August 2024

As cities grow and global trade expands, young people are losing touch with where their food comes from. City living and easy access to worldwide food markets have made it harder to see the importance of food being grown sustainably. This lack of connection affects the choices that young people make, posing risks to future food security and the health of our environment.

To tackle this issue, Glitch Studios and MUHO Museum have joined forces, with a talented team of scholars, game designers, and pedagogues, to develop an educational game named Havrå Interactive Farm. This game introduces students to sustainable farming by immersing them in a virtual farming environment, where they get to take control and make decisions that affect their virtual farm’s future.

In the game, students work in pairs to manage the farm but in two different time periods. One takes charge of today’s farm, facing the temptation to chase quick profits. The other deals with the farm of the future, where sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity for survival. Their decisions are interconnected, showing that choices made now will have lasting effects on the future.

The game’s ambition is to bring the concept of sustainability to life for students. It aims to go beyond theoretical discussions by demonstrating the real-world consequences of unsustainable practices. By confronting players with the dilemma of ‘need versus greed’ and the outcomes of their decisions, the game combats indifference and sparks lively debate amongst students, inspiring them to think critically about sustainable decision-making. It challenges them to balance short-term desires against long-term ecological and economic stability. This message is crucial for their awareness and actions beyond the digital world of the game.

Havrå Interactive Farm game is strategically designed to fit the curriculum for upper secondary school students. It’s a web-based application, requiring no installation, which makes it both easy to maintain and update. The game runs smoothly on any modern laptop or tablet with an internet connection, ensuring that it’s accessible in various classroom environments without the need for specialized equipment.

The game features a user-friendly backend system, tailored for teachers. This system allows educators, regardless of their technical expertise, to monitor and assist students effectively, facilitating an enriching learning experience.