Game Information
| Title | Sparks of Eternity |
| Presenter(s) | Brian Winn, Greg Kozma, Michael Budram, Reuven Margrett, Casey O'Donnell |
| Session | Conference Reception, Game Exhibition, and Poster Session |
| Time | Thursday, October 16, 7:00p-10:00p |
| Location | Ballroom |
| Format | Game Exhibition |
| Description | Sparks of Eternity is a custom, collaboratively designed game between the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab at Michigan State University and the Frankel Jewish Academy. The goal of the collaboration was to create a game that motivates students to be more engaged in the Academy's rabbinic curriculum and further make use of the Academy's one-to-one education technology initiative.
Sparks of Eternity emphasizes the need to preserve the (Jewish) Oral Torah, the Talmud, within the context of an accurate historical depiction of the events of the time. In the game, Jerusalem teeters on the verge of destruction at the hands of the Roman Empire during the time of the Second Temple. At stake is the spiritual and physical future of the Jewish people. Yet, hope prevails in the form of student and teacher. In the game, the player assumes the role of a Talmid (student of the Torah) on a quest to save the oral tradition. The game draws on an "Adventure" style gameplay, where the player traverses Jerusalem gathering items, stories and information leading up to physical transportation of the Talmud outside the walls of Jerusalem. |