After a couple of years of using and training others in the use of our old framework, I finally decided it’s time to give it a spin and update in several ways.
The first thing I wanted to do is use what we have learned from the industry and simplify the system so it’s a lot easier to create a gamified environment. Doing that isn’t easy. It took about three years of work and testing.
I finally redesigned it.
Some of our steps were disordered from a natural flow so we changed them. I also realize several steps were out of place or many players didn’t use them at all so I made those steps optional in case someone wants to dive deeper in their designs.
My wife was just talking to my daughter Hana. She casually said “Let’s go to the fridge and play ‘letters'”. We bought those magnetic letters that you put on the fridge to write whatever you’d like… Not too much of a story there but the meaning behind those words is the motto of BLUERABBIT.
For the past years I’ve been saying at the end of every talk a phrase I used to tell my dad when I was eight.
Life is a game.The thing is that when we grow up we get to play for real.
So imagine you approach your next writing assignment as “Let’s play letters” instead of “I must write a 5000 words article”
I think we can approach life like this. All of us, like a one and a half year old learning such a complex thing as the alphabet by “playing letters”
Alright. This post is coming after the Game Garage on the 14th of January. If you want to know what the game garage is, visit Sententia Gamification website as they are holding the best gathering of gamification peers, enthusiasts, experts and newbies together with a great new idea every single time.
How do you create an Escape Room with BLUERABBIT?
Well, first of all, what is an escape room?
An escape room is an activity where the players have to find clues in order to solve a riddle. The consequence of solving the riddle is “escaping the room” where you were locked (not really locked, this isn’t a terror movie).
So within BLUERABBIT you can create all the elements that are needed for an escape room to exist and you can use the software to provide feedback to the players against the clues they find in the process.
Achievements
20 Achievements that will provide clues to get the 10 digit code.
Blog Entries
20 Blog Posts, each providing media to figure out 20 keywords.
Mission
1 Mission with instructions.
What you will make
IN THIS TUTORIAL
An escape room with a goal to find a 10 digit code.
Outside BLUERABBIT
The Goal: The secret code, the last key, the name, the contract, the combination of the safe, etc…
Clues: The parts of the puzzle, numbers to the combination, the key to the safe, etc…
Inside BLUERABBIT
A new Adventure: The place where the players will play.
Blog Posts, Achievements and Items: The mechanics where you put the clues.
Adventure Intro & Mission for instructions: A place to put the goal and include the instructions on how to solve the escape room.
Resources
Open up this spreadsheet. It has all clues, keywords and the 10 digit code. It also has tips on good practices.
Each CITY NAMEcorrespond to a matching media file you can download HERE.
Three of those images are QR codes that link to media files stored in BLUERABBIT.
Steps to create the escape room
>>> IMPORTANT <<<
If you need to edit anything you made and can’t find it, just go to the hamburger menu > TOOLS (the hammer) > Manage Adventure. There you can edit everything you create.
1. Create a new Adventure
Step 1: General Settings
Login to your account, create a new adventure. Fill in the general settings as needed.
Step 2: Intro
Go to the INTRO section and make sure to add the instructions and details to the playes. This message will show on their first login.
Step 3: Features
Go to the features section and make sure the following are active:
Use Missions
Use Achievements
Hide Achievements
Use Magic Codes
Use Blog
Use Lore
Use Resources
Use Item Shop
Step 4: Create the adventure
2. Create a new Mission
Step 1: Create the mission
Go to the hamburger menu on the top left.
Click on the last button (the + sign)
Add new Mission
Step 2: General Settings
Fill in the general settings as needed.
Make sure this is a SOLO mission.
Step 3: Mechanics
Mechanics should have everything like the picture: Level 1 and everything else empty.
Step 3: Content
Add a short description.
In the instructions field, write the content you want the players to check whenever they need to see the rules or anything else that may be relevant. You can put clues in here if you want.
