Gamification for Real-World Impact: Studying ‘My Lovely Planet’

Games, traditionally seen as sources of entertainment, have evolved into powerful tools for educating, raising awareness, and change in the real world. Before we bring some examples and a diverse set of games that have successfully leveraged their potential to address real-world issues, it’s essential to grasp the concept of gamification and why it has become a force in today’s society.

Gamification: A Brief Introduction

Gamification is the art of incorporating game elements and principles into non-gaming contexts to engage, motivate, and educate people. By infusing elements such as competition, achievement, rewards, and interactivity into traditionally routine or serious activities, gamification aims to make them more enjoyable and effective. This technique has found applications in a wide range of fields, such as education, marketing, healthcare, environmental awareness, and the list goes on.

Why Gamification Matters

The adoption of gamification has gained speed due to its potential to address various real-world challenges. By making tasks and learning more engaging, it can enhance motivation and participation, ultimately driving positive behavioral change. Gamification has been employed to tackle issues such as environmental conservation, scientific research, cultural preservation, and civic engagement.

Now, we will explore a diverse set of games that have harnessed the power of gamification to create meaningful real-world impact. These games offer compelling examples of how the art of gamification can serve as a medium for positive change, taking us from awareness to action. Each game showcases a unique approach to addressing real-world issues, emphasizing how games have evolved into a transformative tool for addressing social challenges.

1. “Eco”:
In “Eco,” players collaborate to build a sustainable civilization while facing and addressing environmental challenges. This game offers a unique way to raise awareness about ecological issues and empowers players to take on environmental responsibility.

2. “Foldit”:
In the quest for advancing scientific research “Foldit” is a prime example. in this game players contribute to solving complex protein-folding puzzles, aiding in the understanding of critical biological structures. This game showcases how gaming can have tangible real-world implications by engaging players in scientific problem-solving.

3. “Walden, a game”:
“Walden, a game” transports players to the woods and allows them to experience life as Thoreau did in his famous work, “Walden.” By encouraging players to connect with nature and reflect on their relationship with the environment, this game serves as an innovative platform for promoting a deeper appreciation of the natural world.

4. “Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)”:
Cultural preservation meets gaming in “Never Alone.” In collaboration with indigenous Alaskan storytellers, this game shares the culture and stories of the Iñupiat people. It serves as a testament to the ability of games to bridge cultural divides and raise awareness about indigenous communities.

5. “Climate Challenge”:
Environmental issues and climate change are at the forefront of global concerns. “Climate Challenge” tackles these topics head-on, immersing players in the role of world leaders making decisions on climate policy. This game provides a unique perspective on the complexities of climate change and the necessity for informed decision-making.

6. “World Without Oil”:
“World Without Oil” is an alternate reality game that explores the potential consequences of a global oil crisis. By engaging players in storytelling and problem-solving, it delves into the social, economic, and environmental effects of a world without oil, thus raising awareness about our dependence on this finite resource.

7. “Spent”:
Sometimes, games can serve as reminders of the challenges faced by those living on a tight budget. “Spent” places players in the shoes of individuals navigating financial decisions, highlighting the difficulties of life with limited resources and raising awareness about poverty.

8. “iCivics”:
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s educational project, “iCivics,” is not just one game but a collection of them. These games teach civics and government concepts, promoting civic engagement and understanding, which is especially vital in today’s society.

These examples demonstrate that games can be more than mere diversions; they can be triggers for change. The potential for gamification to create real-world impact is evident in the diverse ways these games have tackled significant societal issues. As we continue our exploration, we will take a closer look at “My Lovely Planet” and discover how it fits into this landscape of games that make a positive difference in our world.

In our exploration of the potential of gamification for real-world impact, “My Lovely Planet” emerges as a remarkable example. In my opinion, the idea behind it is amazing. Founded by Clément Le Bras, this project aims to serve as a source of entertainment but also carries a profound commitment to environmental conservation.

My Lovely Planet: Where Gaming Meets Real-World Action

The concept behind “My Lovely Planet” is brilliantly simple: every action within the game directly influences the real world. Whether it’s planting trees, cleaning up virtual islands, or safeguarding in-game animals, the player’s choices have tangible, positive effects. The game seeks to create a global community of 100 million players, uniting them in a common mission to achieve monumental real-world goals: planting 1 billion trees, cleaning up 1 million tons of ocean waste, and protecting 40,000 endangered species by 2030.

The Currency of Change: My Lovely Coin (MLC)

At the heart of this vision lies “My Lovely Coin” (MLC), the in-game currency. Players can use MLC to buy NFT Lovely Protectors, access exclusive items, and earn tokens during their gaming experiences. What sets this currency apart is the commitment to environmental causes: 85% of in-app purchase revenue will be used to buy back MLC, driving its value. Additionally, MLC allocates 40% of its global supply to the Environmental Treasury and reserves 12% for investors, creating a multiplier effect for climate protection.

