February 2012
170 posts
1 tag
Activate
“Activate demonstrates how social change happens because of motivated individuals. Volunteer for an issue that affects you by holding a bake sale or writing to Congress. Directly affect your community by helping out at the animal shelter and convincing others to help you on your mission. If your movement grows large enough, you just might change the world!”
...
1 tag
A Decision of Paramount Importance
“A serious game aimed to warn people about teen dating violence, created for a game design contest run by a parents association.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Jennifer Ann’s Group. (U.S.A.) / Thomas Liu.
YEAR: 2010
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.jenniferann.org/2010-game-runner-up-1.htm
http://www.jenniferann.org/2012-game-design-challenge.htm
[You may try different browsers to...
1 tag
Admongo
“Admongo explores the fact that children spend billions of dollars a year on products and services, and influence billions more in family purchases. Advertising is ubiquitous, and the distinction between advertising and other content in new media — advergames, for example — often is blurred. It is likely that many children may not understand when they are being “pitched” a product or...
1 tag
Afghanistan (Qurya) [Global Conflicts]
“In a small village of Afghanistan, a small school has been attacked. Who is behind the attack? Can peace be negotiated? Can you balance the dangers, the idealism, and the needs for education, and reach a viable solution?”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Serious Games Interactive
YEAR: 2008
INFO: Online, 20 days-free trial for teachers. Single user 9,95 EUR. Class set (30 users) 49,95...
2 tags
Against All Odds
“Against All Odds is about the global refugee experience from the time people are forced to leave their countries of origin to the beginning of their new life abroad. A series of short challenges illustrates the complexity and danger of the refugee experience.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Developer: United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Funders: Microsoft, Ericsson, Datareal AB
YEAR:...
2 tags
AgoraXchange
“AgoraXchange is anOnline community for designing a massive multi-player global politics game challenging the violence and inequality of our present political system. Phase I was launched as a commission for the Tate Online on 15 March 2004 and now contains a database of ideas for the rules, game environment, and site look-and-feel.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Natalie Bookchin y...
1 tag
America 2049
“Human rights are in peril, democracy in the dust. You: an agent of the Council on American Heritage, sent to capture mysterious fugitive Ken Asaba—and into high-risk situations that challenge you to ask: What if? How close are we already to America 2049? How can we work together in real life to build a better future? America 2049 is a new breed of Facebook game, reaching beyond the...
1 tag
Angry Anna
“Corrupt politicians don’t stand a chance against Angry Anna, a new social game that’s captured India’s social conscience. The game has earned over 200,000 playthroughs at about 3,000 every half hour since it hit the web two days ago (on Aug 24th, 2011). True to its name, this game is a small Angry Birds clone that contains four levels and features popular anti-corruption...
1 tag
Antiwargame
“Antiwargame explores the politics of the war on terror via a game simulation. In Antiwargame you take actions such as setting your budget, sending troops overseas and manipulating the media, with the goal of maintaining a popularity high enough to remain president.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Josh On
YEAR: 2001
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.antiwargame.org/antiwargame.html
2 tags
Ars Regendi: The Arts of Politics
“Ars Regendi is a browser-based political game that lets you take the reigns of your own, realistically simulated state. You will be asked to weigh in on various matters of state and - faced with a number of choices - any decision you make will have ramifications for the well-being of your virtual populace! In addition, you will be able to form alliances with other countries, initiate...
1 tag
A Seat at the Table
“Step into the world where food is often scarce and difficult decisions have to be made every day.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Oxfam America
YEAR: 2007?
INFO: Online interactive media, free
PLAY: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/multimedia/flash/a-seat-at-the-table
(Source: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/multimedia/flash/a-seat-at-the-table)
1 tag
Astérix et le tour des droit/ Asterix and the...
A game created to let the player discover children’s rights with Asterix: the exceptional ambassador of the children’s rights defense.
” ‘Asterix et le tour des droit’ est un jeu crée pour vous permettre de découvrir les doits des enfants avec Astérix, ambassadeur exceptionnel du Défenseur des Enfants”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: La Defenseure des Enfants....
