Selected as Games for Change finalist

- Games for Change gathers some of the world’s leading game creators and social innovators, with the aim of using games to drive real-world change. It is a real stamp of approval to have a game nominated in two categories for these awards, explains Dr. Alf Inge Wang of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

The professor in game technology has overseen testing and headed the jury in the EduApp4Syria competition.

The award ceremony will take place during the Games for Change Festival in New York, on June 28.

The EduApp4Syria competition

Antura and the Letters is one of the winning games of the EduApp4Syria competition, together with Feed the Monster. Antura and the Letters has been developed by an international consortia led by Cologne Game Lab (Germany).

The primary aim of EduApp4Syria is to reach Syrian children with engaging smartphone-based learning games that can help them acquire basic literacy skills in Arabic and improve their psychosocial wellbeing.

The two winning games were launched as beta versions in March 2017. After further testing and iteration throughout 2017, updated versions of the games were made available in March 2018. At the same time a first evaluation of the games was published, showing that the games had contributed to literacy learning for Syrian children.

Since the launch, the two games have been installed on an estimated 150 000 mobile devices, and significant outreach and marketing activities are planned to ensure that the games reach more end users.

Update! Winners were announced 28 June 2018. "Attentat 1942" received the award for Best learning game, while "Tree" was announced winner of the category Most innovative. "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" received the Games for Change x Polyfon People's Chioce Award. Congratulations.