Tablecraft
- Image credit: UCF FIEA
Tablecraft, developed
by the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
(FIEA) at the University of Central Florida, was selected as a finalist in
the 2018
Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in the Student Category.
Aimed for middle-schoolers, Tablecraft is a virtual reality game
that increases player familiarity with the Periodic Table of Elements.
The Periodic Table (also known as the Periodic Table of Elements) is
organized so scientists can quickly discern the properties of individual
elements such as their mass, electron number, electron configuration and their
unique chemical properties. Metals reside on the left side of the table, while
non-metals reside on the right. This periodic table of the elements with names,
atomic number, symbol and mass is color-coded for easier reference by students
and researchers.
As stated by VRScout, “With complex
compounds of elements and molecules coming together to form the very fabric of
our existence, there are very few scientific disciplines more daunting than
that of chemistry. This goes double for kids being introduced to the
complicated subject for the first time. Tablecraft is
out to squash those nasty preconceived notions by making the memorization of
the periodic table a fun and engaging experience. Developed by a team of
US-based Fulbright Scholars, Tablecraft takes advantage of VR’s
immersive capabilities to deliver a unique educational experience in which
users not only learn the various different elements, but their attributes as
well.”
Tablecraft
Periodic Table - Image credit: UCF FIEA
Tablecraft helps
players conceptualize the objects in their day-to-day life as being made of
elements, and of certain elements having properties that are relevant to how
that object looks, feels, or behaves. The game also teaches players about the
subatomic particles which make up an atom, and how different numbers of
particles in an atom changes an element’s properties.
Tablecraft
Assistant - Image credit: UCF FIEA
Gameplay
“To further demonstrate the effects of these newly-discovered elements,
users are also given access to a handful of experimental “blob” creatures to
use as adorable test subjects. For example, once you’ve discovered Helium, toss
its cube into your new pal to watch it start floating. Got your hands on some
Radium? That’ll give you a blob that glows in the dark, but could also make
your other blobs sick due to radiation poisoning.”
Tablecraft Blob - Image credit: UCF FIEA
Tablecraft
Radioactivity - Image credit: UCF FIEA
The primary end-goal in Tablecraft is to discover all of the
Elements and complete the entire periodic table. It is a sandbox game, so it is
not always strictly challenging, so much as discovery-oriented. That said,
players who use or develop their knowledge of which elements an object is made
of, or what group an element belongs to, will be able to engineer blobs more
precisely, and reach the end of the game more quickly!
Players who are knowledgeable and attentive enough at each stage of the
game will be able to progress in the discovery of new elements. Particularly
skilled players will be able to progress more quickly, and be more creative in
their interactions with the blobs and other playful components of the game.
Tablecraft Scanner - Image credit: UCF FIEA
Unlocking
Elements & Raising Blobs
Tablecraft
Incubator - Image credit: UCF FIEA
“By providing a light-hearted environment that ditches boring beakers
for experimental blob creatures, the team hopes to deliver a fun experience in
which users don’t even realize they’re actively learning. Tablecraft’s
decision to show the effects of chemical combinations rather than simply tell
could bring a new level of interest to the discipline,” VRScout concludes.
Tablecraft runs on
Windows 10 and requires Oculus Rift and Touch Controllers.
Watch the VIDEO