A New Cooperative Board Game Designed to Promote Health and Environmental Education
A new cooperative board game is set to hit educational centers, aiming to promote physical and mental health, along with environmental education in children aged 9 to 12. The game, Health Shapers, is designed to entertain while promoting meaningful learning through facing challenges, improving skills, and defeating enemies known as the Amorphs. The villains in the game are determined to deform human life on the planet, posing threats to physical and mental health.
The first edition of Health Shapers has been made possible thanks to the sponsorship of Meridiano Seguros, who will be distributing the game for free among educational centers that request it. The game has been designed by iAcademia in collaboration with Cookie Box Gamification & Serious Games, a consultancy specialized in the application of Game Design for digital and in-person experiences.
The development of Health Shapers has been a result of extensive research, with over 150 working documents consulted, including guides from scientific societies, manuals, and websites of public and private institutions. The game is designed to raise awareness of the impact of decisions made by young people on their future health, covering current topics such as screen abuse, energy drinks, vaping, cybersecurity, and cyberbullying.
Health Shapers also aims to enhance collaboration, teamwork, and the exchange of ideas by applying prompt engineering and artificial intelligence techniques to extract key information and formulate questions based on scientific evidence. The game has involved children from the Lucentum Foundation summer campus, Cefires of the Valencian Community, the Department of Education of the Elche City Council, and experts in health and gamification from different universities and institutions.
The multidisciplinary team working on the game is already preparing to adapt the game to digital format, allowing for wider accessibility and engagement with the message of promoting health and environmental education. With an interactive and engaging approach, Health Shapers is set to make a positive impact on the well-being of children and foster a deeper understanding of the importance of health and environmental care.