Two student-made games from Abertay University secured awards at this year’s International Serious Play Awards. The two games – Powerchair Football and The Healing Tree – were created as part of a coursework project. 

Powerchair Football earned Silver and the Healing Tree earned Bronze in the student category of the awards. These accolades come from students in their third year at Abertay’s School of Design and Informatics. These games exemplify the concept of ‘applied games,’ meaning they focus on issues related to social concerns, learning, and education. 

Powerchair Football was developed by the Blueshift Studios team in collaboration with the Tayside Dynamos Powerchair Football Club to create a first-of-its-kind realistic powerchair football gaming experience. 

“It’s a very different kind of game. It’s not really something that’s been done before. We got in touch with our client, the Tayside Dynamos, and went along to their training sessions. In our first meeting, it became pretty clear what they were wanting from us: something that was realistic, something that represented the sport in a way that they were happy with,” said Jake Brodie, producer of Blueshift Studios.

The Healing Tree, developed by the Taywild team, is a game that addresses grief and trauma therapy. The game is a product of meticulous research and creativity that helps people suffering from trauma and other complicated emotions.  

Recommended reading

• Heriot-Watt Smart Wound Sensors Could Transform Healing Process
• Tech Firm Scheme to Plant Thousands of Trees in Scottish Borders
• Investment in Edinburgh Uni Startups Triples

In The Healing Tree, players are tasked with restoring the health of a symbolic tree while exploring its roots and branches using various characters dealing with life’s challenges.

“The brief itself was based on an academic paper about exploring games as trauma therapy. That is something that captured my mind and a lot of the teams’ minds specifically,” said Tally Summers, producer for Taywild.

“These types of projects not only challenge students to push themselves in their craft as developers, but it also demands that they understand wider social or cultural challenges and address these through making games,” said Games Production lecturer at Abertay University, Dr. Andrew Reid.

“The awards are a real testament to the work and dedication that the students committed to these projects.

“We are very proud that our students continue Abertay’s record of success at the International Serious Play Awards.”