1 tag
A Work in the Park
“A serious game aimed to warn people about teen dating violence, created for a game design contest run by a parents association.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Jennifer Ann’s Group. (U.S.A.) / Jared Sain
YEAR: 2008
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.jenniferann.org/2008_game_contest_runner_up1.htm
http://www.jenniferann.org/2012-game-design-challenge.htm
[You may try different...
2 tags
Ayiti: The Cost of Life
“Global Kids has established itself as an innovative leader in using online games to promote global awareness and engaged citizenship. Through the Playing 4 Keeps program, Global Kids trains urban youth to develop games about important world issues.” “The youth chose to design a game that focuses on the issue of poverty as an obstacle to education and uses the country of Haiti...
1 tag
Backlash
“The game BlackLash is part of the Mongrel’s campaign National Heritage, an international project that forces audiences, artists and collaborators to confront their complicity with cultural, biological and technological racism. Mongrel is a mixed bunch of people and machines working to celebrate the methods of an ‘ignorant’ and ‘filthy’ London street...
1 tag
Balance of Power: 1990 Edition
” The objective is the same as the original Balance of Power: use your military, covert, and industrial forces to make your country the most prestigious in the world while avoiding nuclear war. However, it is now 1989, and the Communist Block is crumbling…
Chris Crawford, who rarely ever made a sequel to a computer game, was besieged by mail asking him to update his classic from a...
1 tag
Beaner
“Beaner is a computer-based game that appropriates the classic arcade game Frogger, where players must direct a frog across a treacherous road and swiftly moving river to reach an area of safety at the top of the screen. In Ilich and Valdez’s version, players navigate a sombrero through a river, a desert, and a freeway—all critical barriers related to illegal border crossings—to reach the...
3 tags
Border Crossing (Mexico/USA) [Global Conflicts...
“A girl was shot at the Mexican-American border. How was she killed? What future is waiting for her baby? You arrive in Latin America with a bag full of journalistic ambitions. The region is one of the most turbulent, violent, and poverty-stricken places on the planet. In a region where politicians and police are feared rather than respected, people try desperately to grab a piece of the...
1 tag
Bordergames
“Bordergames es un proyecto de arte colaborativo que se basa en una red de trabajo construida a partir de una serie de talleres, un editor y motor de videojuegos libres y gratuitos diseñados con código abierto, que permiten a jóvenes construir , colectivamente un videojuego a partir de su experiencia inmediata con el entorno donde viven. El videoguego plantea la intensificación y...
2 tags
Branches of Power
“Players engage in the law making process from the perspective of all three branches of government. As the President, they set the agenda and sign and veto laws. As the congress, they gather support and try to pass legislation that complies with their values, and as the Supreme Court, they evaluate laws for their constitutionality.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Filament Games
YEAR: 2010
...
1 tag
Carpet Game
“Help rescue kids from carpet sheds in India.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: commissioned by Christian Aid UK
YEAR:
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/carpetgame/index.htm
(Source: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/play.aspx)
2 tags
Catchment Detox
“Modeled after data from CSIRO Division of Land and Water and e-water Co-operative Research Centre, Catchment Detox challenges players by putting them in charge of a catchment, a body of land that collects and revitalizes adjacent riverbeds, over a 100 year span. Throughout gameplay, you must manage various aspects of your catchment while focusing on a few key areas.
Catchment Detox...
1 tag
Checkpoints (Jerusalem) [Global Conflicts series]
“In Checkpoints you play the role of a investigative journalist whose judgement and abilities are being testet.The crises between Israel and Lebanon is getting more intense. There have been reports of increased problems along the border and the recent raids against weapons caches in the area around Jerusalem have all contributed to an increase in security.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: ...
2 tags
Child Soldiers (Uganda) [Global Conflicts series]
“More than 25.000 children have been abducted to serve as child soldiers in local armies in Uganda. Why is this happening and how can justice best be ensured? You arrive in Uganda on a dry and dusty road. You work for the International Criminal Court and are sent on an assignment in Uganda, to meet with the feared leader of the rebel Lord´s Resistance Army, Joseph Kony. Two decades of...
1 tag
Commons
“In Commons, compete to do good, while problems in your city get fixed. Report a problem or recommend an improvement in your neighborhood that you think deserves attention and resources, and show your city some lovin’. Vote on the best reports and improvements, and see what’s most popular in the hood. Go on short missions around town to earn bonus points, and unlock City awards to level...
