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A game tailored to your organization

Topla offers you its expertise as a game creator to carry out your serious game project.

A serious game combines a serious objective - to train, raise awareness, support change, strengthen communication, commitment and group cohesion - with gamification and the pleasure of collective play.

Effective and enjoyable, the “serious game” is a fantastic tool for gently getting things moving within your organization!

The essentials to know about a serious game

Topla develops tailor-made games, "serious games", to support companies or organizations confronted internally with islands of complexity or performance issues.

These are often linked to CSR or RSO themes, Corporate Social Responsibility (social and environmental) of Companies or Organizations.

Gaming is one of the most powerful media for "moving the boundaries", among young people and adults alike.

Serious games can take the form of a card game or a board game , in the company's colors, designed to precisely and effectively address the subjects on which we want to make behavioral changes or streamline a transformation.

Here are some of the areas where a custom game can be an effective tool:

  • awareness raising : of social and ecological issues, of career paths, of the fight against sexism, stereotypes
  • professional training : for example to learn security protocols, team management, team building, change management
  • health : stress management, good practices, hygiene
  • education : in schools, colleges, high schools, universities and also in NGOs

Do you have a project? Contact us to discuss it.

Les 6 étapes de création d'un serious game

Step 1:

Define the need, target, objectives and budget

The first step aims to establish the specifications:

  • the context and needs of the structure?
  • Who will the game be aimed at?
  • What specific objectives should be achieved?
  • Which game format should you choose?
  • What environment of use? In the company, at employees' premises, in training workshops, etc.

And of course, what budget is planned for this project?

Each situation is unique and it is important, before launching the project, to take the time to talk with the project leaders and identify everything that is relevant to know in order to fully understand the needs of the company.

Next step

Step 2:

The creation of the game concept

Once the specifications have been established, the Topla team will work on two major axes to establish its proposal for a game concept:

  • Game design : This concerns the entire design of a game. It is the art and science of creating the rules, structure, content, and overall experience of the game. Game design covers several elements:
  • Game mechanics : rules, objectives, obstacles, etc.
  • Narration and context : the scenario, the characters, the game universe.
  • User experience (UX) : how the player navigates the game, the interface, the pace.
  • Levels : design and progression of levels or challenges.

  • Gameplay : This refers to the experience the player has when interacting with the game, what they do, what they feel, and how they interact. Gameplay includes:
  • Interactions : how the player uses the controls, available actions (attacking, solving puzzles, etc.).
  • The sensations : the pleasure of playing, the tension, the satisfaction, the immersion.
  • Game loops : The repetitive actions and systems that make the game engaging (e.g., collecting items, upgrading skills, etc.).

It is the playability of the game that is evaluated, its fluidity and its fun nature.

Graphic design ideas are also discussed: the illustration of a game contributes to its effectiveness and the pleasure of playing it. So it's time to think about the style you're considering.

Next step

Step 3:

Technical study and feasibility

This step consists of verifying that the game is technically feasible and that its production will meet the established criteria such as the budget, the deadline for completing the project, eco-responsible or social objectives, etc.

Very beautiful game ideas on paper can turn out to be (too) complex to implement.

Concretely, the number of cards, the size of the box, the other elements (counters, dice, boards, etc.), the sourcing influence the feasibility, the timing and the budget.

This is the time to take stock with the sponsor and present to him:

  • the concept of the game and its mechanics
  • technical study and feasibility
  • the graphic tracks envisaged

When the entire file is validated, we move on to the next step!

Next step

Step 4:

Content creation

It is time to start creating the game content. This involves writing the texts for the cards, the board, the rules of the game, all the documents accompanying the players and the game. Time is dedicated to educational engineering, which aims to check the overall coherence and whether the content meets the set objectives.

On the illustration side, a first selection of illustrators is drawn up from our database and a shortlist is then established after consulting all the members of the Topla team associated with the project. A call for tenders is then launched to the finalists so that they can develop their creative proposal. Only one will be retained at the end of this identification and selection process.

