We seek to analyze the use of game mechanics, ludic concepts, and game thinking applied to a brazilian board game with ecological theme named Climate Game. This game uses a playful and ludic interface to cast a message for a serious cause, and works with ideas about global warming in a fun/educational way.

1. ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN A BOARD GAME
How to discuss serious causes using ludic interfaces
Msc. Vicente Martin Mastrocola
September
2013

2. #vince #vincevader #teacher #brazil
#gaming_concepts #advergames
#são_paulo #espm #reseacher #games
#boardgames #star_wars #ludology
About the speaker

3. Objective
We seek to analyze the use of game mechanics, ludic concepts, and
game thinking applied to a brazilian board game with ecological
theme named Climate Game. This game uses a playful and ludic
interface to cast a message for a serious cause, and works with ideas
about global warming in a fun/educational way.

4. Real World:
- Questioning
- Fear
- Uncertainties
- Responsibilities
- Dreams
- Immersion
- Narration
- Catharsis
- Challenge
Magic circle:
- Experience
- Meanings
Johan Huizinga's magic circle

5. Johan Huizinga's magic circle
Inside the magic circle, real-world events have special meanings, as
in the example below (ADAMS & ROLLINGS, 2009, page 8):

6. Games, reality and culture
As Ehrmann says (1968, p.55) in an antropology of play, the latest
cannot be defined by isolating it on the basis of its relationship to an a
priori reality and culture. To define play is, at the same time and in the
same movement, to define reality and culture.

7. Climate Game

8. Climate Game
1.Ecological game: challenges its players to save the world from
global warming;
2.Serious game: game with a professional, educational or
pedagogical use (Iuppa, Borst , 2007);
3.Board game: focuses on the real interaction between players;
4.Collaborative: challenges must be solved together. As Juul says
(2005, p.8) games are usually well-structured problems, and this has
led them to be used in several other fields.
5.Simple rules: easy to play.

9. Conclusion
This kind of game will not transform a player into a specialist in
ecology or in global warming, but it can reinforce important
concepts about the planet’s health. This game can teach basic ideas
and stimulate the players to search for more information about the
theme.
By this brief overview we can conclude that game mechanics can
be a meaningful space for significative experiences.

10. References
ADAMS, Ernest; ROLLINGS, Andrew. Fundamentals of Game Design. New
Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009
EHRMANN, Jacques. Homo Ludens Revisited. Yale French Studies, No 41.
Game, Play, Literature (1968). pp. 31-57. Stable
URL: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2929664
HUIZINGA, Johan. Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture.
Boston: The Beacon Press, 1955.
IUPPA, Nick & BORST, Terry. Story and simulations for serious games: tales from
the trenches. Burlington: Focal Press, 2007.
JUUL, Jesper. Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional
Worlds. USA: MIT Press, 2005.
Climate Game english site. URL: http://www.games4b.com/climategame.php

11. THANK YOU!
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Twitter: @vincevader
Site: http://gamingconceptz.blogspot.com