1 tag
Community Organizing Toolkit
“The Toolkit is a set of resources that supports face-to-face training for residents and community leaders. The computer-based component (the “Organizing Game”) is used to introduce concepts, prompt discussion, and allow residents to practice skills in a safe, non-threatening environment. The initial focus of the Toolkit is teaching Doorknocking, an organizing technique...
2 tags
Consent!
” CONSENT! is a game in Second Life produced with Global Kids Youth leaders in the Global Kids Playing 4 Keeps program that offers a simulation of life as an African-male prisoner confronting five decades of medical racism. Over the course of the game, the player moves from decade to decade, deciding whether or not to participate in the research opportunities offered and, in the process,...
2 tags
Conspiracy for Good
“The Conspiracy for Good is the pilot project for a first-of-its-kind, interactive story, that empowers its audience to take real-life action and create positive change in the world. Call it Social Benefit Storytelling.
As part of the Conspiracy For Good you will join a collective of thinkers, artists, musicians and causes, creating a unified voice to fight the forces of social and...
2 tags
Crossroads Village
“Crossroads Village allows the player to take on the role of a relief organization in dealing with world hunger and other third world crises. In the game, the player manages the relief effort in a village after a disaster, acquiring resources, rebuilding infrastructure, and helping villagers learn new skills. The game is designed to inspire a sense of empathy, while educating the player of...
2 tags
Cultivation
“Cultivation is a game about a community of gardeners growing food for themselves in a shared space. Cultivation is quite different from most other games. It is a social simulation, and the primary form of conflict is over land and plant resources—-there is no shooting, but there are plenty of angry looks. It is also an evolution simulation. Within the world of Cultivation, you can...
1 tag
Darfur is Dying
“Darfur is Dying is a web-based, viral video game that provides a window into the experience of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. It is designed to raise awareness of the genocide taking place in Darfur and empower college students to help stop the crisis. Students at the University of Southern California, winners of mtvU’s Darfur Digital Activist contest, created the...
1 tag
Decisions
“A serious game aimed to warn people about teen dating violence, created for a game design contest run by a parents association.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Jennifer Ann’s Group. (U.S.A.) / Mark Kakareka
YEAR: 2008
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.jenniferann.org/2008_game_contest_runner_up2.htm
http://www.jenniferann.org/2012-game-design-challenge.htm
[You may try different...
2 tags
Deliver the Net Game
“Serious game to explain the problem of Palu desease. The player drive a sccoter and must cross the african savane to distribute mosquito nets.”
“The challenge: race the sun and hand out as many insecticide-treated bed nets as you can to African families. The more virtual nets you deliver – before the mosquitoes come out – the more lives you save.”
...
2 tags
Democracy 2
“Democracy 2 is the ultimate political strategy / simulation game. The game simulates the motivations, loyalties and desires of everyone in the country. As president or prime minister, it’s your job to balance the need for income from taxes against the demands of the voters. Do you want your country to be an eco-friendly green paradise? or a capitalist utopia? Will you pander to the...
2 tags
Despotic Mind
“Political game dedicated to sensitize the player with the human rights. The gameplay is a special Mastermind where each color is associated with a ridiculed right: right to meet, women’s right, tortures, sexual violence. Each column corresponds to a flag of country. the player has to position on the good column the various rights ridiculed.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: OWNI
YEAR:...
1 tag
Destination Love
“A serious game aimed to warn people about teen dating violence, created for a game design contest run by a parents association.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Jennifer Ann’s Group. (U.S.A.) / Toronja Concepts.
YEAR: 2009
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.jenniferann.org/2009_game_contest_runner_up2.htm
http://www.jenniferann.org/2012-game-design-challenge.htm
[You may try...
2 tags
Distributive Justice: America
“America gives participants an opportunity to explore global perceptions of America within the context of “distributive justice,” a concept borrowed from the fields of economics and philosophy that concerns the ways in which a society forms a consensus on the just distribution of wealth. The Internet-based game focuses specifically on views of America and is accessible on the...
