Image credit:
A Mirror’s Tale by University of Geneva
A Mirror’s
Tale, developed by Robin Pétermann at TECFA, the academic unit in the field
of educational technology belonging to the School of Psychology and Education at
the University of
Geneva, was selected as a finalist in the 2018
Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in the Student
Category.
The game allows players to freely explore the Geometric Optics principles
of light reflection and refraction.
Role-playing as a Korrigan (a "small-dwarf", in
Breton folklore) trapped in a dungeon, the players’ only way to escape is by
moving through multiple levels while solving light puzzles.
A Mirror’s Tale thrives on
seamless integration, with physics instructional elements deeply embedded in
the core mechanics of the game. As an example, the only artifact players get throughout
the game is a mirror shield to reflect bullets and light. This feature forces players
to apply the acquired knowledge of reflection to solve puzzles and slay foes,
by diverting light onto them.
Image credit:
A Mirror’s Tale by University of Geneva
The game is intended for high school students learning Physics.
Targeting a heterogeneous population of students, A Mirror’s Tale
was designed to allow players at their own pace experiment basic moves on the
first levels – their progress is punctuated by so-called platform phases
consisting of jumping and dodging obstacles while collecting gems. The advanced
or enigma phases are less rhythmic and integrate increasingly challenging problem-solving
situations.
At the end of the game, students are expected to understand the
concepts of light ray, angle of incidence, reflection and refraction; measure
angles and use the law of refraction for simple calculations.