A comparison of the Don't Stop! Game and the Step it <scp>UP</scp> ! Game to increase step counts of adults with disabilities

Buckles and team asked adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities to play two step-count games. One game, Step it UP!, gives points to the team that walks the most. The other game, Don't Stop!, takes points away if anyone stands still. The researchers flipped the games every few days to see which one made people walk more.

Each adult wore a step counter. Staff set daily group goals and posted scores on a big sheet. At the end of the day the winning side got small prizes like stickers or candy.

Both games beat baseline walking. Some adults walked more with Step it UP!, others with Don't Stop!. When asked, most adults said they liked Don't Stop! better because it felt exciting to avoid losing points.

No one game was best for everyone. The key was choice: letting each adult stick with the game they enjoyed kept steps high.

Seward et al. (2024) already showed that longer Step it UP! sessions keep working. Buckles adds a second game and shows that preference, not just points, drives success.

May et al. (2020) used lottery tickets to push heart-rate in the same population. Buckles swaps money for game points and still raises activity, proving the game frame works as well as cash.

Batchelder et al. (2023) found that asking neurotypical adults to put down a $25 deposit cut program cost without hurting steps. Buckles keeps the low-cost angle: small candy prizes were enough when the game itself was fun.

You now have two ready-made group games that need almost no gear—just step counters and a poster. Run both for a week, let your adults vote, then stay with the winner. The study tells us the winning game is the one the clients say they like, not the one that scores highest on paper. Start Monday by trying both games for two days each and taking a quick poll; you can double step counts without extra staff time or big prize budgets.