Psyon Games, an award-winning health games studio, announces a new initiative designed to explore the power of games to raise awareness about the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The project aims to increase awareness of the lifesaving potential of HPV vaccine through the help of a digital game and will be backed by Cameroon based developer Joinplay Games.

Michel Nkuindja recently joined Psyon Games as a Creative & Market Specialist for the HPV Vaccine Awareness Game Initiative!

Speaking on the initiative, Michel Nkuindja said, “This project is a big step for African-led gaming initiatives with social impact. With Psyon Games leading and backing from the Gates Foundation, WHO, and Gavi, it highlights how games can drive real change beyond entertainment.

Through Joinplay Games (a branch from Noohkema Interactive Inc. based in Cameroon) , my role is to ensure the game is culturally relevant, visually immersive, and linguistically accessible. I focus on art direction, storytelling, and localization, making sure it resonates with diverse African audiences. This initiative also opens doors for collaboration between Finnish and African studios, creating new opportunities for joint development and knowledge exchange.“

Known for its games that build health awareness, Psyon Games has previously partnered with organizations such as WHO, Gavi, and Unicef Finland on their title Antidote COVID-19, which became the only COVID-19-themed game approved by WHO, Apple, and Google during the pandemic. Antidote COVID-19 was featured in an academic study on emotional engagement in game-based learning, which strongly validated the game’s ability to raise situational interest and positive epistemic emotions about the learning topic.

Psyon Games’ prior work shows that game-based health awareness methods can achieve higher engagement rates and longer-lasting impacts compared to traditional campaigns. This approach can also enhance other campaign elements, such as social media reach and web traffic, extending their value beyond the initial launch. Games developed for such purposes often remain effective tools for years, benefiting schools, healthcare professionals, and community health programs.

Following the completion of the feasibility study in mid-2025, Psyon Games will seek additional funding for the development and deployment of the full-scale HPV awareness game. The project will be developed in direct collaboration with key stakeholders including subject matter experts and experts to ensure cultural, contextual, and scientific relevance. Planned participants include public health organizations, NGOs, governments, educators, community leaders, parents, healthcare providers, and the intended vaccination cohorts.

Psyon Games welcomes new partners to join them in this initiative which reflects broader efforts to explore innovative ways of addressing global health challenges through technology and interactivity.

Olli Rundgren, Founder & CEO at Psyon Games commented: “Games have a unique ability to transform complex health challenges into engaging experiences. This collaboration combines global health expertise with innovative game design to tackle HPV vaccination barriers. By merging behavioral science with interactive design, we plan to create a tool that amplifies HPV vaccination awareness in ways traditional campaigns cannot. Our mission is to create the most impactful vaccine awareness tool ever, increasing campaign effectiveness by 10–30 times compared to traditional methods.”