Step 4: Save the mission
Create the mission and go back to the Home Page (Journey button)
3. Create a new Blog Post for every clue
Step 1: Create the post
Go to the hamburger menu on the top left.
Click on the last button (the + sign)
Add new Post
Step 2: Post Settings
The headline should not give away any information. I always just put a generic “Found Something” label.
You can use the image that will provide the clue as the Post Image.
Choose a color. It’s important for readability
Level -> 1
Display style: Choose whatever you like, there are four styles, makes no difference but helps visually when looking for clues to add some variation.
Secondary headline > Leave empty
Content > Add the Image that is the clue. You may add some phrase that will help with a bit of context as long as it doesn’t give away the theme or something else.
Step 3: Save the Post
Rinse and repeat for every clue
4. Create a new Achievement for every clue
Step 1: Create the achievement
Go to the hamburger menu on the top left.
Click on the last button (the + sign)
Add new Achievement
Step 2: General Settings
The achievement name should be just CLUE. Don’t number them it makes things stressful for the players.
Use the image of the clue for reference. That way players can keep track of what they have solved.
Choose color
Achievement type: Badge
Available for All Paths
Max Players : Empty or Zero to have no limit
XP: 500
BLOO / Coins: 50
Deadline: Empty
Content: The part of the clue that will solve the 10 digit code. From the spreadsheet, the content of the column “clue”
Step 3: Achievement Codes
Switch tabs on the upper left.
In the Magic Code field, add the KEYWORD for this clue. You can add phrases (keywords with spaces) just make sure that there isn’t a space at the end or the players will never solve that clue.
Step 4: Add one extra achievement for the final code
Add one more achievement so that the players can solve the escape room. Just make another one but the with the 10 digit number as the magic code.
Add a cool image for those who manage to solve it.
And that’s it. You just created a complete escape room in BLUERABBIT!
Tell us how did it go! And don’t hesitate to call for help. That’s what we are here for.
Try BLUERABBIT
Try it for free. No commitment, no upfront, no nothing. Just register and start building.
For the past years the gamification community has been using the term gamification defined as “the use of game-mechanics or game-elements in a non-game context” and that has brought a lot of confusion and discussion in the industry.
Take the word beautify as an example. The Oxford dictionary defines that simply as “make beautiful”. Whilst we are thinking of the word simply, it also defines simplify as “make simple”.
So, it stands to reason that the layperson would look at the word gamify and assume it means “make gameful” or just “make game-like” (as gameful isn’t really in common language still). And, as we are looking at this from the layperson perspective – I’m throwing in the word game as well, not just game-like!
Almost every time he writes something the industry kind of shakes a bit. At least it helps us all brush the dust on some things we take for granted and remember the basics.
Merriam Webster’s definition still stands like this:
The problem with this definition is that it leaves a lot of components to interpretation and complicates everything for experts, newbies, stake holders, customers, clients, participants, players and your dog if they ever heard the word.
The new proposed definition by @Andrzej is a lot simpler, easier to understand to anyone AND the most important thing, it works.
So I’m jumping on this boat and will update my current material accordingly as this is the result and evidence of years of work from hundreds of experts in the industry.
Gamification is the process of making something a game or game-like.
End of discussion. At least for another ten years I hope.
Alright!!! So for all of you attending Gamicon 21v (https://gamicon.us)
What you need to do to build a player journey using an analogue version of BLUERABBIT is this:
Assumption just for this case >>> You are in charge of running a learning experience.
The Problem for this scenario >>> The participants don’t engage with the players.
The tools at hand to increase engagement are:
QUESTS >>> A way of submitting content. Whatever it is, text, image, links, videos or documents. It can come in the shape of a survey or with steps to complete. The core point of a quest is that the content is not evaluated but required.
CHALLENGES >>> A way of measuring knowledge in the form of multiple choice quizzes.
