Developed by Monkeystack, an animation studio based in Adelaide, South Australia, Project Desal is a free Serious
Game for iPad that challenges players to build their own desalination plant.
As a studio, Monkeystack has been producing interactive
entertainment since 2004, and more recently educational games. Project Desal was an opportunity to
blend the company’s experience in both of these fields, having received a
number of accolades from most reputable organizations throughout the year,
including:
Project Desal was developed for SA Water, a business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. Among the key infrastructure projects SA Water has undertaken is the Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP). The plant was built to provide long-term water security for South Australia and has been delivering drinking water since 2011. In full operation, the plant is capable of delivering about half of Adelaide's annual water needs.
- Best Serious Game - Government and Industry - Australasian Simulation Congress (SIMTecT, 2015)
- Best Business Developed Serious Game (international) - I/ITSEC Serious Games Showcase and Challenge,2015
- Best Mobile Serious Game (International) - I/ITSEC Serious Games Showcase and Challenge, 2015
Project Desal was developed for SA Water, a business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. Among the key infrastructure projects SA Water has undertaken is the Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP). The plant was built to provide long-term water security for South Australia and has been delivering drinking water since 2011. In full operation, the plant is capable of delivering about half of Adelaide's annual water needs.
The Serious Game teaches children about the
desalination process South Australia's water goes through from ocean to tap. Players
learn about the role of each component of the desalination plant, then place components
in the correct order to create an operating plant (as per the Adelaide
Desalination Plant) before testing it.
Via another screen called ‘The Lab’ there is
contextual information held within each game piece that assists the solving of
this puzzle and can be accessed at any time.
If the pieces are assembled correctly, the
desalination plant will run smoothly. If pieces are put together in the
incorrect order, then one of a variety of failure scenarios will play out
before the incorrectly placed blocks fly back to the bin to be placed again.
Players are scored on their speed and their ability to make as few incorrect
decisions as possible, with bonuses for those who read all of the component
descriptions and discover bonus facts.
Targeting lower secondary students, the game
connects them with a topic they perhaps would not be interested in otherwise. The
expected key learning outcomes are the process of desalination from the ocean
to the tap; the details of each component of the Adelaide Desalination Plant
and how it operates; and that the Adelaide Desalination Plant uses innovative
engineering and environmental elements in its processes.