How Games Work – The Path To Luma

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Today I will talk about The Path To Luma

The Path to Luma is a game that talks about the environment and how we can reverse the damage done to it. Humans have been using natural resources like they will never end. We have been cutting down trees, throwing plastic in the oceans and producing carbon dioxide like there is no effect on the planet whatsoever. This game gives you a glimpse at how you could help save the planet. In The Path to Luma you play the hero Sam that can make environmental changes for the better happen.

Each level is a small planet that has been affected by the destruction of the environment and your mission is to make them a better place to live. From level one, I liked the concept of the small planet where the hero walks around and solves puzzles because it reminded me of one of my favourite pieces of literature, the Little Prince. The weapons you have to complete the puzzles and save each planet are the sun , water and wind. Using various devices, you can harness their power to produce clean energy and transform the little planets into more eco-friendly and lively places.

The Path to Luma is a puzzle based game. On each level you have to understand how to use elements of nature like the sun and the air, combine them with various devices like a windmill or a solar panel in order to solve the puzzles and restore the planet to its initial state. The game mechanics are quite nice and there is a nice learning curve and difficulty as you progress on each level. I really like the aesthetics of the game. Especially the transitions of the planets when you finish each level are particularly satisfying.

This game is much closer to the field of gamification compared to other games I have talked about on How Games Work. It’s purpose and message have everything to do with the real world compared to most games out there and it encourages you to think more about the effect we have on the planet and what we can do to reverse that. At the same time it’s a good game which is something very important for people to actually learn from it. Great tool to talk to children about environmental challenges and how alternative power sources like solar and wind energy work.

Check out the game's official website here: http://www.thepathtoluma.com/home/

About the author 

Pete Baikins

Pete Baikins is an international authority on gamification, a lifelong gamer, successful entrepreneur and a lecturer. As CEO of Gamification+ Ltd he mentors and trains companies world-wide on the use of gamification to solve business challenges. Gamification+ won the Board of Trade Award from the UK's Department of International Trade in January 2019.

Pete is co-host of the health gamification podcast Health Points and is also Chair of Gamification Europe, the annual conference for Gamification practitioners.

Pete is an Honorary Ambassador for GamFed (International Gamification Confederation), having previously been the Chair from 2014 to February 2019, whose aim is to spread best practices within and support the gamification industry.

After 15 years as a Lecturer on gamification and entrepreneurship at the University of Brighton he now guest lectures on Gamification at King’s College London and at ESCP Europe at post-graduate and under-graduate levels.

Over the past 20 years Pete has built and sold two businesses. One was in security software and the more recent one was a telecoms and internet connectivity business. He is also an Ambassador for Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

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