Non violent games

#21 Ever played Amnesia: The Dark Descent? Just started a little while ago, and I think I know what's going to inspire my next project. I'm not sure if it fits the category, but it certainly is non-violent. A survival-horror / puzzle game where your character has no weapons or real means of offense. When you see a monster, you have to hide, barricade doorways, etc... Pretty interesting and scary take on a game.

#22 Sorry, what I am looking for are others interested in content and themes that are neither physically or physiologically violent, and appropriate for children. Amnesia is definitely not fitting with such a category, as it is physiologically violent (read no increase in heart rate or adrenaline, or the flight-or-fight response).

#23 Ah, well I'm designing a game in the same style as that so I brought it up, though yes, it is definite a mature game. I just enjoy the fact that it isn't another "Blow zombies up with your rocket launcher!" video game.

#24 Maria, we are currently working on a game that stresses community development and economics. It does have some minor violence though as it is a small mmo so therefore, we feel we need to allow players to use combat. However, the game will be built to create in-world consequences for certain actions. The big part is the economy which will give players the ability to build and grow their community through various professions in a medieval city/village setting. Most combat centers around a justice system and hunting animals for food and materials that can be used in crafting items.

When we are done with this game, we plan to use some of what we learned to make educational games that teach economics and history. I have watched my children play a variety of games and learn through them, sometimes unexpectedly. One can learn something about economics when their character has to work for a living to earn in-game money which they can then use to expand their business or to equip their player character with the necessities. I don't think most games take advantage of these opportunities though. While the macro side of history would be more difficult to portray in a game that is actually fun, I see no reason why a child cannot learn what its like to live in a medieval or ancient Egyptian or Roman city. Injecting some realism into the game can immerse the child and rather than just walk around and see lovely buildings, they can actually interact with NPCs or in some cases with a small select group of friends or classmates.

I have degrees in geology so would love to see a game that gave players a feel for the power of the earth but haven't really thought about it too much. I personally would enjoy visiting great geological features online but not sure how to actually make it fun for kids! One thing might be to allow them to make changes to the world and make things happen..such as moving around plates and creating new continents or causing an earthquake and watching the results. Process really is more important in science than simply memorizing so that might be a neat way to show it.

#25 Teila, Fable tried to create a game with consequences for certain actions, that would be interesting if the scenarios were realistic enough and real-world rich... and the medieval guild system would be fun to simulate for economic and history lessons. I think you have a great idea and it will only get better. (http://www.cvrlab.org/projects/real_time/beaumaris_castle/beaumaris_castle.html)

A few of the projects on ancient Egyptian (http://www.publicvr.org/) and Roman (http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu/)cultures that I know, could be of interest to you.

An interactive model with cause and effect for geology education could be very interesting... our museum in Pittsburgh has a fantastic hall of minerals and geological exhibit, some interactive, some not... you could develop a really good educational game. Let me know if I can help.

#26 Thank you, Maria! Our educational games are far into the future but I suspect we will find them easy after our current project. I will certainly let you know when the time comes. I suspect you will see a lot of me here in the future.

Thanks also for the links!

#27 I don't know of this would be of interest to any of you, but the company that used to sell Yack-Pack on the GG website, namely filament games, is big in educational games, which I would imagine are non-violent.

Website: filamentgames.com/

@Maria -- I think the virtual field trip is a great idea.

#28 thanks Steve, does anyone know of a Yak-Pack type of product for sale that works well with T3D? I will need that functionality... or if the licenses allows a resale, I am interested in buying.

#29 The late episodes of the Myst serie offer a pretty nice example of what can be done in term of non violent games (check out URU, it's like myst, but in realtime 3D and multiplayer)

#30 yes, the Myst series are exceptionally well done... and originally created by the two Miller brothers...

#31 @Maria - I was really impressed with your Virtual field trips and love the idea. what all areas will you be expanding into with them? oceanic, caverns, space/planets? Even as far as using them to teach/learn about historic civilizations or insect colonies such as ants?

@OP - I truely miss the KQ/SQ adventure games. I also loved Grim Fandango and Full Throttle. I think most of the current gamers are so used to being lead around and having everything pointed out to them ( like a 3year old on an easter egg hunt), that any game without the items blinking or giant neon signs on them, frustrate them. I truely hate the dumbing down that games have overgone through the past 10 years.

#32 Some really good adventure puzzle games are done by Telltale. They took the Monkey Island games and have made an awesome Back to the Future one as well, along with all their other games.

I know I would love to make one of these later on when I have funds, I can say I am definitely NOT short on ideas. I miss those old games, but they are not a dead genre by any means.

#33 ...my students really need to learn about causality... not physics, but in economic systems, with larger impacts on ecology, society, culture, education and health...

#34 Causality seems the type of thing that is 1,000,000 times easier to understand by experiencing it, rather than being told about it.

Definitely a perfect candidate for an educationally based game, though personally it is the type of thing I would focus the gameplay around in a very in-your-face sort of way where you literally experience the impact of a decision happening around you as opposed to gameplay that lends itself to the experience of understanding causality in a subtle way.

#35 I am playing with the idea of a shoots-and-ladders style of a game to teach entrepreneurship, ethics, and risk along with the many dimensions of ecology, society, culture, education and health effects. Definitively, the higher the fidelity (graphical, emotional) the more likely of creating a lasting episodic memory. So, any examples of combining a 2D board game, with portals to 3D worlds?

#36 How about Ants,
or Impossible Mission -avoiding the robots and solve the puzzle
-no guns in these...
What about Tarzan, -does he climb trees, ride animals and forage all day long? -Chacing away poachers etc...

:-)

#37 Ants would be fantastic, especially if base on real ants!... see E.O. Wilson's book on Ants.. also I know of a wonderful educational project called The Stories of Conne River (http://www.storiesofconneriver.ca/EN/about/3d.php), which may be worth looking into.