This study demonstrated the utility of an in-home intergenerational sexual health education game to impact parent-youth communication by short-term follow-up, with frequency of parent-youth sexual health communication and youth communication self-efficacy increasing in those playing SSS compared with those in the comparison group.
Frequency of parent-youth sexual health communication increased significantly in the intervention group compared to the comparison group.
Youth communication self-efficacy increased in those playing SSS compared with those in the comparison group.
Youth perceived parent-youth communication as more open after playing SSS.
Youth demonstrated significant improvement in condom and HIV/STI knowledge following SSS exposure.
Youth showed significant improvement in perceptions of parents' beliefs about sex after SSS exposure.
Usability ratings for the SSS game were higher for ease, credibility, and helpfulness but lower for duration and appeal.
The study sample consisted of parent-youth dyads with a predominantly female parent group and a mostly sexually inexperienced youth group.
The SSS intervention was designed to engage parents and youth in conversations about healthy dating relationships and sexual behavior and to provide sexual health skills training to youth.
This research suggests that an online video game called 'Secret of Seven Stones' (SSS), designed to be played by parents and their children together at home, can improve sexual health communication between parents and early adolescents (ages 11-14). The game consists of 18 levels and is paired with a parent website, aiming to encourage conversations about healthy relationships, sexual behavior, and to teach relevant health skills to young people. In a randomized study of 83 parent-child pairs, those who played the game showed significant improvements after three months in how often they talked about sexual health topics, how confident youth felt having those conversations, and how open youth perceived those conversations to be compared to a group that did not play the game. Youth who played SSS also showed significant gains in knowledge about condoms and HIV/sexually transmitted infections, as well as better understanding of their parents' attitudes about sex—all factors that can influence healthy decision-making as adolescents grow older. Nearly all youth in the study (96%) had not yet had sex, making this an appropriate age group for prevention-focused education. Parents in the study were predominantly mothers, and the sample included roughly equal proportions of white and non-white families. When participants rated the game itself, they gave high marks for being easy to use, credible, and helpful (all above 78%), but lower scores for how long it took to play and how entertaining it was (both below 56%), suggesting the game could be made shorter or more engaging in future versions. This research suggests that intergenerational games played at home can be a promising tool for opening up conversations about sexual health between parents and young teens, though longer-term studies are needed to determine whether these early communication gains translate into lasting behavioral differences.
Shegog R, Markham C, Peskin M, Addy R, Dube S, Maria D, et al.. (2026). The "Secret of Seven Stones": Short-Term Efficacy of an Online Intergenerational Sexual Health Education Game for Early Adolescents and Their Parents.. Games for health journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/2161783X251370416