Manahatta: The Game

Explore New York City as it was when the Dutch first arrived! Learn about indigenous animal and fauna that inhabited Manahatta through an interactive mobile application as you traverse through current day Manhattan!

Red Cross: Early Warning, Early Action

A card game designed to arouse discussion about decision making in times of flood in Senegal based on real meteorlogical readings. Interpreting weather readings into good decisions to save lives.

Re:Activism NYC

Players explore the history of riots, protests, and other forms of political unrest throughout the city using analog cues (letters) and SMSto solve puzzles while racing against the clock.

Budgetball

A physical game designed to increase the awareness of the national budget deficit that rewards strategic and collaborative thinking around the issues of fiscal responsibility and long-term debt management.

  • Manahatta: The Game
  • Red Cross: Early Warning, Early Action
  • Re:Activism NYC
  • Budgetball

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Activate! goes to Abu Dhabi!

june 20 2011

The PETLab team will be in Abu Dhabi from July 1-22nd to bring videogame-making to the youth masses through Activate! With support from AMD Foundation's Changing the Game initiative and the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Activate! program engages youth in the design of videogames about the environment and sustainability. We'll be posting a report here about the project.

New Site: PETLab + Red Cross

June 5 2011

We've just launched a new website with documentation of several games we've created with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre to help model how to better prepare in the face of natural disasters. The initiative, which we call "Games for Disaster Preparedness", are playful, often non-digital activities that actively engage participants in experiential learning, through the simulation of complex decisions with consequences. In other words: fun capacity building. So far these games have been played in more than 12 countries including Senegal, Ethiopia, Mexico, Panama, Indonesia and the US.

PETLab Receives NEA Grant

may 17 2011

In partnership with the Institute of Play , PETLab has received an NEA grant to enrich arts education in public schools by introducing arts educators to game design principles and ways to incorporate games in their classes. We're also taking advantage of the resources of our friends at The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum to help us develop new ways of integrating design into learning. A press release about this and other NEA projects can be found here. This is the first time the NEA has given funding to integrate game-making into arts curriculum and we're very proud to be a part of this!

New Website!

may 24 2010

Just in time for Games 4 Change 2010, PETLab is proud to present a new website! We've also added some of our latest and greatest projects from the past months. Take some time to take a look around! We'll be seeing you at G4C too!

New - Red Cross

may 23 2010

Teaming up with the Red Cross, PETLab developed a card game that is designed to generate discourse between the members of the Sengalese community in Africa. In recent years, Senegal's rain patterns have changed due to global warming. It was discovered that villages and cities were built on top of former swamp lands that are now flooding. Early Warning, Early Action challenges and teaches players to interpret actual meteorological weather predictions and come up with action plans revolving those predictions. Click here for more information.

New - Manahatta: The Game

may 23 2010

Ever wonder what New York City was like before all the tall buildings and cars were here? Even before the horse drawn carriages, even? Manahatta: The Game, is a digital game for mobile devices that presents players with information on pre-Dutch settler fauna and animals that thrived in old Manahatta. Click here for more information.

Focus - Re:Activisim NYC

may 23 2010

Re:Activism is a game that explores a city's history of protests, riots, and other forms of political unrest. Players navigate the real space of their city, solving an analog set of puzzles while documenting with cellphones and using SMS. The game has been played in several major cities in and outside of the USA. If you're interested in playing in your city, send us an email! Click here to see what we've done in NYC.

Focus - Budgetball

may 23 2010

Budgetball is being played at the National Mall! Budgetball is a physical game (running is involved!) that is designed to increase the awareness of the national deficit. You play in teams and the game rewards strategic and collaborative problem-solving revolving around issues of fiscal responsibility and long-term debt management. Click here to learn more.