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Status

This game is now in development. Efficacy studies will begin in January 2015, and the game will be released later in 2015 (email josh@whit-kin.com without the dash to be added to a mailing list when this game is released.) The game will be released differently to different markets. For foster youth, it will be part of the Vstreet.com e-learning curriculum for independent living The plan for release into other markets, pricing and distribution have not yet been decided. It is likely the game will be released as an Android app (on Google Play app store) and as an online browser-based game.

Primary Aim

The game has many other social good aims, in these topics: basic financial literacy autonomy, decision-making, delayed gratification (detail)

• drug & alcohol (detail)
• peer social skills
• adult social skills
• female body acceptance
• ○ race and gender prejudice
• self-identity and self-exploration

This game weaves these topics into a single combined experience – a “scale model” of real life. This approach fits existing pedagogical guidelines for drug and alcohol educational interventions, and forges new ground in many ways (more).

Content Rating “Teen”:

The game is intended to comply with the ESRB “Teen” (13+) rating. Specifically: Alcohol and drug references are designed to be beneficial to players, as explained here. Regarding gender and identity topics, characters have a range of body shapes that include strongly masculine, feminine, and ambiguous genders. Female character body size is intended to be realistic. There are no sexual themes (e.g. dating, romance, or strongly sexualized clothing and characters) in the game. Physical violence is limited to simple fistfights with appropriate consequences: The game teaches that fistfighting is almost always a bad choice.