identifying fraudulent sites and a lack of familiarity with data protection  
practices. Engineering students demonstrated greater awareness compared to other faculties, likely due to  
their technical training and familiarity with cybersecurity topics. The scale’s high reliability (Cronbach’s  
alpha of 0.892) makes it useful for measuring and improving preparedness against cyber threats.  
Regarding identity theft, another study addressed this issue on social media, where cybercriminals use  
phishing techniques to steal credentials through fraudulent emails [  
two-step authentication was emphasized, as studies by Google and Microsoft showed that it can block up  
to 99% of phishing attacks [ ]. Recent studies have also shown that gamified approaches can significantly  
improve cybersecurity awareness, as they combine active learning and decision-making in realistic virtual  
scenarios [ ]. Additionally, victims of identity theft were encouraged to capture evidence for reporting the  
4;5]. The importance of implementing  
3
6
crime, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity education and the adoption of authentication tools.  
The relationship between identity theft and phishing was investigated in another study, which described  
how both methods are used together to commit financial fraud or damage victims’ reputations [7]. To delve  
deeper into the issue, laws and jurisprudence on unauthorized system access and disclosure of secrets were  
reviewed. The study concluded that the lack of security measures, such as two-step authentication, facilitates  
these crimes and highlighted the need for reforms in the Penal Code to address identity theft in digital  
environments.  
On the other hand, a project related to cyber addiction and other digital risks used the Service-Learning  
(SL) methodology with secondary school students to raise awareness about cyberbullying, grooming, and  
sexting aligning with previous studies that have highlighted how excessive internet use can affect students’  
academic performance and emotional balance [1]. Fourth-year students trained their first-year peers us-  
ing collaborative materials, increasing awareness of cyber addiction and promoting the responsible use of  
ICRT. The evaluation phase showed significant improvements in students’ perceptions of digital risks and  
the importance of healthy leisure options. Similarly, gamified learning environments that integrate emo-  
tional feedback and decision-based interactions have proven to enhance both digital literacy and emotional  
awareness among students [9]. These findings are consistent with the conclusions of [2], who identified  
maladaptive patterns of ICT use among adolescents, emphasizing the importance of digital supervision and  
stress management strategies in educational contexts.  
   
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
4 of 9  
These studies and projects underscore the importance of addressing cybercrimes and digital security  
comprehensively, proposing education, security measures, and legislative reforms as pillars for protection in  
the online environment.  
4. Methodology  
The development of the video game followed an agile software development approach, specifically  
inspired by the Scrum framework, due to its iterative structure, adaptability, and emphasis on user feedback.  
This methodology was chosen instead of the traditional Waterfall model because it allows for continuous  
evaluation and refinement of the game mechanics and interface design. Given that the project involves  
both technical and pedagogical dimensions, the agile approach ensured that educational objectives and user  
experience evolved in parallel throughout the process.  
The project was organized into four key phases, each associated with specific goals, activities, and  
deliverables.  
•
Phase 1. Requirements Analysis and Conceptual Design: This initial phase focused on identifying the  
educational goals, defining the target audience, and selecting the main topics to be addressed: phishing,  
spoofing, and cyber addiction. The outcomes of this phase included the functional and non-functional  
requirements, user stories, and a conceptual model for how digital threats would be represented through  
gameplay scenarios.  
•
•
•
Phase 2. Game Design and Prototyping: In this stage, the project team designed the narrative structure,  
interface layout, and game mechanics. The team developed mockups and diagrams to define relation-  
ships between entities such as the cat, the problems, and the self-esteem bar. A low-fidelity prototype  
was implemented to test usability and initial gameplay flow with a sample group of users.  
Phase 3. Implementation and Integration: The game was developed in Java using the NetBeans  
IDE, selected for its robustness, portability, and object-oriented programming support. The code  
implementation included the management of scenarios, player decisions, and adaptive scoring logic.  
The class diagram illustrating the main entities and their interactions is shown in Figure 1.  
Phase 4. Testing and Evaluation: Finally, the system underwent usability and educational impact testing.  
Twenty teenagers aged 13–18 participated in a usability session following Maze and Nielsen Norman  
Group guidelines. Metrics such as task success rate, error rate, and satisfaction level were collected to  
validate the game’s effectiveness and user experience. Feedback obtained from these sessions guided  
refinements in the interface and overall gameplay dynamics.  
5. Results  
This section presents the results obtained from the implementation and evaluation of the video game,  
following the stages described in the methodology. The main objective of this phase was to verify the correct  
functioning of the system, its usability, and its potential educational impact on teenagers.  
5.1. Functionality Evidence  
Functional tests were conducted to confirm that the game performed as expected according to the defined  
requirements. These tests verified the proper operation of the character’s self-esteem bar, the generation  
of problems and options in each scenario, and the management of player decisions. The evaluation also  
included error handling tests, such as name validation and prevention of empty fields, ensuring the game’s  
stability and reliability (Figure 2).  
The game successfully met its functional objectives, allowing the player to interact naturally with the cat  
and make decisions that affected its emotional state. The responses varied according to the type of situation  
(phishing, spoofing, or cyber addiction), and each option had a specific effect on the score. These behaviors  
confirmed that the logic of the program was consistent with the design established during development  
(Figure 3).  
   
