Supporting young siblings of children with intellectual disabilities and/or visual impairments with the serious game 'Broodles': A mixed methods randomized controlled trial.
Free game Broodles gives siblings tiny emotional wins if they finish most levels—use it as a quick first aid while you plan bigger help.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers built a free online game called Broodles. It teaches 5- to 8-year-old brothers and sisters how to handle feelings about having a sibling with intellectual or visual disabilities.
Families were picked at random. One group played the game at home. The other group waited. Everyone answered questions about mood and stress before and after.
What they found
Kids who finished at least three-quarters of the game felt a little less angry and sad. Kids who stopped early showed no change.
Parents said the game gave their children words for feelings and simple coping tricks.
How this fits with other research
Ren et al. (2023) pooled 28 studies and found digital games give clear, medium-sized cognitive gains for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Broodles is also a digital game, but the benefit for siblings was small. The gap makes sense: Xiaoyu looked at direct brain-training games, while Broodles is a light story about feelings.
Hesami et al. (2024) tried another serious game, Kookism, layered onto ABA. Vocabulary jumped right after play, yet vanished two months later. Broodles shows the same fade risk—small immediate win, no long-term data.
Anonymous (2025) used a game plus prompt-fading to teach independence in students with mild ID. That study reported large gains. Broodles used no prompt-fading, and gains stayed small. The contrast hints that adding adult coaching might boost sibling outcomes too.
Why it matters
You now have a no-cost tool you can email to families tonight. Ask parents to sit with their child for the 20-minute stories and push for at least six of the eight levels. If the child sticks with it, expect mild relief in sibling tension—enough to buy time while you line up stronger supports like parent training or respite care.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Siblings of children with neurodevelopmental conditions experience conflicting emotions and have an increased risk of mental health problems. Several sibling interventions have been developed, but few are readily available, leaving many siblings unsupported. Therefore, the free, online, self-administered sibling serious game 'Broodles' was developed. This study assessed its social validity and effectiveness in promoting quality of life, and inter- and intrapersonal factors in siblings (6-9 years) of children with intellectual disabilities and/or visual impairments. METHODS: A mixed methods, waitlist control group, randomized controlled trial was conducted. In total, 107 Dutch or Belgian parent-child dyads completed questionnaires at three timepoints (baseline, one-month post-test, two-month follow-up). The intervention group also completed post-test interviews. Effects were assessed using multilevel modelling, and thematic analysis was applied to the evaluations. RESULTS: Significant, weak interaction effects (R² = .03-.06) were found on sibling negative adjustment, but only in those who completed ≥ 75 % of the game and followed the study timeline. Regardless of group, (very) small, significant improvements over time were found on several outcomes (R² = .01-.06). 'Broodles' was experienced as fun (80 %) and helpful (79 %). Perceived learning outcomes included the themes: 'sibling awareness and validation', 'emotions and needs', 'coping with emotions and situations' and 'family interactions'. CONCLUSION: Although quantitative data showed small effects, qualitative data revealed a variety of learning outcomes which can contribute to siblings' resilience, and prevention of mental health problems. To unlock its full potential, future studies should examine if additional family-targeted components can enhance the intervention's impact.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104996