3.2 ChoiCo – creating games with consequences

ChoiCo can be accessed via the Exten(DT)² platform [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] or independently through ChoiCo.

Note: If you access ChoiCo independently, you will not be able to save and publish the game you create – you’ll only be able to save it locally on your personal hard drive.

It is an online game environment that can help students understand complex problems. Students can play existing games or design and modify their own games. Each game has a set of rules and a set of consequences. Players are asked to make decisions about a topic such as ‘Where shall I go to avoid getting Covid-19?’ that will help them stay in the game for longer and win.

ChoiCo can help students develop decision-making skills, empathy, argumentation, and systems thinking. As game designers, students can decide the rules of the games and the consequences of certain choices. This can help them develop skills such as computational thinking, creativity, communication, flexibility, and critical thinking.

In design thinking, ChoiCo can be used:

  • to ‘define and ideate’ (Stage 2)
  • for ‘rapid prototyping and iteration’ (Stage 3)
  • to ‘respond and deliver’ on work (Stage 5).

If you need help when using ChoiCo, watch these short videos on the ChoiCo video resources page.

A screenshot from a game about Covid-19 created on ChoiCo

  Activity 5 Try ChoiCo

Timing: Allow around 15 minutes

You are a secondary school student taking part in the design thinking project:

  • Energy consumption at my school

Follow the below steps, to trial ChoiCo.

  1. Go to ChoiCo.

  2. To familiarise yourself with ChoiCo, try a game already created about Covid-19:

  3. Amend the game by pressing ‘Edit’

    • i.Delete a game field (the elements relating to consequences).
    • ii.Add a new game field.
    • iii.Add values to the new game field created.
    • iv.Delete a choice.

  4. Now create your own game about the topic of the design thinking project ‘Energy consumption at my school’.

    • i.Define how the game will be to achieve your goal
    • ii.Think about (ideate):
    • Where the game will take place? (map area)
    • What choices the player will have?
    • What fields will be affected by their choices? (game fields)
    • How they will be affected? (database values)
    • When the game will end? (end rules)
By signing in and enrolling on this course you can view and complete all activities within the course, track your progress in My OpenLearn Create. and when you have completed a course, you can download and print a free Statement of Participation - which you can use to demonstrate your learning.

3.1 nQuire for students – an application for doing research

3.3 SorBET – creating classification games