ALJO Games: Reimagining Play for People Living with Dementia

ALJO Games is a Sheffield-based creative technology company that develops games, delivers educational workshops and enrichment activities, and creates interactive installations designed to engage the public and communities that may be disconnected from technology. Established six years ago, with over 13 years of games industry experience behind the business, ALJO Games has developed a strong reputation for making technology more accessible, approachable and meaningful for diverse audiences.

The Challenge

ALJO Games approached the South Yorkshire Innovation Programme (SYIP) to explore how games and interactive technology could improve engagement and wellbeing for people living with dementia. 

The project was driven by the recognition that while the average age of gamers continues to rise, traditional games controllers often present a significant barrier to participation for older generations and those unfamiliar with digital technology. Care settings face increasing challenges around loneliness, boredom and loss of agency among residents living with dementia. Many existing sensory technologies are expensive, technically complex or fail to provide meaningful interaction tailored to individual needs and interests.

The Project

With support from SYIP, ALJO Games investigated whether replacing conventional games controllers with more familiar household objects, such as teapots, watering cans and Dutch pots, could make technology more intuitive and engaging for people living with dementia. Participants were invited to create their own game controllers using materials including card, tin foil, pipe cleaners and clothes pegs. These custom interfaces controlled simple games featuring colourful LED displays and nature-based sounds, designed to stimulate memories, encourage interaction and, most importantly, creating more enjoyable experiences.

The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme provided ALJO Games with access to specialist research expertise, practical support and established community networks that would otherwise have been difficult and time-consuming to build independently.

The project was delivered in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies: Dr Landon Peck and Dr Jenni MacRitchie, and School of Medicine and Population Health: Dr Phil Joddrell. These researchers supported the project through co-design activities, ethical frameworks, participant engagement and specialist knowledge in physical interaction and dementia-friendly technology design. This collaborative approach enabled the project to achieve significant progress within the six-month programme.

ALJO Games also worked closely with local charities, support organisations and community groups across South Yorkshire.

Over four community sessions, the project engaged local support groups and people living with dementia, generating valuable insights into accessible technology design. The workshops demonstrated how tailored, familiar interfaces can help overcome barriers to technology use, while also fostering creativity, social interaction and a sense of agency among participants. 

Outcomes and Impact

The project delivered valuable insight into designing playful and meaningful technology experiences for older people and those living with dementia, and the findings are now informing future enrichment activities and funding applications focused on supporting independence and wellbeing through technology.

One particularly successful session was delivered with Sheffield Memory Hub, a support group for people of Caribbean heritage living with dementia. Working alongside the Memory Hub Project Coordinator, Carl Case, ALJO Games tailored activities to reflect the interests and culture of attendees. During the session, participants sang Caribbean folk songs, formed hand-holding circuits that triggered sounds and lights, and created bespoke controllers inspired by handbags, lanterns, birds, sharks and maps of Caribbean islands.

The project generated extensive video, written and verbal feedback, with findings captured in a research report produced by Dr Landon Peck. The work has also created new opportunities for ALJO Games, which plans to expand its enrichment activities for people living with dementia and seek further funding through the BRIDGES network.

The findings were additionally shared with a wider audience through a presentation at the Electromagnetic Fields Camp, helping to raise awareness of the role technology can play in supporting people living with dementia.

To summarise their experience with the programme, Alex Johansson, Director of ALJO Games, said:

‘The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme has been extremely useful. Getting access and guidance from cutting edge researchers in such a specialised field right on my doorstep has been fantastic.’

SYIP supports organisations across the region to innovate and grow; develop new ideas, improve processes, access new markets, and launch new products or services.

To find out more about SYIP and how we could help your organisation innovate, please contact us at innovation@shu.ac.uk.

The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme is being delivered by Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with The University of Sheffield and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and is part-funded by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.