A serious game is more fun than it sounds. A “serious game” is a genre of games that are designed for a primary purpose other than entertainment. Games that are designed for the purpose of solving a problem, present an issue, or educate are called serious games – or social impact games.
The annual conference Games for Change supports the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as critical tools in humanitarian and educational efforts. Unlike the commercial gaming industry, the group aims to leverage entertainment and engagement for social good.
Often referred to as “the Sundance of Video Games”, the Games for Change Annual Festival is the biggest gaming event in New York City. It brings together leaders from government, corporations, media, academia and the gaming community to explore impact of digital games as an agent for social change.
This year Games for Change will be participating in a daylong Summit at the annual Game Developer Conference on March 6th at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. Games for Change @ GDC will comprise of case studies, roundtables, lectures and demos to highlight models for collaboration on game design, distribution and publishing alternatives, and other topics.
This Summit is in addition to the annual Games for Change Conference that is held in June in New York City.
The Games for Change website has a game arcade online – where you can play and read about digital and non-digital games that engage social issues in a meaningful way. The games explore issues such as civics, economics, education, environment, health, human rights, news, poverty and other social issues.
I spent some time checking out some of the games in the arcade area of the Games for Change site. One new game released this year is called Nanu Planet. Nanu Planet is the story of two space explorers who get separated on a planet split in two (“Nanu” is Korean for “divided”). Through a narrative journey, players explore the various areas of Nanu Planet while encountering different characters, puzzles, and adventures.
In the game using point and click function, players guide Parchi on his quest to find his partner and love interest, Puchi. The game has a playful cartoon look, but touches upon the deep and somber historical roots of the separation of Korea into its North and South regions. By playing, you learn about Korea’s past chapter by chapter.
Another new game on the site is Wondermind developed by Preloaded. This game is a series of mini-games and interactive films for children aged 8-12, designed to illustrate the neuroscience of the growing brain in child development. The games aim to encourage an understanding of core aspects of neuroscience, including neural plasticity, spatial cognition, memory and language.
The games use Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland story and characters. Quests include searching for the Cheshire Cat in a complex maze using reflected light; catching the White Rabbit; and making sure the Mad Hatter serves the right type of tea to his guests.
One game in the Environmental Game area that is interesting is the game Commons, a multi-player, location-based mobile game for the iPhone, where players compete with one another to recommend improvements for their city.
Commons was the winner of the 2011 Games for Change Real-World Challenge presented by the Come Out & Play Festival and Games for Change. This game is played in a specific site and time.
The game was made to solve the issue of “The Tragedy of the Commons”, a theory in which individuals will deplete a shared local resource while fulfilling their own needs, however without the intention of hindering other individuals or society as a whole. Commons aims to correct this by allowing players to examine their city for improvements and share them competitively with other players.
Commons ran for two hours on June 19th, 2011, a day before the 8th Annual Games for Change Festival. Over 70 tasks were distributed over the different areas of lower Manhattan. Players competed for points and four coveted titles that represented the best work in categories like best-suggested improvement or the most points. Commons was made to work for any city looking to engage its citizens and improve its city, one recommendation at a time. You can download the game on Itunes – and the Commons site has documentation about the game.
Can games create social change? Check out the Games for Change site yourself – and get your game on.
Links:
Games for Change Arcade
Games for Change Vimeo Site