Serious Games

“TIMERIDE SAVANNA” is one of the latest projects supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW’s Serious Games and XR funding program. Its development was funded with 200,000 euros in 2026. The experience opened on July 24, 2026, in the Old Elephant House at the Cologne Zoo and is open to visitors there. The approximately 30-minute experience combines interactive elements with virtual reality. Visitors learn about different types of savannas, experience the East African savanna from the perspective of its animal inhabitants, and discover how dry and rainy seasons, animal migrations, and human intervention influence the ecosystem.

“Crypto Investigator” combines a detective adventure with educational content. Instead of explaining blockchain technology through traditional learning modules, the topic becomes part of a criminal case: Players investigate a murder at a Bitcoin mining farm and must gradually acquire knowledge about blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and the underlying structures. The Cologne-based studio Neptun Interactive continues to develop “Crypto Investigator” as one of its current projects. The game is based on research by Dr. Reinhart Brüning and combines documentary content with edutainment and adventure mechanics.

This project clearly demonstrates that serious games can also be used in the healthcare sector. The app is designed to support people with Parkinson’s in performing regular speech exercises, transforming them into a motivating game rather than a traditional exercise routine:

Speaking becomes a game: In an imaginative castle, players collect ingredients for various recipes—controlled by their own voices. The app combines regular speech exercises with playful tasks and is designed to help people with Parkinson’s disease incorporate the training into their daily lives in a motivating and as natural a way as possible.