In the context of the “Othello Tower” project, which is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the CYENS Centre of Excellence and the Cyprus Institute collaborate for the development of an educational game that addresses aspects of the history of the walled city of Famagusta, staring with the design and prototype of the “Othello Tower” game. CYENS’s EdMedia group leads the Game Design task, which involved the identification of the game mission, the storyline, and the learning goals, as well as, the development of a storyboard in which the gaming mechanics, the game flow, the rules and behaviours were presented. The storyline is grounded on the well-known tragedy “Othellos” of William Shakespeare. With the use of interactive technologies and game-based learning, the educational game is designed in the form of a digital escape room, following a competency-based approach. The overarching goal of the game is to highlight the significance of the Othello Tower in Famagusta, as a crucial historical landmark in the Cypriot history, and underline the importance of learning and protecting historical monuments belonging to our cultural heritage. A prototype game development will follow in collaboration with other CYENS teams.
