New Game Teaches Teens About Acne and Immunology

For many teenagers, acne can be embarrassing and undermine their confidence. But a new game developed by a program housed at Duquesne University aims to help teens understand the immunology behind the skin condition and find ways to manage it.

Created by The Partnership in Education at Duquesne, Dermis Defense is a game in which players help the main character, Benji, clear up his skin in time for his big musical debut. Dermis Defense is available to play for free as a web-based browser game and as a mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Targeted to children ages 12-16, the game combines colorful storytelling with fast-paced, arcade-style game play to teach teens what’s going on under their skin during a breakout. Players learn how the immune system goes into overdrive to manage bacterial infections, like those that cause acne. The most common skin condition in the United States, acne afflicts about 85% of people aged 12-24, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

“The bane of adolescence is actually a great example of how the immune system responds to challenges,” said Dr. John Pollock, professor of biological sciences and the game’s creator. “While playing the game, teens can relate to Benji’s concerns and learn more about how the body fights skin conditions like acne.”

The Partnership in Education, which includes Pollock and Brinley Kantorski, director of education and multimedia development, offers a wide range of educational and multimedia resources for school children, including Emmy Award-winning educational television programs, apps, animated movies and teaching curriculum, most of which is available for free to educators.