Ora – Save the Forest! Designing a social impact game

Abstract

Computer models for designing educational games need to have practical applications as well as underlying theoretical principles. In this paper, we present the Structural Playability Process (SPP), a new approach for designing and implementing serious games. Using the SPP designed game Ora – Save the Forest! as a case study, we describe the four SPP spaces: education, translation, design and engine. Ora is a forest-pest-management game based on scientific models and intended to inform players about the complexities of ecosystem management. Preliminary user study results show that SPP is an effective method of producing motivating and successful learning environments.