New game app developed to raise HIV awareness

MANILA, Philippines — To curb the HIV epidemic around the world, a new game application conceptualized by a Filipino scientist has been developed to raise awareness about the deadly disease. 

Dubbed as Battle in the Blood (#BitB), the app is a unique puzzle and turn-based combat mobile game designed to influence social norms, knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDs.

It aims to challenge the belief that infected individuals can no longer live a long and fulfilling life.

According to Emmanuel Baja, a research associate professor at the Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institute of Health of the University of the Philippines-Manila, #BitB is a “digital advocacy gaming application” that has been developed to help address the barriers to HIV testing and counseling.

“The problem here in the Philippines is the stigma and the lack of information on HIV, especially among the MSMs (males having sex with males). They are afraid to undergo testing. They don’t want to go to clinics because they are afraid of the possible results,” he told The STAR.

“#BitB game is the first gaming app that would hopefully help increase the uptake of HIV testing and treatment in the Philippines…It very powerful communication tool to address the stigma of HIV especially among young MSMs and transgender women who are at a higher risk for HIV infection,” he added.

“We want the public to know that there are medications for HIV. It is chronic like diabetes and that you can still live a normal life if you take your medicine and observe healthy lifestyle,” he added.

Baja is also the principal investigator of the HIV Gaming, Engaging and Testing (GET Tested) project. 

While the idea of #BitB came from him, Baja said the game is a collaborative effort between the Philippine team from UP Manila and the United Kingdom team from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, “from the development of the game to the final game product.” 

With funding coming from the UK government, the gaming app will be available for free at Google Play and Apple Store on Nov. 26, but the official launch will be on Dec. 1 coinciding with World AIDS Day.

Baja said that using technology to combat HIV is one of the best strategies now since technology is also driving the epidemic around the world, especially among the youth. 

It took almost a year to transform the game design document into a game ready for release through agile software development using repeated internal and external testing sessions. 

Baja said players journey across 90 levels battling HIV and his army of co-infections. On the way, they witness eight short stories about people with HIV that they are helping.

“Players can customize their own game and they can customize their own avatar. It could be transgender, a woman or a man. The avatar is gender fluid with a wide range of hairstyles and outfits,” he added.

Each story is told using a dynamic 2D comic book Manga-style animation, a popular art form in the Philippines.

Each story also shows the character demonstrating courage in overcoming real fears and barriers to HIV testing and treatment. The player must complete a batch of 10 levels to see how each short story ends. 

A twist at the end results in the player choosing how the story ends for the 8th character. 

Unlike other games that make players pay for an extra life or in-game bonus, #BitB players will answer a simple question to gain an extra life and another chance to beat the level.