Build A Game
The Play for Impact project introduces you to the building blocks of game design and the world of socially responsible gaming. You'll work in teams to identify a personally relevant topic to create a game with a social utility or purpose.
You'll then research, design, and code a game prototype in Scratch using “Scrum” — a method used by real engineers to make innovative ideas come to life!
13 Learning Sections
Develop a Product in 12-18 Hours
No Experience Necessary
How Can Games Build Empathy?
Consider these examples:
- Republica Times: a game that lets the player be the editor of a newspaper in a fictional, totalitarian country, during wartime
- Ayiti, The Cost of Life: a simulation game with a family to make ends meet and get ahead in their poverty-stricken homeland of Haiti, while making decisions on issues such as work, education, and healthcare
- Re-Mission 2: a collection of six games designed to be played by teens with cancer, with each game based on real medical treatments and biology
- The Migrant Trail: a simulation that lets the player experience the challenging journey of migrations crossing the U.S.-Mexico border
Project Resources
ENGINEER GUIDE
Our Engineer Guide allows participants to have everything they need to make their sprint a success!
PRODUCT LEADER GUIDE
Our Product Leader Guide assists the facilitators as they help their participants during the EFTW experience.
PROJECT RUBRIC
We have shared our Project Rubric to provide transparency on how to build the best game possible.
Play for Impact Project Overview
- Prep Phase: Section 1
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INTRODUCTION TO A SPRINT
This section will help you understand how a Sprint works within Agile development and will prepare you to start building! - Prep Phase: Section 2
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BUILDING BLOCKS OF A GAME
In this section you will learn about game design by first creating an offline game made up of objects from around the room, and then creating an instruction guide so others can learn the rules and play. - Prep Phase: Section 3
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EXPLORE SERIOUS GAMES
Play several games to learn how the concepts of gameplay and game design can apply when creating experiences on serious topics! - Prep Phase: Section 4
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DEVELOP AN IDEA
In this section, we'll help you and your Engineering Team get the ball rolling on brainstorming your project topic! - Sprint Phase: Section 1
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CREATE A DEV ENVIRONMENT
This section teaches you about a dev environment, a block and a sprite, and how they all contribute to creating a game by exploring a free game building program called Scratch. - Sprint Phase: Section 2
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CREATE GAME FEATURES
Learning game design is easier when you start with a remix. In this section, you will turn an existing game into a brand new game by editing the code and graphics using Scratch.
- Sprint Phase: Section 3
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BUILD A GAME
Work with your team to continue developing your project to the finish line! - Sprint Phase: Section 4
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TEST & GET FEEDBACK
In this section, we'll walk you through the importance of testing a product and completing peer reviews. - Finish Phase: Section 1
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SPRINT REVIEW & RETROSPECTIVE
In this section, you perform reflection activities that are a critical component of Scrum. - Finish Phase: Section 2
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SUBMIT PROJECT
In this section, we'll provide the necessary instructions to submit your project to the EFTW Team. - Finish Phase: Section 3
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NEXT STEPS
In this section, we'll share resources and opportunities that support ways to continue developing your game.