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
5 of 9  
Figure 1. Class Diagram of the video game structure.  
Source: The authors.  
Figure 2. Main screen of the video game showing the start menu.  
Source: The authors.  
5.2. Usability Test  
To evaluate the user experience, a usability test was carried out following the guidelines proposed by  
Maze and the Nielsen Norman Group. A group of 20 teenagers between 13 and 18 years old participated in  
the activity. Each participant played five complete rounds of the game and answered a short questionnaire  
about their experience.  
The following aspects were measured during the test:  
   
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
6 of 9  
Figure 3. Example of an interactive scenario where the player must choose among different options after receiving a  
suspicious email.  
Source: The authors.  
•
•
•
Task success rate: 91% of participants completed all five rounds without major difficulties.  
Error rate: Less than 30% of users reported minor navigation issues.  
Satisfaction level: On a scale from 1 to 5, the game achieved an average satisfaction score of 4.3.  
The participants expressed that the interface was clear, the controls were easy to use, and the topics were  
realistic and relevant to their daily lives. Some users suggested adding more scenarios and customization  
options for the main character to make the experience more engaging (Figure 4).  
Figure 4. This screen presents the tutorial that introduces the player to the purpose and mechanics of the game.  
Source: The authors.  
5.3. Evaluation Procedure  
Functional tests were conducted to confirm that the game performed as expected according to the defined  
requirements. These tests verified the proper operation of the character’s self-esteem bar, the generation  
of problems and options in each scenario, and the management of player decisions. The evaluation also  
   
