Singapore Teens Create Anti-Drug Game
If you’re of a certain age, you likely recall the program D.A.R.E., an attempt at teaching school-aged children the dangers of drug use and abuse. I remember the black t-shirt with red lettering, but little else.
Perhaps such lessons are taught more effectively through interactive play. Two students at the Singapore Polytechnic Design School created a game called The Right Choice, where you explore a family member’s room and talk to their friends in order to find out whether they’re using drugs.
Developed by two 19-year-old students from Singapore Polytechnic’s Design School, Miss Theresa Cheong and Miss Gillian Tan, The Right Choice is a Flash-based game which aims to educate youth on the consequences of drug abuse.
The game was inspired by the pair’s love for Japanese visual novels – interactive games with mostly static graphics and a storyline.
Said Miss Tan: “In real life, you can’t go back and make your choices all over again.”
The Right Choice won the first prize in the Flash Games Competition: Games Against Drug Abuse, which was part of this year’s Anti-Drug Abuse Campaign, held at Toa Payoh HDB Hub Mall on Sunday.
Would the lessons of D.A.R.E. sink in more if given the adventure game treatment? I know I wouldn’t inhale if the consequences were portrayed like this. Find out for yourself when The Right Choice, along with the 2nd and 3rd place winners, are released online later this year.
-Jon Irwin
