Glasgow-based Game Doctor has secured £50,000 of Innovate UK funding to develop a mobile game, to help children prevent the spread of coronavirus as they return to school.
Game Doctor will be working with Covid-19 researchers from the University of Glasgow and Queen’s University Belfast on the game, while a health psychologist from the University of Stirling will be supporting the game design and evaluation.
The app will be aimed at 8-16 year olds, with additional information for older teens. Both iOS and Adroid versions of the game will launch in September 2020, in time for the next school term. The goal is to help children and young people understand and adhere to guidelines, as well as reducing anxiety.
Game Doctor was founded by Dr Carla Brown, and is focused on developing games for science and health education.
The company works with the public sector and universities across the UK and has created a range of games, focused on helping young people understand more about issues such as antimicrobial resistance, sexual health, and vaccinations.
Dr Brown told the Herald:
This is a tense time for all of us, particularly for young people navigating ‘the new norm’ who, if things go according to plan, will be returning to school in August. We hope that by educating and equipping children to adjust, they will feel empowered and much less anxious. This funding will enable us to use our expertise to make a difference in these challenging times.”
Congratulations to Carla and the team. We’re looking forward to finding out more about the game as development progresses.
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