ARUCAD Faculty of Communication Met with External Stakeholders

As part of the External Stakeholders Meeting organized by the ARUCAD Faculty of Communication, the "GAME for Good" digital game project, developed through a collaboration between SOS Children's Village Association, KKTCELL, and the ARUCAD Faculty of Communication, was presented to industry representatives and partner organizations. The meeting brought together representatives from SOS Children's Village Association, the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK), Bayrak Radio Television Corporation (BRTK), Cherry Red, and the Faculty of Communication. Discussions focused on the project's purpose, development process, and potential social impact.

Following the meeting, a special session led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuran Öze, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Communication and University Quality Coordinator, provided a detailed introduction to the project. During the session, the scope of the project, developed by the Department of Digital Game Design with interdisciplinary contributions from the Departments of New Media and Communication and Visual Communication Design, was shared with external stakeholders.

The inspiration for the project's original main character comes from a hedgehog character created based on a book prepared for SOS Children's Village Association by Cuma Çetin, an ARUCAD graduate. Aiming to incorporate geographical and cultural elements unique to Cyprus into its game world, the project also reflects local references through its visual storytelling approach.

Cemil Hafız, Fundraising and Public Relations Manager of SOS Children's Village Association, emphasized the project's innovative combination of philanthropy and gamification. He noted that this Cyprus-specific initiative is significant both for producing local content and for creating a sustainable source of support for civil society organizations.

The project is being carried out with contributions from 21 students in the Department of Digital Game Design, and the GAME411 Internship course is being conducted directly through the project. Led by Digital Game Design students, the mobile game prototype is being shaped with contributions from the New Media and Communication and Visual Communication Design departments. Drawing inspiration from Cypriot culture, the game aims to combine entertainment with social benefit.

During the development process, students visited both SOS Children's Village and the Folk Arts Foundation (HASDER), giving them the opportunity to experience firsthand the social and cultural contexts behind the content they were creating. These visits helped students gain a deeper understanding of Cypriot culture while engaging directly with social responsibility initiatives.

The prototype is scheduled for completion by the end of June. Through an in-game micro-donation system, the project aims to provide sustainable support to the SOS Children's Village Association. At the end of the session, participants had the opportunity to examine the project firsthand and contribute to its development by sharing their feedback and suggestions directly with the project team.