Games For Change – Bag of Tricks

I have always been a video game player, way back since Pong, Asteroids, and Pacman as a matter of fact. Which is one of the reasons I was excited to find Games For Change. Games for Change gives game creators and social innovators a way to drive real-world change using games and technology. They promote games that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to make the world a better place. They help youth explore civic issues and learn 21st-century and STEM skills with their student challenges. Oh, and the games are fun.

You can’t play all the games on the website itself… it isn’t a platform, but a way to find games. They curate games for change to the public through their games arcades, awards, game design challenges, and executive production expertise. So, how do you play them? Well, some you can just click the link and play, some require downloads, some are available on app stores, or through Steam (a video game digital distribution platform).

For example, 3rd World Farmer, a simulation game, is a download, while 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an adventure game set in Tehran, Iran, is available thru the major app stores.

Relaxing and playing a video game can be just the needed thing sometimes. And as long as the gameplay is fun, doesn’t hurt if you learn something along the way!

As we talked about in other parts of this Bag of Tricks series, having resources at your fingertips and a basic familiarity with up-and-coming technology can come in very handy for better serving patrons and can also give you a bit more confidence. Games count.  While I suggest that you create your own Bag of Tricks, I have an example Bag of Trick to get you started at https://padlet.com/kieran/CSLSHAREANDLEARN. Check out the Fun Ideas area in the Bag of Tricks!