Your Say in Environmental Initiatives

Another distinctive feature is that MLC holders have a say in determining which projects receive financing from the Environmental Treasury. This level of player involvement amplifies the impact of gaming on environmental initiatives. Beyond the confines of the game, the ambition is to establish MLC as an infrastructure token for future products that can compete with industry giants, offering a more ethical and sustainable alternative.

Where to Learn More

If you’re intrigued and wish to explore the details further, the “My Lovely Planet” team has provided a comprehensive whitepaper on their main website. There, you can delve into the intricacies of their mission, the technical aspects of MLC, and the extensive scope of their environmental goals.

From now on let’s analyze this game. let’s try to improve it. our journey will center on understanding the game’s underlying systems, mechanics, and connections that weave this Web3 mobile experience together.

Our mission here is twofold. First, we aim to recognize the game’s most important aspects and Secondly, we’ll explore the room for evolution and improvement. I should emphasize that our assessment is just the beginning and there is much more that can be done.

Please note that it’s essential for the development team to adhere to the principles of the game design and player-centric design. that is our mission and always will be, no matter what type of game, the whole team including storytellers, game designers, QA, community managers, developers, art, UI/UX, and… should definitely and always try to align themselves with those guidelines and principles. in fact, the most important duty of the game director is to make sure that happens.

With that in mind, we can not address all of those principles in this article and analyze everything in the game but we can say in these types of games, there are a few systems and mechanics that are at the highest priority and need to be flawless to make the game more engaging and improving the retention rate and overall KPIs. therefore we will mainly try to address the following aspects of the game for now:

• Narrative
• Core Game and Mechanics
• Mini-games
• Resource Management and Economy: Balancing Resources
• Collaboration and Community Engagement

As always and as a habit of game designers, I begin the journey by peering into the systems that form the backbone of “My Lovely Planet.” The study of these systems allows us to know the game much better and understand how they interconnect to create a harmonious player journey. Please bear in mind that the game may reveal more intricate connections and alternative pathways to discover. For now, let’s focus on these primary systems that guide players in their quest to merge entertainment with real-world impact.

Edward the Fox from the Future seems like a very good concept. also, the animation is lovely. they have added a raccoon as a bad guy to make better storytelling. it steals seeds and so there are games and ways to get back the seeds. it seems they both need a back story. why the fox and how did it enter into this? What led the raccoon to steal seeds? Is there a way to redeem the raccoon’s character over time? and lots of other questions.

So we begin the big topic of Narrative design. As you might remember we praised Cyber-punk for its narrative design. will Lovely Planet also end up like that? can this game create a truely immersive experience? now to be honest that might be a hard thing to do for a casual game but certainly possible on many levels. anyway here are a few ideas:

Story Arc: Consider incorporating a narrative arc into the game’s storytelling. For example, you can start with an introduction to the environmental issue, then introduce the raccoon as an antagonist, and guide players through a series of challenges and missions to address this threat. Finally, players could achieve significant environmental milestones.

Player Progression: Weave the narrative into the progression system. As players advance, they should uncover more about Edward’s story, the raccoon’s motives, and the broader mission to save the planet. This can be done through dialogues, cutscenes, or in-game interactions.
Dialogues and Interactions: Create meaningful dialogues and interactions between players and Edward. These interactions can provide guidance, share insights about environmental issues, and celebrate players’ achievements. Make the character interactions engaging and emotionally resonant.

Informative Content: not everyone wants to read big articles on the website about how the game helps solve environmental challenges. Use storytelling to educate players about the environmental challenges and solutions. Explain why certain actions in the game have real-world impact and how they contribute to the goals of planting trees, cleaning up waste, and protecting biodiversity.

Missions to Retrieve Seeds: The idea of having games to retrieve stolen seeds is good. Make these missions diverse and challenging to keep players engaged. They can serve as both a narrative tool and a gameplay element.

Player Choices: Introduce player choices that affect the story and outcomes. For example, players may need to decide how to handle the raccoon issue, and their choices can impact the game’s narrative.

Environmental Milestones: Develop a system where players’ collective actions lead to reaching significant environmental milestones. Each milestone achieved can trigger a new chapter or part of the story.

At the heart of this game, you have an island and some houses for different purposes such as sending lovely volunteers to the missions. The current approach which is an RPG view of the island certainly offers some gameplay opportunities, but there’s always room for innovation and enhancement. To add a dynamic and engaging multiplayer aspect to the game, I thought we could propose a transition from the current system to a more interactive and collaborative environment.

