Sweatshop: a Strategy Game from the U.K. about Clothes Production

When I went to the Games for Change conference last month, I attended a presentation by designer and producer, Simon Parkin who was part of the team that made the game Sweatshop.  Sweatshop is a game that challenges players to manage an off-shore clothing factory, producing the latest in cheap designer fashions for Britain’s fashion district.  The game was commissioned by Channel 4  in the U.K. (which is like our PBS station in the U.S.)

In his presentation, Parkin talked about in order for a game to be effective in exploring an issue it needs to not just tell a message that is predictable.  For this game – if the game focused on telling the message, “Sweatshops are bad,” it most likely would not be a good game. He said that most of us already know that sweatshops are bad, but few of us understand the complex issues that keep these systems in place.

In making Sweatshop, the design team decided to make a game where players can experience what it is like to be the owner, manager, and factory worker in the game.  The goal of the game was to challenge young people to think about the origin of the clothes we buy and the use.  The game is a strategy game that puts the player in the role of a clothing factory’s middle management. The player is responsible for hiring and firing workers, ensuring that orders are completed in time and balancing the needs of demanding clients with worker welfare.  Real-world problems such as fires, unions, and lack of toilets add authenticity to the game mechanics.

For the game, the team worked with British charity Labour Behind The Label to make sure that the game was accurate.  After each level the player is presented with a fact that supports the themes of the level just completed with real world events.

I just played the game, and I enjoyed the cartoony graphics and expressions on the players faces.  The game balanced information and fun enough for me to want to play it.  I also appreciated that the game did not start out with lots of facts or a message that sweatshops are bad.  The game was recently selected by MIT as one of the top five ‘Best Practice Serious Games’ and the university is currently writing a paper on the game.

Why do our clothes continue to often come from sweatshops?  You can play the game online, and also view Parkin’s speech on the Games for Change Livestream page to learn more.

Image Source:
www.playsweatshop.com

Links:

www.playsweatshop.com

Simon Parkin – Games For Change Livestream Video about Sweatshop

www.littleloud.com/work/sweatshop

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