Design and Develop an Educational Game on Street Addressing

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The World Bank Institute (WBI) sponsored a worldwide selection of game design proposals titled “Designing and Developing an Educational Game on Street Addressing” on November 2006 and invited game inventors/game developers, planners, instructional designers from around world to submit game design proposals. Over 80 designers registered their interest to participate in this competition of which 35 submitted game design prototypes on February 28, 2007. A group of World Bank staff members from different professional backgrounds play tested all 35 games and short-listed 6 finalists to proceed to the final stages of judging by a panel consisting of subject experts and a game developer.

Two game designs 1) I Need A Sign by Ariel Seoanefrom Uruguay, and 2) URBS & CIVITAS by John Balucifrom USA, were selected as the winners on April 3, 2007. The board games are scheduled to be produced July-August 2007. The games will be playtested in Africa and Latin America to solicit feedback from practitioners in the field before WBI proceeds with producing the disseminating the games more widely

Box design and illustration: Aldo Giovinetti
Producer and Task Team Leader : Yarissa Lyngdoh Sommer, Urban Specialist, World Bank Institute

Winner: Ariel Seoane
Title of Game: I Need A Sign!

Background Profile
Ariel has almost 12 years of experience as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, visual artist, a digital prepress consultant and as a published technical writer. He is a member of the Board Game Designers Forum and lives in Montevideo, Uruguay, with wife Marisa, daughter Catalina, and their Yorkshire Terrier Diva.

Game Summary
I Need A Sign! is a fast-paced, straightforward and fun game for 3 to 9 players where players use tiles to define the city map, collaborate while developing the street addressing program, and compete to get the highest score by being the best at giving and following directions through the city as they guide service vehicles -police, firemen, ambulances, waste collection, etc.- to the places where their help and service is required.

Background Profile
John Baluci holds degrees in Architecture and Structural Engineering from the
University of Michigan and the Illinois Institute of Technology, respectively.
He has eight years of experience as a design engineer and has worked on significant architectural projects while practicing in both Chicago and London. His recent rediscovered childhood passion for board games led John to join the internationally known board game design community, The Board Game Designers Forum (www.bgdf.com).  He has designed several games, but this will be his first published game. John and his wife, Avani, have lived in the West African country of Guinea for the last year, an experience that has greatly influenced his design entry for the competition. 

Game Summary
Urbs & Civitas introduces the fundamental concepts of street addressing in the urban context all the while demonstrating the importance of its derived benefits: revenue generation, crime reduction, increased commerce & tourism, improved public health & safety, and good governance.  Integrating street addressing as the foundational tool in the urban management process, Urbs & Civitas then progresses by assigning much importance to continued infrastructure development.  Game play emphasizes strong player interaction and management skills by balancing revenue generation versus maintenance costs and promotes the advantages of street addressing through ongoing civic improvement.

Congratulations to Ariel and John!