A Serious Game That Builds Energy Literacy Through Communication and Collaborative Gameplays

"Fact or Fiction: Energy Edition" is a serious card game designed to strengthen energy literacy among Singaporean students in alignment with the nation's 2050 net-zero goal and to address gaps in the national science curriculum. The game includes 120 information cards spanning eight energy categories and combines an original Trivial Pursuit and Mafia-style format with collaborative variants, including Team Challenger, Presenter Challenger, and Quiz-Quiz-Trade. Its design responds to evidence that many Singaporean students hesitate to speak in class for social reasons, prompting a shift from individual competition toward small team play of three to four members that encourages communication.

Pilot testing involved 232 secondary students across six classes and 25 Primary Six students. Across the gameplay formats, Role-Playing earned the highest educational rating (4.45 out of 5), while Team Challenger (3.80) and Presenter Challenger (3.81) scored lower, contrary to the authors' expectations. Presenter Challenger generated the most content-related feedback, both positive (38.1%) and negative (30.2%), which suggests it heightened awareness of knowledge gaps. Role-Playing's low rate of negative content feedback (4.8%) may instead indicate masked gaps and an inflated sense of educational value. The Quiz-Quiz-Trade format, piloted with lower-progressing Primary Six students, was judged engaging and incorporated into the final product.

Player feedback was broadly positive, with participants valuing the game's educational content and enjoyment and reporting that they learned new STEM facts and general knowledge. Criticisms centered on overly complex terminology and difficult fact/fiction statements, which sometimes led players to guess rather than reason from informed judgment, as well as topics perceived as either too advanced or too familiar. Participants also requested more varied and accessible subject matter, such as cells, biology, and atoms. The authors acknowledge limitations, including a non-diverse sample and the absence of a direct comparison among gameplay formats.