ACHIEVEMENTS >>> It’s a tool to award resources that neither the quest or the challenge cover. It can be scanning a QR code they find in their email or the physical mail or under a table (when COVID stops). It can be actively recognizing the best question made to a speaker or anything.
Follow the engagement loop:
PROMPT > ACTION > PROCESS > CONSEQUENCE > CHANGE > FEEDBACK > PROMPT >
Now. The challenge is to create THREE activities choosing your tools. any combination of those tools and you ask something of the players. The only thing that’s open for you is the subject. So let’s say you want the players to learn about apples. What are the three first activities related to apples you want the player to do/learn?
Maybe 2 quests and a challenge:
Quest 1 > Upload a picture of your favorite apple
Quest 2 > Tell us what is the best apple and why?
Challenge > Answer these three simple questions about apples
COVID-19 is without a questions the biggest challenge humanity has faced at least since the World War II. What’s fascinating is the work of millions of people all developing creative solutions. Humanity needed a common enemy to oin forces and finally something that isn’t giving us a choice has come up.
Don’t get me wrong. This is a BAD situation. Humanity is at risk and I’m scared for my wife, my dogs, parents, brothers, family, friends and literally anyone who has a heart and blood through their veins.
However falling victim to the panic isn’t helping anyone. We MUST focus on providing the best solutions humanity has ever seen.
Can you imagine this catastrophe hitting us in 1990 with no internet, little cellphone connection and depending only in TV and newspaper to learn about the virus? How many people would’ve died before China’s virus data reached every single country out there?
We have so many tools at our reach this days we need to pull them all together and provide solutions for everyone. Specially those who can’t stay at home.
BLUErabbit has solved some issues in education in the past but we are now commited to upscale our service to improve the lives of every single kid out there who requires better learning.
I hope all schoolsl understand the need of a digital engaging software that will help teachers improve learning without them having to be in the room. It’s also really important to understand that no school system can function without teachers. It may work without walls, but not without those caring for learning and developing the content our children need to become better.
Teachers are and will always be the front-line fighters for the learning system. For them, another type of heroes, we will be providing a couple of webinars through the next weeks to help them learn how to increase motivation and engagement in what now will become the new normal for quite a while.
I believe the most important teaching COVID-19 is bringing is that schools will change forever (as the working environment, but that’s another post…) and learning what will help players progress and what won’t is fundamental to ensure our younger generations reach new heights of knowledge.
I hope for the best outcome for humanity. I believe we are all capable of joining forces and defeat this challenge.
#Stayathome and don’t fall in despair. We will come out of this better than before. Humanity has 7.7 billion brains . All of them willing to survive.
What I mean by gamified problem solving is how to break down the solution into a clear loop we must construct to provide a successful gamification system.
This is just a first approach to it and will keep working on it as I feel it’s incomplete, although, it seems to be in the right direction. I will try to be as clear as possible.
The first thing to understand about a gamification system is that the goal is to solve a problem. If your system wasn’t designed for this, you will end up with more obstacles than advantages. So start there.
My loop on gamified problem solving goes something like this:
The Goal is to solve a (the) problem(s).
Problems are solved by Actions.
Actions are executed by Agents.
Agents ability is determined by Skill.
Skill can be increased with Tools and/or Experience.
Tools and Experience are rewards for Progression.
Progression is earned by achieving Goals.
In gamification, agents are usually players, however it’s not always the them that execute an action but it can be the system (automated), the Game Master or an NPC.
If you want to reach a solution, you need three legs on that table: Problem, Agents and Actions. Everything else, is glitter. That’s why it’s important to create the loop focusing originally in SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
Once you build a loop with many different components it will help you design better systems making sure you don’t forget details in the process.
We know how hard Gamification Design is. Breaking it down helps with concrete logic to achieve the goal.
Feel free to break my breakdown. It’s really fresh and I know it needs a lot of work, though it’s a good start… I think.
