I
found the game 3rd World Farmer on the website,
gamesforchange.org. This game challenges
you to head a farming family of four in an undisclosed third world nation. In the game you have a minimal budget and
must make tough decisions regarding family health, education, and spending
money on crops and livestock to produce food / profit.
After
playing the game for a few rounds you realize it’s hopeless to send your
children to school, or to care for them or yourself and spouse when illness
arises. The only chance at survival in
the game is to dedicate your finances to low-risk crops like corn and wheat,
and then hope that environmental, economic, or political disaster doesn’t
strike—and it almost always does.
When
you run out of money—that’s a guarantee as well—you’re tempted with really
tragic offers like sending your children to work in the city knowing that
you’ll never see them again, accepting bribes from companies to dump hazardous
chemicals on your property, and mocking your own culture for tourists.
Succeeding
in this game is hopeless, and that’s the point.
After playing this game, it’s difficult to not think seriously about the
lives lived by those residing in third world nations. The website for the game offers links to
organizations that assist those living the conditions represented in the
simulation.
I
think this is an incredible game. In
spite of its somber content, it’s fun, simple to play, and challenges the gamer
to engage in social change. The
gamesforchange.org website has awesome socially conscious games that I look
forward to incorporating into my classroom.
If you haven’t checked the site out yet, it’s worth a visit!
References
3rd World Farmer: A simulation to make
you think. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://3rdworldfarmer.com/
Games for Change. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 3, 2015, from http://www.gamesforchange.org/
