DrugCity

Focussing on delivering the game and its message to this hard to reach target group, the game was designed to make optimal use of the social situation of our audience.

The game was created in PHP/MySQL, to ensure optimal compatibility with any computer system connected to the internet - including highly limited school computers. The gameplay hid a complex array of mathematical models that indirectly relayed our target message to the players.

In the game, players - in their role of either an police officer or drugs-dealer, tried to achieve their main goal: more influence on the city. By selling drugs or preventing those sales, winning conflicts and outsmarting the competition, players gained influence that could be displayed on their social network accounts.

Also, the gameplay ensured player return rates were high through making sure players checked in each 6 hours for optimal efficiency in the game. Instead of creating a single-use product, it was designed with the 'MMO-effect' in mind: returning players remember more of a game than single-use players.

Our research after extensive playtesting were amazing to say the least. Over 80% of our very difficult target group (adolescents, mind you) had a significantly better understanding of our learning goals. On top of that, many indicated that the game did not feel educational. 23% indicated they were having so much fun with the game, that they wanted to continue playing. In the end, everyone had discussed the game and many had discussed the mechanics behind it - and thus advertised our learning goals.