The sponsor is associated with the final validation of the illustrator.

The illustration part can then begin! It can take up to several months if there are a lot of cards to illustrate.

Topla Artistic Direction is involved to ensure the overall consistency of the design.

Next step

Step 5:

The prototype

There is no obligation to produce a prototype, as this process is costly and time-consuming.

If the sponsor has established it in its prerequisites, because it is necessary for example for its internal validation process, the prototype is then part of the development of the "serious game" and it is produced by a specialist.

If the prototype is not essential, we make a simple model of the game to have a better idea of ​​the final rendering.

The prototype or model will also be used to carry out tests in game situations, to see what can be improved in the gameplay or game design, etc.

We then enter the last stage, that of finalizing the game.

Next step

Step 6:

Tests, finalization, manufacturing

Creating a game involves doing a lot of testing throughout the project to continuously improve the design, accessibility, rules, playability, etc.

The final tests will validate all of the game's content, its illustration and its suitability for the set objectives.

Then, all game files go to the Graphics stage for a specialist to transform them into printing and manufacturing documents.

When the files are ready, the calibration with the factory takes several weeks because everything must be extremely precise and validated before establishing the BAT (Bon A Tirer).

The game can then be launched into production, a new step lasting a few weeks to a few months.

Then you have to plan the delivery of the game and its reception on the logistics platform.

The game is finally in your hands!

The entire process took 6 to 18 months depending on the complexity of the project.

A wonderful and rewarding adventure shared between all members of the project team: sponsor and members of the Topla team.

FSC paper

We use paper from sustainably managed forests with the FSC label.

Cardboard linen

The boxes and cards of our games are made of linen cardboard, a noble and resistant material for long-lasting use and a pleasant handling of the games.

Vegetable inks

Our games are printed with vegetable inks that are non-toxic to humans and the planet. This limits their footprint and makes them easier to recycle.

Renewable energy

Our plant harvests rainwater, deploys water-efficient processes and uses electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels.

Vegetable cellophane

Our boxes and cards are wrapped with compostable plant-based cellophane, which replaces polluting plastic film.

A game for France Invest

Case study

France Invest is a professional organization bringing together more than 450 French management companies and nearly 200 consulting firms.

A true place for exchanges and reflection, the organization wishes to support its members in an ambitious vision of improving the work environment. It wishes to commit to better parity and to reflect on sexism and harassment in the professional context.

France Invest's vision is to develop things intelligently to encourage buy-in and open up dialogue within companies.

The game will be offered to members, employees and main contacts of France Invest.

For Topla, it's about offering a game that allows players to better understand the rich and complex legislation surrounding sexism and harassment, while talking about everyday situations that men and women encounter at work.

There is no question of being moralistic; the aim is also to make people understand through humour that certain remarks or actions are clumsy, inappropriate or even prohibited by law.

To achieve this, the Topla team was supported by specialist lawyers, given the vast nature of the subject and the numerous legal texts.

The exercise was exciting but delicate and required a lot of thought. The risk was mainly to alienate the players by being too legal or moralizing/repressive or going against the spirit of the law. Far from that, it was about getting the players to question their practices and visions of everyday life situations and to discover another reading of what is accepted and possible and what is not; to be aware! And that's how the game was named: "Harassment and Sexism: Being aware!"

The final game contains 55 cards, each describing a specific professional situation and inviting players to decide whether the situation described is one of courtesy, clumsiness, sexism, seduction, discrimination or even harassment in the most serious cases.

The humorous illustrations take the drama out of it and firmly anchor the game in the positive and the back of each card shows the exact state of the legislation in view of the situation presented.

We are very proud of this game, small in size and big in skill and impact.

It completes the high ambitions, in the field of gender equality/equal opportunities, of a national institution: France Invest.

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