As a new school year draws near in Mexico, we were required to finish up all details and make sure a full set of tutorials are up but also make sure no bugs were around in our new version.
Some of the new features actually come from inspiration received during Gamification Europe and needs from Foro Vidanta.
I’ll be covering each of the new features in a separate post but let me list them here:
New Looks at Classes dashboard.
All bugs clear: We’ve cleared all bugs from the system. If you find one, please report it to [email protected]
Level up colors
New Item types: Consumables, Key Items and Reward Items
Requirements from Key or Reward Items
Team Missions are active!
Teams have a chat in the class wall
Sidequests are working fully and just show for current level
Duplicate Quests are possible now.
Reward Items work as a collection for the players to complete
Achievements now can be obtained in three different ways, limited by amount of players and by deadlines.
Quests and Challenges can be assigned to a specific group of players using achievements
Quests, Missions and Challenges can now reward players with information using CLUES. This way you can create an Escape Room experience or find hints through the whole school year!
The questions in Challenges can have now an image attached to it
The Players List now offers a link to the player type results for each enrolled player so the teacher can see the numbers
Class Time zone bug has been fixed. Now all deadlines match the setup from the class.
You can remove players from within the class edit screen.
So it’s been a while since I posted something. Between life, the universe and everything, it all came out to over 42 things I had to finish.
So for those who think I’m being just “funny”, here is the complete list of what we’ve been woriking on for the past 4 months…
Setting up things with investor
Fixing bugs in BLUErabbit
Preparing keynote for Gamification Europe Masterclass
Updating all cards fot he Game Master Framework for G.E.M.C.
Translating such cards to spanish
Updating all icons and software to match current design
Talking to lawyers about brand
Setting up new bank accounts
Run around with hands in the air not knowing where to start fixing more bugs in the BLUErabbit
Getting hired to gamify ForoVidanta (upcoming post!)
Update BLUErabbit to make sure it can track social media for FORO VIDANTA
Update Gamification Europe Master Class again to match new discoveries
Hire someone to help with the development of the gamified content for FORO VIDANTA (not easy here in Mexico but I found one of the best possible people in the planet for such a job)
Go to Puerto Vallarta, run the event and make sure all participants stay focused for 4 days instead of going to the beach (mission accomplished!)
Oh yeah… this is just May… one month in… And another item in the list is: UPDATE BLUErabbit Database to match the new settings
Start designing EDUBADGES again since the client started requiring new features
Start designing HDI system for MOUDUS
Start analyzing all data from FORO VIDANTA
Rehearse Keynote for Gamification Europe
Finish Data analysis for FORO VIDANTA and send to client
Get Paid! (YAAAY!!)
Keep working on Edubadges
Keep working on Moudus
Forget for a while about the Ramp Compass System I want to publish
Stick to the fight. Times get hard as hired developer stops working and stops answering phone…
Start new DB update with BLUErabbit as new needs come up.
Find a new developer in the meantime
Keep working on the other projects
Fix even more bugs that appear in BLUErabbit
Start focusing in BLUErabbit as a sponsor for GAMICON in October
Get interviewed by Monica Cornetti
Fly to Europe. Gamification Europe Master Class is ready to go.
We are mid way in to June here… and Wedding in Switzerland
Fly to London for Master Class
Teach my Master Class (Top 10 experiences in lifetime!)
Take Escape room Master Class wiht Michiel Van Eunen
Demo BLUErabbit to a participant
Go to Stonehenge and Greenwich
Fly to Mexico and keep updating BLUErabbit as search for developer fades into darkness
Print material for surprise workshop
Deliver first version of HDI
Deploy latest update of EDUBADGES
Yeah… not even July by the end of those 42 items… so well… as you can see we are running with many things… so the blog had to wait a bit.
However. We are back in business!! 😀
I’m changing the theme in the website to match new things but for the meantime, I’ll update the DOCS and then we will do the theme thingy…
