Transforming Foods Game

As part of the Llaurant un Futur Sostenible (Building a Sustainable Future) programme, promoted by the Novessendes Foundation and the NGO Pankara Ecoglobal, there was a need to develop an innovative educational resource capable of engaging different audiences in critical reflection on the industrialised food system and its social, economic and environmental impacts. A resource that, through play, would serve to raise awareness of sustainable agri-food initiatives and promote active and conscious citizenship.

We transformed the initial prototype of the escape box ‘The mystery of transformative foods. A game to recover the territory’s food sovereignty’ designed by Novessendes and Pankara into a fully developed, ready-to-use educational tool.

We proposed a compact and attractive game format, with durable and reusable materials, allowing for easy portability, assembly and use in various educational contexts. The design approach was based on three key principles: playability, sustainability and replicability.

The escape game consists of five situations or challenges that participants must solve as a group, following a narrative that invites them to discover the effects of the current food system and explore local agroecological alternatives.

Makea was responsible for the complete design of the physical game.

The birch plywood box (FSC certified) serves as both packaging and game device. Cards, tokens and game components were designed on recycled paper, with a clear and adaptable aesthetic. Reusable and durable elements were incorporated to ensure a long service life and facilitate maintenance. The design was created with replicability and adaptability in mind for future editions or territories.

The escape box is a fun and transformative educational resource that facilitates understanding of the impacts of the industrial agri-food system and introduces local solutions that promote a fairer, healthier and more sustainable model. The escape box combines narrative, strategy and cooperative play, creating memorable and stimulating learning experiences. Its functional, robust and sustainable design ensures its continued use in training courses, workshops, conferences and various educational contexts.