Garbage+Dreams+(Courtnay+Slabaugh)

Courtnay Slabaugh May 5, 2014 Educational Game Review

Garbage Dreams is a web-based game about recycling. The game is based on a PBS film of the same name. At the beginning of the game you learn that this game is a true representation of the Zaballeen.

On the outskirts of Cairo lies the world's largest garbage village. A labyrinth of narrow roadways camouflaged by trash, the village is home to 60,000 //Zaballeen// — Arabic for "garbage people." The //Zaballeen// have survived for centuries by recycling Cairo's waste. Members of Egypt's minority Coptic Christian community, these entrepreneurial garbage workers recycle nearly all the trash they collect, maintaining what could be the world’s most efficient waste disposal system.

The goal of the game is simple: Recycle as much as you can. There are eight rounds to the game, each representing one month.

The directions are straightforward. It asks you if you want to learn to play. I clicked yes and was presented with a series of short hints. This tutorial worked for me because it was very short. I didn’t need to watch a long video or read a lot. It was five short sentences that provided an overview of the game. The game also highlighted in read one of the three arrows in the recycling symbol. This cue made me understand that the sentence related to one of the three parts.



Once I was ready to play I clicked the recycle button. I was asked if I wanted to upgrade my recycling equipment. I chose NO at first but was then shown a message, strongly encouraging me to upgrade the equipment. I clicked NO again because I didn’t want to spend my money before knowing what the play was like. Again, a message popped up saying it was my choice but they would highly recommend that I upgrade my equipment. There was an indication that I wouldn’t be asked or warned again. After the second warning message I realized it might be important. I chose to upgrade by purchasing the least expensive upgrade, Organics. Had I not purchased anything, I wouldn’t have been able to be successful.

Once I entered the sorting game I quickly realized the strategy. You are provided with a pile of trash and you sort out recyclable items. The challenge is that you don’t have the capabilities to recycle everything. I had Organics and Paper. I would need to purchase Aluminum, Tin, Glass, etc. if I wanted to recycle more.

When I would try to put something that looked like paper into the bin I was told if I was incorrect and what I could do about it. For example, I learned that coffee cups are treated with a chemical. I could turn it into recyclable paper but I would need to purchase upgraded equipment. This experience exemplifies the text principle that Gee discusses. The text box becomes familiar within the context of the game. After seeing it a few times I was able to recognize the text box and knew it would tell me why it wasn’t recyclable and what to do about it in the future. This experience also exemplifies that just-in-time principle. I wouldn’t really care about the recyclability of coffee cups without having them thrown back into the garbage pile. The just-in-time text told me why I couldn’t put them in the paper bin.

As I sorted my pile, I was able to prioritize what I wanted to purchase next. There seemed to be a lot of glass in my pile so I purchased that next. Each round was made progressively more difficult. After the first round I was required to pay landfill fees- $1.00 for each item. After the second round they added a hauling fee to the landfill. This caused me to be more strategic about my upgrades as well as to look at other ways to reduce my expenses. When I began I didn’t really care about the “create an awareness campaign” button. However, after I realized that my expenses were getting too high, I was curious if this button would be able to save me money. It did! This gradual increase in difficulty reflect the incremental principle. There is an opportunity to be successful in the early rounds. As you advance, the rounds become more difficult and you need to pay attention to additional elements.

Each item you recycle is worth a particular amount. At the end of each round you are given a ledger outlining your income and expenses:



I largely ignored these ledgers for the first two rounds. However, as I progressed and needed more revenue, I had to pay attention. I was able to assess the landfill fees and identify which type of upgrade I needed next. I also was able to weight my current upkeep costs against the cost of upgrading equipment. This exemplifies Gee’s critical learning principle. It is not possible to passively play this game because you will quickly run out of money.

I really enjoyed playing this game. I liked the message and the fact that it is based on a real-life story. Originally I chose it because I work with adults and we are focusing on sustainability in our company. This would be a great tool to use to augment the education efforts that we are currently using.