Computer games – but seriously

Whether it is about vocabulary or first aid – with “Serious Games” knowledge is imparted in computer games. Now an educational game from Cologne has won the German Computer Game Prize.

From Philipp Wundersee, WDR Your professor is locked in a closet and calls for help. The young student Nicole Nickel doesn’t know what to do next. A flashing portal suddenly opens in front of her in the office. “What not to do for a good grade in materials technology,” she says and jumps in. Looking for a way to free your professor, you wander through ten parallel universes in the computer game with student Nickel. The game “Worlds of Materials” is a “point-and-click” adventure for engineering students. The game of the Cologne Game Lab of the Technical University of Cologne surprises with challenges that require basic knowledge of materials technology to be solved. For this it will receive the German Computer Game Award this year. The jury justified the fact that the prize money of 35,000 euros went to Cologne as follows: “The TH Köln project is intended to convey challenging engineering content in a cheerful and interactive way.” Competences acquired in classic courses or in other ways would be used to solve the puzzles. Students can even have the digital mastery of the tasks in “Worlds of Materials” recognized as part of an examination.

Fun and learning effect

Sebastian von Mammen is Professor of Games Engineering at the University of Würzburg and researches computer games. “The big challenge Serious Games have to face is to make a game that is purely entertaining and enjoyable while at the same time achieving other goals,” he says. At the moment, research is primarily about learning and training using serious games – and thus the question of how well the games are suitable for schools and other educational institutions. “In addition, computer games that serve health purposes are getting a lot of research attention,” says von Mammen. “Serious Games” are not only about acquiring knowledge and training, there are also games to support therapy, in which motor skills or the ability to pay attention are exercised. This particular type of computer game could improve the overall reputation of gaming in the long term. “Instead of using our innate exploration and gaming drive one-sidedly for economic purposes – which has already brought certain computer games into disrepute – we should benefit individually and as a society from serious games,” said the expert.

In the virtual reality of the serious game “FwESI deployment tactics for group leaders”, the user experiences fire brigade operations. Image: Cininet

Immerse yourself in a real fire service

“FwESI deployment tactics for group leaders”, for example, uses virtual reality technology to put the user into concrete deployment scenarios for the fire service. Trainees experience it combined with role plays and exercises with the training leaders. It is a tightrope walk between a sober application and a “serious game”, says von Mammen. But with relatively little effort, the game’s character can be shaped through attractive design, simple operation and so-called gamification elements. This is also the case with the game “Hidden Codes” from the Anne Frank educational institution. Based on a social media user interface, “Hidden Codes” is close to the everyday experience of the young target group. It explains what mechanisms social media have and how quickly you can come into contact with right-wing extremist ideology. Political radicalization can thus be experienced.

The computer game “Hidden Codes” has a similar interface to social media networks. Image: Anne Frank educational institution

Digital help after a stroke

“Serious Games” can also serve health. Games with virtual reality technology help patients after a stroke to train their brains in a targeted manner. In some therapy games, patients are motivated to perform uncomfortable movements in order to improve their motor skills. But it is always very challenging to produce a successful game in this genre with social benefit, says von Mammen. “In addition to creativity and empathy, time and money also have to be invested in developing a serious game and launching it on the market.” The game “Worlds of Materials” about the main character Nicole Nickel of the TH Köln seems to have succeeded. “The corona pandemic in particular has shown that there is a great need for innovative digital teaching and learning concepts in school and university education,” said the jury of the German Computer Game Prize. “Worlds of Materials” makes an interesting contribution to this.