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
7 of 9  
included error handling tests, such as name validation and prevention of empty fields, ensuring the game’s  
stability and reliability.  
The game successfully met its functional objectives, allowing the player to interact naturally with the cat  
and make decisions that affected its emotional state. The responses varied according to the type of situation  
(phishing, spoofing, or cyber addiction), and each option had a specific effect on the score. These behaviors  
confirmed that the logic of the program was consistent with the design established during development.  
5.4. Summary of Results  
The results demonstrate that the video game fulfills its functional and educational purposes, successfully  
capturing user attention and promoting awareness of digital risks and emotional well-being. The usability  
test confirmed that the interface is intuitive and the game mechanics are engaging. Moreover, the responses  
from participants indicated a better understanding of cybersecurity practices and responsible technology use.  
Future versions are expected to include new scenarios and additional features to enhance the educational  
experience.  
6. Conclusions  
The development of the video game provided an interactive and educational approach to addressing  
issues related to cybersecurity and emotional well-being in teenagers. The main objective of the project, to  
create a learning tool that promotes awareness and responsible behavior in the digital environment, was  
successfully achieved. The results obtained during the testing phase demonstrated that the game effectively  
captured users’ attention and encouraged reflection on the consequences of their online decisions. The  
functionality tests confirmed that the system operates correctly according to the defined requirements,  
while the usability evaluation indicated a high level of satisfaction among participants. However, some  
limitations were identified, particularly regarding the variety of scenarios available in the current version  
and the dependence on access to technological resources, which could restrict its use in certain educational  
environments. Based on these findings, future improvements are expected to focus on expanding the range  
of scenarios related to cybersecurity and emotional health, incorporating customization features for the  
main character and environment to enhance player engagement, integrating analytical tools to measure  
educational impact, and developing multiplatform versions to reach a broader audience. In conclusion, the  
video game represents a valuable and innovative educational resource that combines entertainment and  
learning, contributing to the promotion of digital literacy and emotional self-management among teenagers.  
Author Contributions: Alexander Rangel: Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition. Jose Peña:  
Software, Visualization, Data curation. Alejandro Cuello: Investigation, Resources, Data curation. Ana Meza: Con-  
ceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft. Julian Castro: Validation, Formal analysis, Writing – review &  
editing.  
All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Please refer to the CRediT taxonomy for the  
definitions of the terms. Authorship is limited to those who have made substantial contributions to the reported work.  
Funding: This research received no external funding.  
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable, since the present study does not involvehuman personnel or  
animals.  
Informed Consent Statement: This study is limited to the use of technological resources, so nohuman personnel or  
animals are involved.  
Conflicts of Interest: Under the authorship of this research, it is declared that there is no conflict of interest with the  
present research.  
References  
1. Cobacango, M. J., Cedeño, V. P., and Tinoco, M. G. (2019). La ciberadicción en la conducta de los estudiantes. Revista  
Atlante: Cuadernos de Educación y Desarrollo, 11763:1–13.  
   
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
8 of 9  
2. Díaz-López, A., Maquilón, J. J., and Mirete, A. B. (2020). Uso desadaptativo de las tic en adolescentes: Perfiles,  
supervisión y estrés tecnológico. Revista Científica de Educomunicación, (64):29–38.  
3. Harán, J. M. (2019). Doble factor de autenticación: la solución más efectiva para prevenir el secuestro de cuentas.  
4. Harán, J. M. (2020). El 99,9% de las cuentas vulneradas no utilizan doble factor de autenticación.  
5. INCIBE (2023). Suplantación y robo de identidad en las redes sociales, un riesgo para las empresas.  
6. Katsantonis, I., Karagiannopoulos, V., Tzafilkou, K., and Protogeros, N. (2022). Gamification in cybersecurity education:  
A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 191:104642.  
7. Pedrero Zornoza, J. (2020). Suplantación de identidad.  
8. Ramírez Asís, E. H., Norabuena Figueroa, R. P., Toledo Quiñones, R. E., and Henostroza Márquez Mázmela, P. R.  
(2022). Validación de una escala de conciencia sobre ciberdelito en estudiantes universitarios de perú. Revista Científica  
General José María Córdova, 20(37):209–224.  
9. Villagrasa, S., Fonseca, D., Redondo, E., and Duran, J. (2018). Teaching case of gamification and visual technologies for  
education. Journal of Cases on Information Technology, 20(2):38–55.  
Authors’ Biography  
Alexander Rangel V. Mathematics student at the Universidad del Norte.  
Jose Peña C. Systems Engineering student at the Universidad del Norte.  
Alejandro Cuello N. Systems Engineering student at the Universidad del Norte.  
Ana Meza G. Mathematics student at the Universidad del Norte  
               
OnBoard Knowledge Journal 2025, 1, 8  
9 of 9  
Julian Castro C. Mathematics student at the Universidad del Norte  
Disclaimer/Editor’s Note: Statements, opinions, and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual  
authors and contributors and not of the OnBoard Knowledge Journal and/or the editor(s), disclaiming any responsibility  
for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions, or products referred to in the  
content.