The M.A.G.I.C. framework for mHealth development: applying game design principles from 'Magic: The Gathering'

With the rapid advancement of digital health technologies, developers and behavioral health experts are increasingly exploring unconventional methods to modernize technology-based clinical interventions. The primary aim of this paper is to outline game design principles and lessons described by the developers of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), one of the world's most popular and enduring fantasy role-playing card games, and explore how these tenets can be used to enhance mHealth (including wellness apps, wearable devices, and digital therapeutics). To accomplish this aim, we synthesized 20 lessons compiled by Mark Rosewater, the head designer of MTG, into a framework to aid development of digital health interventions, called the M.A.G.I.C. framework for mHealth. Key components of this framework include Mesmerization, Audience-centeredness, Goal-orientation, Individualization, and Community-drivenness. These elements, which helped to make MTG a worldwide success, can be used to create engaging, customizable, and user-friendly mHealth interventions. Thus, the M.A.G.I.C. framework for mHealth provides a template for mHealth development that encourages user engagement and maximizes the potential for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.