Third-person view, a Collaborative Lobby, and an Interactive 3D Environment

Current System Concern: The current RPG view of the island may feel somewhat static and isolated, limiting player interactions. While the gameplay elements are meaningful, the game environment could benefit from a more dynamic and engaging multiplayer experience.

I envision a transformative shift to a collaborative and immersive 3D lobby, which will serve as the central hub for players to gather, socialize, and engage with one another while focusing on the core mission of environmental protection.

Key Features:

• Interactive 3D Environment

Players will find themselves in a third-person view and in a vibrant, 3D virtual world that encourages exploration and social interaction. This environment will allow for a more immersive and visually engaging experience. we can use phasing and realms in order to limit the population in the world.

• Avatars

Each player will have a customizable avatar, representing them in the virtual world. Avatars can be dressed up and personalized according to individual player preferences.

• Multiplayer Interaction

Players can freely interact with each other through chat, gestures, and cooperative actions. Collaboration becomes a central theme, allowing players to exchange resources, share experiences, and work together on common goals.

• Mini-Game Sharing

Mini-games, previously isolated on individual islands and Funland will now be shared in the lobby. Players can gather around to watch and participate in these games, further fostering a sense of community and competitiveness.

• Portals to Main Islands

Central portals within the lobby will serve as gateways to players’ main islands. These portals allow players to seamlessly transition between the collaborative lobby and their personal gameplay areas. in the main islands, there will be other private functions like missions.

• Dynamic and Collaborative Challenges

Environmental challenges and goals will be introduced in the lobby, encouraging players to collaborate and contribute to overarching missions. The lobby will be a place where players can strategize and organize for larger-scale initiatives. there can be interactive billboard and concepts like this and this one in the lobby.

This transformative shift aims to make the game a highly collaborative and dynamic experience. Players can meet, socialize, and collaborate with others who share the same passion for environmental protection. The multiplayer aspect not only adds excitement but also amplifies the impact that players can have on the real world. The lobby becomes a hub for interaction, strategy, and a powerful catalyst for change. this approach can highly affect player engagement, retention, and other KPIs.

As to my knowledge, currently, there are multiple game developers each responsible for their own mini-games and there might not be any game designers in the team. The quality and uniqueness of mini-games play a crucial role in the success of casual games like this. In my opinion ‘My Lovely Planet’ is not working very well in this aspect. Here’s the importance of a dedicated game design team and the need for original, engaging mini-games:

Importance of Quality Mini-Games:

1. Player Engagement: Mini-games are a primary source of player engagement. Engaging and enjoyable mini-games can keep players immersed in the game and encourage them to return.
2. Diversity: A variety of mini-games adds diversity to the gameplay experience. It keeps the game fresh and offers something for different player preferences.
3. Retainment: Well-designed mini-games can extend the player’s playtime, increasing player retention and enhancing the game’s overall lifespan.
4. Replayability: Mini-games with replay value can motivate players to repeatedly participate, competing with friends or trying to beat their own scores.

I highly recommend a big change. the production team needs to have a robust structure. there should be a game design team and an iterative and agile approach which I already discussed in many articles. let’s see what could go wrong with the current approach:

Challenges:

1. Consistency: having different developers with their own tastes can lead to inconsistencies in the game, such as differences in art style, functions, user interface design, or overall game feel. Maintaining a cohesive experience can be very challenging.
2. Integration: Ensuring that all mini-games work together seamlessly, especially when transitioning between them, can be complex and require careful coordination.
3. Quality Control: Quality control becomes critical, as the quality of individual mini-games may vary. Some may require more development and polish than others.
4. Communication and Collaboration: Effective communication and collaboration among developers are essential to prevent silos and ensure that the mini-games fit well into the overall game world and storyline.

Resource management and economy in “My Lovely Planet” play a crucial role in the game’s mechanics and player engagement. It’s important to assess the current state and consider how to improve this aspect of the game.

Current State of Resource Management and Economy:

1. Resources: The game features various resources, including in-game currency (Seeds), MLC (My Lovely Coin), and the environmental impact that players generate.
2. Resource Acquisition: Players acquire resources through environmental actions, in-app purchases, watching ads, and missions completed by Lovely Volunteers.
3. Resource Utility: Resources are used to fund environmental projects, upgrade creatures (Lovely Volunteers), purchase NFTs (Lovely Protectors), and progress in the game.