2 tags
Distributive Justice Game
“This income distribution game is based on a thought experiment suggested by philosopher John Rawls. Rawls asks us to imagine that members of a society are completely unaware of their endowments and place in society, a state he calls the “original position.” While in such a state, people do not know if they will gain or lose from policies that promote equality. According to Rawls, the...
1 tag
Duke Anti-Nuke
“Come get some! Evil publicity agents are spreading lies about nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Help Duke convert missile silos and nuclear power plants into weapons-free-zones and safe, clean, renewable energy. Hurry!”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Greenpeace
YEAR:
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/goodies/Games/Duke-Anti-Nuke1/
...
3 tags
El Patron (Bolivia). [Global Conflicts series]
“A native girl has vanished from a farm in the Bolivian countryside. Searching for her it dawns on you that something on this farm is terribly wrong. Your mission is to investigate this case of the missing girl that lived on a hacienda suspected of debt slavery. During the mission you will learn about the situation in Bolivia, and how many natives (Guarani Indians) are being exploited as a...
2 tags
Energy City
“Craft an urban energy portfolio that balances economic, social, and environmental issues…all while negotiating with stakeholders and generating enough power to support a growing population. Do you have what it takes to successfully lead a city toward a sustainable energy future?.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Filament Games
YEAR: 2010
INFO: Online, free
...
1 tag
ERU: Emergency Response Unit
“The Red Cross gives help to people in need all over the world regardless of skin color, nationality, beliefs or gender. Working for the Red Cross might be the toughest job on earth. Lives depend on your decisions, therefore you need to prioritize your tasks. When so many people are suffering who are you going to help first…Yes…it’s a though call, but in the real world...
1 tag
Escape Your Boyfriend's Room
“A serious game aimed to warn people about teen dating violence, created for a game design contest run by a parents association.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Jennifer Ann’s Group. (U.S.A.)/Goyco Design Games.
YEAR: 2008
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://www.jenniferann.org/2008_game_contest_first_place.htm
http://www.jenniferann.org/2012-game-design-challenge.htm
[You may try...
1 tag
Escape from Woomera
“With a first person, 3D adventure game we invite gamers to assume the character of, and ‘live’ through the experiences of a modern day refugee. The effective media lock-out from immigration detention centres has meant that the whole truth about what goes on behind the razor-wire at Woomera, Baxter, Port Hedland, Maribyrnong and Villawood remains largely a mystery to the...
2 tags
Evoke
“Supported by the World Bank and designed by Jane McGonigal, this 10 week experience that took place between March, 2010 and ended on May 12th, involved players all over the world working together to solve problems that affect the globe and specific regions in Africa. As the weekly game episodes unfolded, players were asked to dive deeper into real-world social issues and use that...
1 tag
Execution
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say this game shows how you’d react in real life — games can’t represent thatenormous a choice — but it definitely says something about your state of mind as a gamer, and what we’ve come to expect from modern videogames. If you’ve got a gun, we’re told, and there’s a person in front of you, you should...
1 tag
Family of Heroes
“Family of Heroes is an online role-playing training game designed to (1) help families of returning veterans learn essential skills to manage common challenges in adjusting to post-deployment life and (2) connect more veterans experiencing post-deployment stress with VA services.
The game was developed in collaboration with the Veterans Affairs of NY/NJ and included input from over 100...
1 tag
Fate of the World
“After another decade of inaction, the governments of the world wake up to a planet in chaos. The first impacts of climate change, population growth, resource over-exploitation and species loss have struck and a global organisation has been created to respond. You are that response.
Fate of the World is a nail-biting set of scenarios covering the next 200 years. At the heart of the game...
1 tag
Fear is Vigilance
“Here’s a game I made! You’re a charity worker who goes around punching people who don’t have safety alarms until they’re scared enough to want personal safety alarms. For their safety.”
DEVELOPER/DESIGNER: Ruari O’Sullivan aka randomnine
YEAR: 2011
INFO: Online, free
PLAY: http://wootfu.com/vigilance/
1 tag
FIBBER: A Game About Political Deception
“Framed within the context of changes to financing political ads and exponential growth in social media and online gaming, Fibber explores the question – how can we design games that increase self-reflection on one’s susceptibility to deception in an effort to heighten fact-checking around political messaging? Beyond an attempt to internalize facts or advocate for fact-checking, Fibber...
