Video games have become a large segment of the entertainment industry, but gaming is also becoming useful in education. One example of this is The Internet of Elephants, which has turned to augmented reality (AR) games to teach the general public about endangered wildlife.
Here, we'll take a look at some of the interactive games The Internet of Elephants has on its website.
1. Wildeverse: Escape into the Wild
Wildeverse is an AR game that gets up close to endangered species. From the comfort of your own home, you can be a part-time field biologist tracking real apes in the real jungle.
The game gives you a chance to execute over 70 missions, during which you follow clues that enable you to not only meet and discover various apes, but also save them from extinction. In the game, you have to find different objects and clues in order to move the story forward.
To play the game, you'll need to allow it to access your camera, which is what it uses to superimpose the virtual jungle into your surroundings. It also has a feature which allows you to take cool photos of yourself or your pals in the holographic AR jungle.
The graphics and the sound effects are outstanding, and the game is also ideal for children. It's definitely worth checking out.
Download: Wildeverse for iOS | Android (Free)
2. Unseen Empire: Protect the Clouded Leopard
This game takes the player on a recreation of the ten-year journey made by real-world researchers across Asian forests. The game enables you to explore their actual research sites across South-East Asia one by one. In the process, you uncover the secret natural world hidden in each one of these sites.
In the game, you have 12 objectives to meet. The most important objective is to confirm sightings of two species of the endangered clouded leopard and developing a plan with the Indonesian government to protect them.
When you correctly identify a species, your credits increase, which you can spend on actions which boost your progress. Your species log also gets updated as you play, which contains information about every species you find.
If you're anything like us, you'll find yourself spending hours inside the forests of Unseen Empire, a captive of the dopamine hit that you get every time you get something right! The sound effects of singing birds and whistling critters is loud, authentic and hypnotic.
Download: Unseen Empire for iOS | Android (Free)
3. Safari Central: Take a Selfie With Wildlife
Would you like to snap a selfie with a wild leopard, but can't afford a plane ticket from your hometown to the jungles of Asia or Africa? Safari Central will solve that problem for you.
To play the game, open the app, and tap the animal you want to meet. Then point your phone camera at a target, which activates the AR. This could be a banknote that you have in your pocket or a series of targets the app gives you to print out.
After the AR is activated, you can make the animal move anywhere you want it to go by tapping on the screen. If you tap the Flip camera button, you can go into selfie mode and take a picture with the animal, which you can then share with your pals on social media.
Download: Safari Central for iOS | Android (Free)
4. Satellite Stories
Wildlife documentaries are great. Real safaris are even better. But they only give a glimpse of the daily life of animals living in the wild. But what do the animals get up to when we're not watching?
Satellite Stories is an interactive data visualization website created by the Internet of Elephants. It tells visual stories of a week in the life of wildlife living in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. It does so using realistic models of how these animals move through the park.
Ol Pejeta hosts one of the highest densities of wildlife on the planet. You'll get to track the movements of the actual populations of 12 different species, ranging from the aardwolf to the hundreds of zebras roaming the plains.
As you explore the landscape and swoop down into the action, you will discover entertaining and illuminating animal stories.
For example, “Border Control” tells the story of life near the fences, a flashpoint where animals regularly attempt to move onto the human side of the territory.
Why These Games Are Worth Checking Out
If you care about wildlife and have a sense of wanderlust you will be very entertained by these experiences. The experiences above are also free, as The Internet of Elephants is funded by a grant. However, you are given options to make donations to a wildlife charity of your choice.
As a player, you will have the satisfaction of getting access to a movement aimed at preventing further loss of wildlife, which are declining at an alarming rate, by shining a spotlight on endangered species.
The games help cultivate awareness and encourage people to make consumer choices that are better for the environment. The hope is that a better informed public can help influence policy in the long run. Did we mention the experiences are also really fun?
In order to enjoy these experiences, ensure that your phone needs to be compatible with Google's ARCore or Apple's ARKit which are used to power the game.
Augmented reality is also resource and memory intensive. Therefore, ensure you play with a full battery for best processor performance and remove the phone case to minimize overheating.
Remember to stay alert and aware of your surroundings when using augmented reality. Avoid areas with traffic and ensure that children playing AR games are always supervised.
Have Fun While Learning About Endangered Wildlife
Thanks to The Internet of Elephant's interactive AR games, the website is promoting awareness of endangered animals and wildlife, while providing fun interactive games.
It's definitely worth checking out if you've got kids, or are really passionate on the subject.