Gaming demonstrates its therapeutic potential for older adults during an intergenerational event at the Video Game Campus

Madrid in Game has held a new edition of the Intergenerational Gaming Sessions at the Video Game Campus, in collaboration with Golden Gamers Go, a startup accelerated through the Start IN Up Program. The event brought together students from SEK-Ciudalcampo school, older adults with cognitive impairment from the Neurovida and Vida Blanca day centres, and students from Universidad Europea and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, in a shared experience that helped showcase how video games can become a useful tool beyond entertainment.

During the event, held at the Esports Center, participants explored different video games and platforms through activities designed to encourage interaction between generations. Titles such as Nintendo Switch Sports, Mario Kart World, Street Fighter VI, Taiko no Tatsujin, Astro Bot and Sea of Thieves helped work on skills such as memory, coordination, attention, reflexes, decision-making and collaboration, while also fostering social and emotional exchange between young people and older adults.

The initiative once again highlighted the potential of gaming as a tool for cognitive, physical and emotional stimulation among older adults, whether or not they have cognitive impairment associated with conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. The event also helped challenge lingering prejudices around the use of video games in later life, aligning with Madrid in Game’s vision of showcasing the applications of video games in fields such as health, education and innovation.