This week our example of a gamification campaign or example we love, comes hot of the press of the Guardian online version. I landed on it a bit by accident through a link from a friend on Facebook, but it perfectly illustrates how you can use the gamification mechanic we discussed last week namely the quest. Remember the quest is made up of a number of challenges and ends up in a reward.
What the Guardian did is to take a very topical view of a headline story we see in the news and I would guess a lot of us are rather desensitised by, because we see it every day only the country may vary, namely refugees seeking a way out of a war area. The quest the Guardian sets for the reader is to make the same choices as a refugee is faced with on her way to flee from Syria and enter “fortress” Europe.
You actually live the quest through the eyes of Karima, whose husband was killed in a Mortar attack and she has two children a bit of money and she is keen to get away from ongoing bombings. I recommend you work your way through the choices on this link:
The refugee challenge: can you break into Fortress Europe? – interactive
As I said earlier I have to admit when I watch the news or read it online, refugee stories don’t always capture my attention for long. I obviously empathise and would wish that these situation could be avoided all together, yes I am one of those who would love to see world peace and not ashamed to say so. However following the interactive choices a refugee like Karima would have to make, did capture the magnitude of the situation and really brought home the dilemma a refugee faces all along the way. It also showed me how it can lead to many dead end routes, more uncertainty, being taken advantage off, being mistreated and for a young family an outright traumatic experience.
To me this is a great example of how a quest can actually achieve engagement, where we in general have lost interest.
I urge you to step into Karima’s footsteps and share what you experience and whether it actually changed your view in any way about being a refugee.
Did you feel any different about refugees and their journey after taking the challenge?