Improvement Strategies

The current system offers a sound foundation for resource management and economy, but there may be areas to improve for example game Balance which is essential to ensure that the acquisition of resources and their utility are balanced. Players should feel that their efforts are rewarded and that they can make meaningful progress through gameplay without being overly reliant on in-app purchases. also its essential to avoid pay-to-win scenarios. I am not sure which of these may already implemented and used in the game but here are some strategies we can use:

1. Proper Incentivize In-Game Actions: Encourage players to perform environmental actions and engage with mini-games to earn resources. The more players contribute to the game’s mission, the more they should be rewarded.
2. Strategic Resource Allocation: Implement strategic choices for resource allocation. For instance, players may decide whether to invest in environmental projects, creature upgrades, or NFTs, based on their individual gameplay goals.
3. Resource Diversification: Expand the types of resources available in the game. Introduce new resources or resource-generating activities that provide players with additional options for progression.
4. Community Resource Pools: Consider collaborative resource pools where players can contribute resources collectively to achieve larger-scale environmental objectives. This fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility.
5. Dynamic Resource Events: Periodically introduce resource events, challenges, or bonuses to keep the resource economy engaging and evolving. This can include special events with unique resource rewards.
6. Player-Driven Resource Economy: Enable players to have a say in how resources are allocated or used within the game’s ecosystem, fostering a sense of player agency.

The community engagement aspect of “My Lovely Planet” is undoubtedly a notable strength. The active Discord channel and the well-structured community are commendable, with roles clearly defined, responsive administrators, and a variety of dedicated channels to cater to different aspects of the game.

Strengths of the Community Engagement:

1. Structured Discord Channel: The community’s organization within Discord is highly effective. The presence of channels like announcements, partners, impact goals, updates, general chat, ideas, progress sharing, bug reporting, and … demonstrates a commitment to meeting the diverse needs of the player base.
2. Active and Engaged Community: An active and engaged community is a testament to the game’s appeal and the effort put into fostering player participation.
3. Responsiveness: Having a team of responsive administrators and moderators who can promptly address questions, concerns, or issues is a significant asset. The dedication of this team contributes to a positive player experience.
4. Giveaways: as I was checking the community, it seems there is an active plan to make people more active on social media and the game using different methods like giveaways.
5. Discord Promotion: there seems to be a specific type of promotional or engagement mechanism in the Discord community using some not-genuine accounts but I might be wrong. Some members may be participating as part of efforts, trying to increase engagement. While it’s important to maintain authenticity, this strategy ultimately benefits the game by creating a lively and engaging player community. It aligns with the game’s mission to make a real-world impact and fosters collaboration among players. However, it’s crucial to ensure that such contribute positively to the player experience.

Areas for Improvement:

1. Promotion for English-speaking Audiences: it’s important to acknowledge that promoting content for English-speaking players may require additional focus. The French origin of the main team could lead to language-related challenges. Consider dedicating more resources to ensuring effective communication and support for English-speaking players.
2. Response Time to Tickets: It’s noted that there might be delays in addressing player tickets. Ensuring a prompt response to issues and concerns is essential for player satisfaction. Expanding the support team or optimizing ticket response processes may be beneficial.

Commendation and Recognition:

The community structure and engagement in “My Lovely Planet” set an exemplary standard for fostering a vibrant and supportive player base which is one of the most important principles of game design. The individuals responsible for establishing and maintaining this community deserve recognition for their dedication and hard work.

1. Quality Assurance and Iterative Approach: It’s apparent that “My Lovely Planet” could benefit from a dedicated quality assurance (QA) team to ensure a seamless and bug-free gaming experience. The iterative approach, where testing and refinement are continuous, should be embraced to identify and address issues early in the development process, ultimately enhancing the game’s overall quality.
2. Addressing Skepticism Toward the Environmental Message: The game’s core message of saving the planet may face skepticism, potentially deterring some players who are wary of such initiatives. It’s essential to address this skepticism by making the game’s intentions crystal clear. Transparency and a clear demonstration of the real-world impact of player actions can help build trust and credibility in the game’s mission.
3. Enhancing Feedback Loops: Feedback loops, where players perform actions and receive in-game responses, are vital for player engagement. It seems that the auditory feedback aspect may need improvement. Implementing responsive sound effects and auditory cues for various actions can significantly enhance the immersive and interactive experience within the game.
4. Onboarding: onboarding and tutorials may seem a bit complicated and hard to grasp
5. Loading: the game does not load fast enough therefore less engagement. My game takes almost 30 seconds to load.
6. Network issues: there are possibly some network and connectivity issues. I noticed sometimes while loading the function, there is a very small upload/download going on. That might be the cause of some slow loading. optimizing network functions, CDNs or other related functions might be very helpful which is a part of the QA team’s job as network performance testing.
7. Sound: sound design and music seems to need a lot more attention in this game. It’s so important that you can almost say it’s a mechanic in many games.