Serious Games Information Center

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Valiant Hearts: The Great War, developed by Ubisoft, is a unique puzzle-adventure game that explores the human stories behind World War I. Released in 2014, the game stands out for its hand-drawn art style, emotional storytelling, and educational elements. Instead of focusing on combat, it highlights the personal struggles and resilience of four characters—Emile, Karl, Anna, and Freddie—each with a distinct perspective on the war, accompanied by a loyal dog named Walt. The game weaves historical accuracy into its narrative, offering players not only an emotional journey but also an educational one, with real-life artifacts and facts integrated seamlessly. Through puzzles, exploration, and rhythm-based sequences, Valiant Hearts brings the harrowing realities of the Great War to life without glorifying violence. Its ability to evoke empathy while informing players about a pivotal historical event has made it a standout in narrative-driven gaming.

Thristy Sword Lesbians - TSL

The Game "Thirsty Sword Lesbians" (TSL) focusses on queer adventurous stories. It’s main objectives are to provide queer literacy and relational and emotional thinking and skills in a fun way. It was developed by Kit Walsh, illustrated by Kanesha Bryant and supported by a group of illustrators, writers and two sensitivity advisors. It was published in 2021 by Evil Hat Productions. The target group is broadly people who are open to emphasize with queer characters. The idea is that this might be interesting also for people who do not identify as queer. TSL is a storytelling and roleplaying game. There is one gamemaster narrating the story, and the other players decide what their characters does. This is supported by practical game mechanics and oriented towards (intimate) relations, fantasy- and fight-elements. Trying to localise this game in the context of serious games shows that it doesn't fully or exclusively fit into this category. Overall, the entertainment effect is more emphasized than the intended serious effects.

The Beginners Guide

"The Beginners Guide" was developed by Davey Waren and was released on October 1st, 2015 (Steam, n.d.). It tells the story of a narrator, also called Davey, who guides players through the unfinished games of a developer named Coda. Davey interprets the games as a reflection of Coda's struggles, framing them as a cry for help. As the story unfolds, it seems that Davey may have imposed his own views on Coda’s work. Central themes include creativity, mental health, artistic interpretation, and the ethics of sharing one’s work, respectively art without consent. The game challenges players to reflect on bias, privacy and boundaries. Because of that it fits into the context of serious gaming. Although it is not meant to be explicitly instructive, the game encourages critical thinking and emotional engagement by exploring those topics. It prompts players to reflect on this without directly teaching or providing clear answers.

Landopoly

Landopoly is a serious game designed to teach players about land-use decision-making, focusing on balancing economic, social, and environmental factors. The main objective is to help players understand the trade-offs and consequences of land-use choices, promoting critical thinking and responsible decision-making in real-world scenarios. The game targets students in secondary and higher education, particularly those studying environmental science and economics. It appeals to learners interested in sustainable development and resource management, encouraging civic engagement and collaboration. As a serious game, Landopoly provides an engaging platform for experiential learning, blending gameplay with educational objectives. Players move across a board, encountering decision points that require them to weigh options and consequences, with progress determined by the sustainability and societal impact of their choices. Landopoly was adapted by Michigan State University Extension and United Growth for Kent County, based on the game "Hydropoly" from Environmental Concern, Inc. It was published in the early 2000s to support environmental education initiatives.

Unterricht mit Fairdinand

Players take on the role of a teacher and are asked to assess various characteristics of students in class based on a profile, such as their performance in mathematics and German, their acceptance in the class, and their problem behavior. Based on a mathematical model, they receive feedback on their assessments. This shows how their assessments affect the students and whether they overestimate or underestimate them. Research shows that teachers' and parents' expectations and attributions of success can influence student performance. The simulation game uses fictional case studies from everyday school life to illustrate these findings. It aims to raise awareness of unfair assessments in school lessons. The game is aimed at teachers, school principals, teacher training students, social educators, school social workers, school authorities, university lecturers, as well as interested parents and young people. The game was developed by the FHNW School of Education in collaboration with Koboldgames GmbH and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.