Comparative Analysis of Cybersecurity Awareness Games
Szandra Anna Laczi, Szabolcs István Szabó, Valéria Póser · 2025
With an increasingly active presence in the digital space, the$10-18$age group is particularly exposed to cyberspace threats, while their digital security skills are still developing. Cybersecurity awareness games can be an effective tool to identify and address online threats, especially when they include gamification elements to increase engagement and learning effectiveness. In our research, we analysed a number of free-toplay cybersecurity games, examining their content and pedagogical characteristics, as well as their popularity among the target population. While the availability of these games is useful and necessary, we found that young people often do not choose them on their own initiative, suggesting that motivational factors and design need further improvement. The aim of our study is to evaluate these games according to specific criteria and to draw conclusions about the possibilities for improving their effectiveness. The results could contribute to making gamified forms of cybersecurity education more widely available and attractive to young people, thus promoting more aware online behaviour and digital self-protection.