This poster presents an experimental study examining how playing Get Water! (Decode Global, 2013), a water-scarcity themed casual mobile game, affects attitudinal, behavioral and cognitive learning outcomes. Using a three-group design (n=251), we asked (1) how playing the socially-themed game influences players’ knowledge, attitudes and advocacy behaviours relative to a control group that played Little Amazon (Bulkypix, 2013), a mechanically comparable game without a social theme, and (2) how a self-debriefing exercise administered post-play influenced those player outcomes. We will discuss role of prior civic engagement and guided reflection on the educational and persuasive effectiveness of games. The results of this study will provide directions for the design of games for social change by identifying conditions that impact the attainment of the game’s goals.
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