Game-based learning via serious games is among the most widespread themes over recent years within a range of application contexts. Learning by means of these games motivates users and, as their use burgeons, it makes good sense to clearly articulate serious games in the educational context so that they enable learning and development of skills defined in study plans, while taking care to ensure that such serious game design is user-centered. A set of fifty-one guidelines is herein proposed for the design, construction, and assessment of serious educational video games. The guidelines, which include aspects related to usability, learning, and play, were used to take a closer look at the LightBot coding-based puzzle game in order to determine design aspects that might be improved. The intention is that these guidelines might be incorporated in the development process and methodologies for the video game construction to foster the creation of serious user-centered educational video games that are rewarding and pertain more closely to the desired educational context. © 2021 Research Center of Universidad Pedagogica Nacional. All rights reserved.