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Client
Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare
Topic
Serious Gaming, Sustainability, Science, Technology
Game Design
Game Producing
UI/UX Design
Arts & Animation
Sound Design
Storytelling
Copywriting
Programming
Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare
Serious Gaming for Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen and its derivative products are seen as the energy source of the future. That’s why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare. Within it, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems and more than 30 other partners are researching the fundamentals needed to produce green hydrogen directly offshore on the high seas in the future.
Commissioned by the H₂Mare flagship project, we are developing the browser game “Offshore – The H₂Mare Game”, in which players can experience the production methods, applications, and challenges of green hydrogen production on the high seas in a playful way. We took on every step of the serious game production ourselves: concept for the game and game design including storytelling and copywriting to develop a distinctive visual style, creation of graphics, animations, UI and UX elements, through to the concept and realization of the sound design, localization, and programming.
Our motivation: through as much infotainment as possible, players should learn more about the technologies researched within the Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare and the challenges of producing green hydrogen offshore.
Task
Inform about the technologies researched within the Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare and the challenges of producing green hydrogen offshore.
Solution
Make the achievements and challenges of the Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare playable and tangible in a browser game.
Skills
Game Design, UI & UX Design, Storytelling & Copywriting, Sound Design, Arts & Animation, Game Balancing, Programming, Project Management
Close Collaboration with Experts from the H₂Mare Flagship Project
What exactly is an electrolyzer, and how can green methanol be used in industry? Through expert interviews and in-house research, we get closer to the H₂Mare research project and the major topics surrounding green hydrogen and power-to-X products (products that can likewise be produced offshore using hydrogen), and feed current findings and research data from H₂Mare into the game design to safeguard scientific accuracy. Together with the experts, we define which elements of the hydrogen flagship project are suitable for use in the serious game and which structures still under research can be incorporated — for example, a nitrogen generator to produce green ammonia, or a direct air capture plant that draws CO₂ from the ambient air, since that’s needed in the browser game just as it is in reality for producing methane, methanol, and e-fuels.
From Game Design to Multi-Faceted Visual Design
When conceiving the visual design, we drew on the brand identity of the hydrogen flagship project and translated it into a playful look. For the design of the graphic elements used in the game as well — such as the ships and offshore-built structures like platforms, wind turbines, and storage units — we drew on visual material and coordinated closely with the project’s experts. The UI and UX design likewise follows the brand identity of the H₂Mare flagship project. A color-coding system lets players know at a glance which product they’re currently producing. The design language is clear: it puts the content front and center and invites interaction. The perspective is isometric — 2D, but tilted so it feels lively.
Copywriting & Storytelling
What exactly do players need to know, what emerges during play, and what information would be too much? We design touchpoints that let us distribute the content to be conveyed without overwhelming players with information about the game, the facilities, or the products. A tutorial with precise instructions serves as a guide. As an overarching framework, we use an intro story that prepares players for their role as a wind farm manager.
Using Gamification to Convey Knowledge Playfully
To motivate interested players and encourage more than one H₂Mare simulation, we built various gamification levers into the game design. Who builds the most facilities and produces the most green energy? Racing against time, with the goal of topping the leaderboard — that’s what motivates players of Offshore, the H₂Mare game. We designed the game concept ourselves and also handled all of the programming, testing, and balancing. Through careful balancing, we sprinkle in challenges here and there — like storms or herring spawning season — to add even more tension. There are also environmental bonus points for eco-friendly behavior. When production is running well and orders are being fulfilled, players are presented with knowledge-building, topic-specific quiz questions that reward correct answers with bonus time.
The Game’s Reach
Since the browser game’s release — which we also optimized for mobile — more than 25,000 users have already played it and engaged actively with the Hydrogen Flagship Project H₂Mare. The browser game is also used nationwide at the flagship project’s trade fair booths, where it has proven very popular.
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