Games often get a bad rap: “addiction”, “violence”, “anti-social”... The more extreme the headline, the better the story sells. Our industry deals with a lot of negative messaging, and these messages are not just targeted at non-gamers, but often trigger a wide range of responses (and the much sought-after “engagement”), even from the gamers themselves.

It doesn’t help that the focus is often quite selective, cherry-picking a few negatives in a vast ocean of positives. Anti-game messages highlight the challenges of the industry, which undeniably exist, but forget the opportunities the medium offers. And yet, we don’t have to look far to find great examples. These past two years, games have been used for home education during corona times, have made lockdowns more bearable for millions of people, both as a source of entertainment and a way to stay socially connected and engage with with people around the world.

The perception of games is changing for the better, slowly, but there’s still a long way to go. At LuGus Studios, we have made it our mission these past 10 years to show positive examples, by creating over 50 games that incorporate culture, education, healthcare, art, history, science, and all things beyond mere entertainment. We are proud of what we have achieved, but we haven't been able to do all of this without the dedication and help of our partners, clients and community. With your help we feel we can do even more!

What can you do...

as our project partner? We love working with you on your project! We appreciate the adventures we have together into the world of education, healthcare and science.  Allow us to share these projects we made together. Your story can be an inspiration and have a positive impact on our industry. Lets work together on showcasing your amazing game ideas.

as a fellow developer? Some of the concerns on gaming are real and valid. Actively working on solutions is a worthy long-term investment for our industry. What does that mean? Should we stop making war, horror and actions games? Of course not! Labeling your games and adding the right context and disclaimers can do a lot.  Are you a developer that makes serious games? Share your stories and work together with your clients and partners to promote them. At face value, you may find the mainstream game media less inclined to write about your serious game, but try and look at what makes your serious game an interesting news item. We are happy to share our experience with you!
 
as a game journalist? We all benefit from the mainstream appeal of our hobby. Together we can promote the continuous growth of our industry. Let’s work together on highlighting more positive stories. Yes, we understand gamers are often more interested in Call of Duty and Fortnite, and we appreciate the challenges of promoting more “serious” games to your audience. However, we are a creative industry. Let's work together on creating positive and exciting stories that your audience will love. I’m sure developers would love to lend a hand in creating juicy content that brings you those valuable clicks. Lets talk!

as a gamer? Involve your parents, partner, friends and colleagues in your game sessions. Are they not into gaming yet? Show them games can be more than competitive shooters, intricate control schemes or addictive timewasters. Find that balanced game experience that you can all enjoy. Tell your teacher about what games have taught you, tell your parents how you met new friends around the world … and just never tell your partner you married that orc character in that RPG game you love (just don’t!).

as parents? Children play. Digital games are today's toys. Enjoy the world of gaming together, understand what your kids play and be aware of what they shouldn't. Just like movies, games come with age ratings, make sure the games you buy for your kids are appropriate. Are you not a gamer and unsure what its all about? Consult quality sources on the matter like speelhetslim.be (NL/FR). Still have questions? Feel free to get in touch!

Are you a parent with questions, a journalist looking for a positive story, a developer wondering about the business of serious games? We are happy to hear from you!