1, A Logistics Serious Game

A Logistics Serious Game Video 2021

19 May 2021, Elzbieta Pustulka, 28 views

Due to the high complexity of the Swiss economy, a powerful and reliable logistics

system is required. Switzerland has already one of the most advanced economies in

Europe and is one of the central points in the transport network, which will most likely

continue to increase. The challenges in the future teaching and learning about logistics and of attracting young people to this area could be addressed by increasing the motivation and engagement to learn about the subject. This thesis proposes to use a game to raise public interest in logistics and convey some essential knowledge in a playful manner. To raise interest in logistics and teach some fundamental knowledge of the subject, we wanted to make use of a serious game that should be played at museums, fairs or in the educational field.

The literature review unveiled many methodologies showing how to construct a serious game, but none of them was fit for purpose. Therefore, a combined methodology was developed and applied to create a game design. This game design was then implemented in a prototype using the Unreal Engine 4.25. The game includes a 3D world with an ocean, islands, harbours and ships in which a player steers a ship to deliver goods to harbours. The player has to select the right ship for the matching freight. The game includes a single-player and a multiplayer mode in which the players have to find the fastest way to visit all harbours and deliver the goods. Those two modes and levels implemented within the game allow the learner to progress and increase their mastery of the game and the topic.

The game prototype was evaluated through a playtest with a two-stage survey. We let

four players play the single and multiplayer mode, and we found out that the artefact was able to raise interest in logistics, and it successfully conveyed knowledge about the cargo ships. All of that happened while the players had fun playing a game and wanted to explore the 3D world.

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