Students develop game to raise awareness about social distancing measures

Members of a game development university students’ club, called “GameDev Técnico”, from Instituto Superior Técnico, designed a new computer game to raise awareness about the importance of good social distancing practices during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The game is called COVIDA and it challenges the players to survive for 5 minutes in a virtual world, trying to avoid exposure to the virus. It is a multiplayer game, with 11 people playing simultaneously. The game begins with the player inside the house, in social isolation, trying to meet their individual needs. The player will then need to get out of the house to buy essential items and will need do abide by social distancing rules to avoid being infected. If infected, the player can go to the hospital to get tested and is then challenged not to spread their infection to the rest of the population.

"Being a multiplayer game, we aim to virtually connect people around this subject as well as, at the same time, creating an opportunity for people to explore and get to know the recommended measures that should be taken during this period, hoping that they will then be applied in their daily lives”, explains Diogo Rato, coordinator of the Game Dev club and one of the developers of the game.

The game was launched in beta version, available to be played through computer browsers, but the team is working on a version that can be playing in mobile devices.

Play the game: covida.pt

Adapted from: https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt/pt/noticias/campus-e-comunidade/covida-o-jogo...