The Sharjah e-Government set out to engage its citizens in a way that would contribute to a smart, connected and sustainable future.
It starts with a story
An old 1950s robot wants to turn back time and undo the progress realized in the Emirate on sustainability, tourism, education, transportation and communication technology. Luckily you can stop the robot, guided by 5 superheroes who represent the 4 pillars of Sharjah’s cohesive society and law enforcement: Environment (Viro), Connectivity (Tina), Growth (Noman), Society (Uniti) and Captain.
Game play
The app is essentially an endless runner game. Players have to avoid obstacles thrown at them by the robot and need to complete levels to progress. There are also tasks (multiple choice questionnaires, family collaboration, feedback, AR) with which players can earn credits to purchase armor. More armor means a better chance of progressing to a higher level.
Augmented Reality
Five AR tasks educate on a matter related to a government agency and is activated through markers found at locations throughout the Emirate and at exhibitions. The markers can also easily be printed from the app for home use. A special snapband allows kids to see their game character on their wrists through their mobile device.
Cartoon
To launch the game and introduce the characters in schools around Sharjah, we created an animated cartoon. In it, siblings Meera and Saif jump through a portal to enter a cartoon version of Sharjah Land, where they meet the robot and the 4 heroes for some valuable lessons.
Success
The game won the award for ‘Government Mobile App of the Year’. The jury particularly liked how the game manages to impress the principles of good citizenship on Sharjah’s youth.
