The United Way of Dane County’s interactive game “Dane Changers” is officially available as an app. Users can now play the game on their mobile devices by downloading it through Google Play or the Apple App Store.
The digital engagement tool, which launched in August, teaches users about widespread and critical issues in Dane County like poverty, educational achievement gaps, health inequalities and poverty. Approximately 12 percent of Dane County residents, or 64,000 people, live in poverty, but Dane County remains one of the best places to live in the United States.
The United Way paired with Acme Nerd Games to produce the game and app.
The game is meant to bring greater understanding of the issues Dane County residents face and encourage users to get involved in the community through charitable giving, activism, advocacy and volunteer work.
In the game, users control community outcomes in “relaxed” and “timed challenge” settings. The game features towns, cities and suburbs with recognizable buildings make choices to influence short-term and long-term impacts in the realistic, but fictional, online community.
“Dane Changers is part of our answer to the community’s request to engage with the work of United Way more directly,” added Corey Chambas, 2018 United Way campaign chair and president and CEO of First Business. “It is a wonderful educational tool inspiring a new generation to get involved. We need more resources to stabilize more families. Our hope is for our community to learn, care and act, giving generously in order to make this year’s campaign a success.”
