'Games for Change' Introduces Non-profit, Educational Titles to the Gaming Industry

From the makers of Dumb ways to Die, meet Games for Change, a non-profit organization dedicated to proving that gaming can be fun and educational.

Teaching children through gamification has long been proven to be effective, according to Urban Asia. Interestingly, the gaming industry has started a trend of gamifying a variety of concepts to enhance learning, such as simulations, trivia games, tactical RPGs, and more.

Taking the level up a notch, a non-profit organization called Games for Change introduces a list of gaming titles catered to raising social awareness and encouraging players to become the best version of themselves, but where exactly did these games come from?

What is 'Games for Change'?

Games for Change was founded by Benjamin Stokes and is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports video game creators that use games for social good, according to the Games for Change official site.

The platform is a great place to find games with a social impact. It provides many other functions in the gaming space and even gets involved as an executive producer on new projects.

"It's one thing to put the game into a kid's hands. It's a very different thing to be able to put that game in their hands and lead an interesting conversation about what just happened in that gameplay, or to build off that gameplay and create other kinds of opportunities for kids to explore themes that may have come up," According to Games for Change Managing director and chief learning officer Arana Shapiro.

Additionally, game titles such as Before I Forget, which addresses the mental illness Dementia, were even nominated for a BAFTA in 2021, according to Nintendo Life.

'Games for Change's Initiatives for Social Impact

The Games for Change website acts as a resource center for players looking for games that can instruct, motivate, or inspire. The website features age ratings and tags for mental health and grief content.

For example, one of their popular gaming titles, Goliath, puts the player in the shoes of a person with schizophrenia through a VR experience. The game collection features a variety of social awareness genres, from mental issues to voter education and more.

Through its Games for Change Student Challenge, the team also engages with its local community, according to Wired. Students in middle school or high school are asked about issues they wish to see resolved in their neighborhoods and how gaming might help bring about social change.

List of 'Games for Change' Titles

Games for Change features gaming titles of various genres that address numerous social issues, including:

• 80 Days
• Arise: A Simple Story
• A Fold Apart
• A Blind Legend
• Alpha Beat Cancer
• Another Dream
• Before I Forget
• Beyond Eyes
• Concrete Genie
• Cards Against Calamity
• Cast Your Vote
• Depression Quest
• Dumb Ways to Die

Interested gamers can view the full list of gaming titles in the Games for Change game directory.

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Written by: Andi C.