{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01669449081803005, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.244791666666667, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Geogames in education for sustainable development: Transferring a simulation game in outdoor settings

Geogames, that is, location-based games played in outdoor environments, have been shown to support a wide range of learning experiences in areas such as cultural heritage and biodiversity. However, we still know little about how the different aspects of location-based game-play interact temporally. This paper addresses the design problem of integrating a simulation into the game mechanic of a Geogame that supports learning in the field of Environmental Education. A central design task consists in simplifying the simulation game mechanic in a way that it consumes less playing time and permits the players to engage in place-related learning tasks. We present empirical findings showing that the simplified simulation is still playable and positively contributes to the game play. Data on the relative time devoted to the simulation, to place-related learning activities and to physical locomotion is reported. In a comparative study with a game without the simulation elements, slight differences in enjoyment were found. We discuss consequences of this finding for the design of Geogames.