Jan PIŇOS

Current trends in using serious games and video games in the field of urban planning

Piňos, J.: Current trends in using serious games and video games in the field of urban planning. Kartografické listy, 2019, 27 (1).

Abstract: The use of games for research and practical use has gathered considerable momentum in recent years. In the presented paper, the author analyses past and current research as well as non-research practical uses of serious games and commercial video games for the purposes of urban planning. First, the experience of using games as a learning tool in urban planning classes is discussed, both the benefits and the concerns this approach brings. Another preferred use of games in urban planning is to engage various stakeholders in a participation project. This can be done by employing digital serious games that incorporate attractive modern information technologies but also by using popular commercial video games such as Minecraft. One of the main functionalities that enables the use of video games “seriously” is the possibility of modifying the game to solve a given problem by modding, the process of implementing user-written custom scripts. Further, digital serious games, video games and video games with modding that have been employed in urban planning are compared in six selected criteria: at-tractivity, configuration, “white box”, reusability, reflecting reality and support.

Keywords: games in participation, serious games, gaming simulations, modding, SimCity, Minecraft, Cities: Skylines