Raising Awareness on Geopolitics Concerning the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Through Serious Games

Abstract

The popularization of integrating game mechanics and ‘gamifying’ routine processes introduces a genre of games that deviate away from entertainment and towards education: serious games. We took inspiration from largely relevant current issues- the new Cold War and the Russia-Ukraine War- to develop The Cold Front, a serious game that simulates rising tensions between countries decreases desensitization of war and encourages critical decision-making. Our goal was to demonstrate the contributions games can make in the military and political sectors, such as strengthening anti-war ideologies. To develop The Cold Front, we utilized Unity, a cross-platform game engine, to create a 2.5-dimensional game of a fictional world in the midst of raging geopolitical tensions. The game progresses through a series of events with the main objective of keeping tension under a certain threshold (measured by a ‘tension bar’). Regardless of the success or failure in preventing a world war or nuclear warfare, The Cold Front shows that war has no winner. The Cold Front’s ability to relay its message will be tested by having a sample group take a survey before and after playing the game. The implications of a significant increase in support of war prevention would prove the effectiveness of games as a means for raising awareness on serious topics.