When the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) first decided to create educational materials about the earth sciences, all we knew then was that we wanted something extra fun, immersive, and highly interactive. The EOS Dynamic Earth Games that we have now were not yet in our minds.
The search for a team who could bring this to life for us was quite a task. That was until we met BOHO Interactive, a collective of artists and game designers from Australia.
During the planning phase, the BOHO team spent a good amount of time in EOS to learn about the different types of research being done by our scientists. They then shortlisted a few to build the games on. After developing several of these games, they tested the prototypes at different events with different audiences.
Earlier this year in January, BOHO Interactive visited Science Centre Singapore for three weeks of playtests to help them fine-tune the games for the final phase. This is where I get to enjoy a wonderful perk that comes with my job. I get to sneak behind the scenes and experience their work first-hand.
After each playtest, we would come together to identify the areas for improvement. We would discuss the problems that came up during the tests, and then form solutions for them. I saw for myself how cleverly game pieces were modified and created on the fly, how some rules and other aspects of the games were quickly amended, and all in time for the next day’s playtest. It was amazing to see how the games transformed. They evolved from an unrefined and raw version (made up mostly of “Post-It” notes and sketches) to the elegant and finished play pieces and tiles. Using their vast experience in theatrical performance, the BOHO team was also able to come up with scripts, music, and visuals to draw people to the games.
A big shout-out to the BOHO team for working so wonderfully with our scientists to make the earth sciences incredibly fun! And now, to spare you my further rumblings, click on the video below to watch the BOHO team in action.
This is the third out of four posts in a special series on the EOS Dynamic Earth Games. Please check this space again next week for our fourth and final instalment. The first post can be read here, and the second here.