Systematic Review of Serious Games in Higher Education: Objectives, Benefits, Limitations, and Perspectives

Serious games are increasingly being used to enhance learning in higher education. This systematic literature review analyzes 52 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2022 to assess the benefits and limitations of serious games for teaching and learning. To achieve this goal, we followed a rigorous methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The results show that serious games can improve motivation, engagement, and academic performance, but obstacles such as cost, and complexity hinder their broader adoption. Further research is needed to explore their optimal use in different disciplinary and educational contexts.