Change is a co-op game
Video games increasingly address the most vital and complex issues faced by societies all over the world – mental health, inequality, consumerism, ecology, migration, ideology, fake news. They become effective tools in the hands of teachers, educators, activists, policy makers and researchers.
Games for Impact is an international festival showcasing purposeful video games that reach beyond entertainment. The first edition in 2018 was the first event of this kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It featured 30+ games and XR experiences, as well as speakers from all over the world, including Asi Burak (longtime president of Games for Change), Amy & Ryan Green (creators of the award-winning game That Dragon, Cancer) and Paweł Miechowski (This War of Mine).
This year’s edition, which goes online because of COVID-19, moves from exploring the territory to a more practical engagement with it – building ties between game developers, social innovators, educators and funders, providing useful insights, case studies and recommendations.
The main areas of interest include:
Child’s play
You’ll learn how to find the right game for your child or classroom – and how to design games for younger audiences and schools.
Children love video games, but their parents and teachers often find the medium concerning and difficult to navigate. On the other hand, developers who want to cater to the youngest players often face a difficult challenge trying to balance responsible design and profitability.
We’ll talk about:
- game addiction and responsible game design
- introducing games to classrooms
- the business of games for kids
- finding the right game for the right age
Critical games for democracies in crisis
You’ll learn how to use games to empower people, encourage critical thinking, foster diversity and build empathy – and how to make your game more interesting by introducing complex and difficult topics in a sensible and sensitive way.
We’ll learn about:
- designing evidence-based, transformative experiences
- using games in campaigns aimed at tackling stereotypes, hate speech, conspiracies and fake news
- methods of building better minority characters
- experiences of online community managers
Accessibility is usability
You’ll learn how to make your games accessible to persons with disabilities – and why all players will appreciate the effort.
Game industry is becoming more inclusive, catering to players regardless of their age or disability. Still a lot of older players and persons with disabilities find it difficult to navigate the medium. On the other hand many game developers are concerned about the costs of introducing accessibility features.
We’ll discuss:
- the newest achievements in game accessibility
- increasing accessibility on a budget
- designing and using games for people with hearing or vision impairment
- designing and using games for older players
Join us!
Are you a game developer, parent, teacher, educator, community worker, non-profit professional, activist, policy maker, funder, researcher or simply someone who enjoys games that reach beyond entertainment?
