PLAYFORCE

Overview
PLAYFORCE is the Institute of Play's internship and playtesting program. It is comprised of a small and dedicated group of young people who are passionate about games and eager to learn more about them. PLAYFORCE members begin their training as novices, ready to play, learn, discover. Through their training they level up to the expert or "boss" level, demonstrating their mastery of the fundamentals of game design.

PLAYFORCE curriculum is designed to introduce kids to games as rule-based systems. The curriculum also introduces some of the key skills derived from the design, play and analysis of games, namely, problem-solving and problem definition, team-work, critical reflection, strategic thinking, and knowledge seeking. PLAYFORCE brings together the Institute of Play's designers, curriculum specialists, and teachers in an active collaboration with its youth volunteers. PLAYFORCE is a crucial component of our dual mission: to explore the effective use of games as a foundation for learning and change, and to engage audiences, of all ages, in new ways of thinking, acting, and speaking through gaming in a social world.