Högskolan i Skövde

This article presents the process of creating the game Testament; an action role-playing game for PC which uses the Old Testament as its setting. The game is primarily designed for confirmation education in the Church of Sweden, with the purpose to create interest in the Old Testament. In this paper we describe our experiences with the process of creating a game where the work has been guided by three, in some cases, contradictory goals; the source authenticity, the educational value, and the gaming entertainment. A pilot study is also presented in which confirmands have been interviewed focusing on their experiences from playing the game, as part of their confirmation studies.

Our conclusion is that clear requirements for the entertainment must be created as a counterweight to the practical aspects' requirements, e.g. education and authenticity. To create requirements for game expericene, it can be useful to identify a game genre and find a game that can serve as a template. One consequence of the fact that a specific goal for entertainment and a very clear requirement on content existed was that a number of fundamental contradictions could be identified (e.g. narrative, game mechanics, adaptation). When these inconsistencies were encountered, a suitable approach could be chosen in order to reach a compromise. If an existing game used as a reference wasn't available, it is likely that the entertainment would have suffered for the benefit of the educational aspects and biblical authenticity. The pilot evaluation shows that the confirmands appreciate Testament for its gaming qualities and that they express a positive and curious attitude towards the biblical content presented in the game.