DataFlex: Educational game about data centers for children

Women are largely underrepresented in IT, girls’ interest in STEM and IT fields tends to drop throughout secondary education. Educational games are a great tool to change the perception of certain topics, as well as changing the behavior of the players. Thus, this report describes the development of a game to make the field of IT more appealing to girls between the ages of 10 and 14.After collecting requirements with the client and doing a literature study a design is proposed. The final product is a two-player 2D Role-Playing-Game with puzzle elements, specifically designed to be played in a classroom environment. The game takes place in a data center and will show the players the societal importance of data centers as well as the diversity of the work in data centers. The gameplay consists of exploring a data center, talking with both male and female employees in various roles, helping them with their work through minigames, and solving a mystery. The game was designed to specifically cater to girls and to break stereotypes regarding women in IT. <br/