Launching as part of Digital Manufacturing Week, the vertical farming-themed Skills Miner game promotes sustainable food production and engineering careers to Key Stage 3 pupils aged 11 to 14.
Enginuity digital product manager Helenna Vaughan-Smith said: “There is engineering in everything, and if young people can engage with STEM and engineering careers in an exciting and relevant way, they have the capability to change their world and ours. We just need to give them the opportunity to explore it.
Careers and green skills
“Through the game, teachers will now be able to bring exciting new careers and green skills into the classroom environment and draw the link for students between science, the curriculum, sustainability, future green skills and careers.”
Liverpool-based vertical farming expert Farm Urban helped develop the game, which sees players work as an engineer on a vertical farm in an abandoned carpet factory. The game is built inside of Minecraft, the best selling game of all time.
What is Minecraft?
Minecraft is a video game that allows players to create their own worlds using a series of blocks not unlike Lego bricks. However, unlike traditional construction toys, Minecraft also allows players to use mechanisms to create working machines in game and even allows coding. This allows users to make anything from simple mining machines to working computers.
An education version of the game has been used by schools to teach everything from ancient history to Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills.
Paul Meyers, co-founder and managing director of Farm Urban, said: “We are delighted to have provided our expertise in the development of Enginuity’s Skills Miner vertical farming game. It is a great way to encourage young people to find healthier and more sustainable solutions to the broken food system.
‘Food for the future’
“Our vertical farm shows it’s possible to grow nutritious superfoods in ways that are good for the planet and allow the produce to taste great and stay fresh for longer. This is food for the future, grown in cities fit for the future.”
The vertical farming-themed version of Skills Miner is the latest in a series of games made by Enginuity using Minecraft that promote skills and career in engineering.
Previous releases included a game where players take up the role of an aerospace engineer building aircraft and making sustainable fuels, as well as a game that saw players upgrade a house in order to increase its sustainability rating, while meeting a budget.
Meanwhile, Siemens UK & Ireland head of Food and Beverage Keith Thornhill discussed digital transformation in vertical farming with GrowPura.
