Playing the Pandemic between newsgames and playful simulation

Abstract

The newsgames were conceived as video games created by the media to raise awareness among the community about topics of interest, a category that has traditionally ignored the informative value of other playful proposals that concern current issues and are better suited to the digital scenario in which the user's experience takes precedence over journalistic rigor and production standards. The purpose of this work is to analyse how simulation games improve the acquisition of information on current social issues, through the study of the narrative, technical and emotional aspects of the mobile games applications about pandemics during the diffusion of COVID-19, and its relationship to user experience design. The conclusions show how the mechanics and playful dynamics of this type of game propose aesthetic experiences which stimulate the consumption of information on a subject of social interest, similar to the impact that newsgames intend to generate. The dynamic system of simulation games about pandemics is based on the user's ability to make decisions based on the information assimilated, transforming the accumulated knowledge on the topic into a key to success for the player.