Development and Impact Analysis of a VR Serious Game for Raising Awareness of Stray Dog Issues

This Study developed a VR functional game that allows players to experience the life of a stray dog and analyzed the effects of this experience on improving awareness and perception of stray dogs. The game was designed to enhance realism by providing a first-person perspective as a stray dog and simulating various situations that stray dogs typically encounter. A pre- and post-survey was conducted with 20 adult participants to measure changes in perception. The results showed that after experiencing the game, participants demonstrated increased understanding of the realities faced by stray dogs, improved perceptions, greater interest in the issue, and a higher willingness to adopt stray dogs. These findings indicate that the design elements of the VR functional game—such as perspective, realism, and immersion— contribute positively to fostering empathy and improving perceptions toward stray dogs.