Games for Cities

Age of Energy is a serious game developed as part of the European City-zen project with the specific goal to engage youth in saving energy in the cities of Amsterdam and Grenoble. It is based on the same principle as popular freemium smartphone games, except that instead of requiring a small monetary payment to progress in the game, Age of Energy simply asks the player to save a little bit of energy.

The setting of the game is a post-apocalyptic world dry of resources and as a player you are tasked with rebuilding a functional community. Starting small, you manage resources and energy performance as you work to gain bonus points by improving your actual energy usage. You can also earn upgrades and compete with your friends through missions such as turning off the lights or cleaning out the freezer. Boosting collaboration, special time-bound missions require you to work together with other players in your neighborhood. Through the course of the game, you will face ever increasing challenges, gradually pushing you to reduce your actual energy consumption with up to 30%.

Age of Energy presents a contemporary example of how game-based real-world application can develop long-term behavior-based solutions. The familiar medium of games complements this goal, as interactive education helps build behavioral change. The game has been piloted successfully in Amsterdam and Grenoble and the developers are hoping to expand to other cities soon.

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