Edito

National scientific and technical platform dedicated to serious games on agricultural, environmental, territorial and food-related topics.

Hosted by the Territoires joint research unit on the Cézeaux Campus in Clermont-Ferrand and supported by INRAE's ACT department, the GAMAE platform conducts research and offers expertise to those who wish to design, mobilise or evaluate games on agricultural, environmental, territorial or food-related themes.

It is structured around two components: GAMAE-Science for scientific production and GAMAE-Game library for making games available to a wide audience.

Why serious games for action?

A powerful dynamic to understand
Today, serious games are booming in GAMAE's areas of expertise. Seen as tools for social innovation, they are used for teaching, scientific mediation, awareness-raising, but also for action (decision-making support, forecasting, designing new practices, simulations, etc.). However, serious games are not new to GAMAE's areas of expertise. They have been in use since the mid-20th century.

Games?
Games themselves can be difficult to define.  Although they are the subject of debate in the social sciences, we can nevertheless associate them with certain characteristics that are recognised today. Playing is thus a form of escapism, as it allows us to remove ourselves from reality. It is also a process of decisions made by the player(s) together or against each other. These decisions are made according to the rules of the game, which can be challenged to a greater or lesser extent. This creates a balance in the uncertainty of the course of the game but also in its outcome. Finally, a game is characterised by frivolity. It is entertaining by nature. A serious game would therefore be an oxymoron.

Serious games?
A serious game is a game that has a purpose other than entertainment. Even if entertainment may exist in a serious game, it is not the main focus. Serious games serve a purpose, which players may or may not be aware of. A traditional game can become a serious game and vice versa, depending on the users' intentions. They have been around for half a century but have seen an explosion in their use over the last ten years or so.

Serious games for action?
GAMAE is particularly interested in serious games for action, a concept that it is developing specifically. Serious games for action are games that aim to bring about real change beyond simply raising awareness, imparting knowledge or mediating. They aim to equip stakeholders (farmers, foresters, associations, elected officials, professionals, citizens, etc.) to enable consultation, planning, decision-making support or the design/simulation of new practices. They can be used in combination with each other and/or with other tools such as training courses, study trips, field experiments, field schools, etc. The GAMAE platform specialises in the design of these tools and the scientific evaluation of their impact. Some examples of these games are: Le Rami Fourrager, La Grange, Dynamix, etc.