Project leader: Infinite Opportunities Association (BG)
Duration: 24 months
Period: 01.01.2023 – 31.12.2024
Partners:
- Amaro Drom
- Ietuvos Zydu (litvaku) Bendruomene – LZB (LT)
- AHEAD – ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATORS (ES)
- GLASER JAKAB EMLEKALAPITVANY (HU)
Project number: 101091269 – CERV
Disclaimer: Supported by the CERV programme of the European Commission, the main aim of this project is research on awareness-raising and remembrance of the victims of totalitarian regimes, as well as the creation of narratives and spaces of democratic memory in collaboration with various entities from all over Europe.
About the project
A Game to Remember is a 2-year international project formed by a consortium of 5 organizations from 5 European countries (Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania and Spain) that aims to collect existing Holocaust survivor testimonies and transform them into a series of 5 offline detective mystery games, similar to popular escape rooms. These games will be based on local stories of success and failure to resist the Nazi regimes in the participating countries. The project targets 550 teachers (focusing on secondary school history, philosophy, ethics and religion teachers), policymakers and public officials in the field of education at a local level (regional educational inspectorates, principals and methodological experts of the Ministry of Education in all participating countries) and Roma and Jewish community leaders from the localities of the project partner. This target group will validate and pilot the innovative detective games based on authentic Holocaust survivors’ stories. Then they shall become multipliers of the intended project impact being in a position to further disseminate the gamified Holocaust Remembrance educational tool to a wider community including children and youth at schools but also families, friends and people in their closest circle. The long-term aim of the project is to sensitize communities through gamified education so that people are better equipped to react against Holocaust distortion and no longer validate fake news. The gamified approach is to bridge the limits of classical history education with the latest edutainment trends in transferring knowledge, skills and changing attitudes in modern societies.
Target Groups
Within this project, we have selected testimonies from people from all over Europe who recount their experiences of capture and deportation to concentration and extermination camps, with the aim of preserving their living memory.
We will conduct detailed research on local stories of success and failure in resisting totalitarian regimes. We will work closely with policymakers, administration representatives and education professionals at the local level to collect testimonies of survivors of totalitarian regimes and the Holocaust that affected our community. This task will be carried out in collaboration with memorial organizations, ethnic minorities and democratic resistance groups.
In addition, the project includes the creation of a team specialized in the development of awareness-raising tools aimed particularly at young adults. The long-term goal of this project is to raise awareness in communities through education, in the hope that people will be better prepared to deal with the distortion of history by totalitarian regimes, prevent the spread of news false and reject historical revisionism.
Training for partner organisations on gamification
The Gamification for remembrance Training course that was held in Bulgaria in October 2023, had as its main objective to provide participants with tools and resources to address democratic memory through non-formal education, inserting itself within the human rights framework. The final objective was to train them to develop a detective game in order to raise awareness about the totalitarian pasts of the various participating countries.
Development of the game
Building on the knowledge gained during the training course in Bulgaria and the prior historical research, the development of the detective game commenced. This phase involved not only detailed planning but also the practical realization of the game, ensuring that it aligned with historical accuracy and educational objectives.
To refine the game mechanics and content, three test sessions were conducted with three different groups, each consisting of approximately 20 participants. The primary goal of this testing phase was to evaluate gameplay functionality, identify any errors, and explore potential areas for improvement or expansion to enhance the overall experience.
A strong emphasis was placed on transparency and active participant involvement throughout the testing process. This ensured that the game accurately represented the historical and social aspects of the German context, making it not only an engaging and immersive educational tool but also an effective means of transmitting democratic memory to participants.
Piloting Activities: Testing Our Educational Game on Roma Holocaust and Remembrance
As part of our commitment to fostering awareness and remembrance of the Roma Holocaust, we conducted two piloting activities with diverse target groups. Due to the challenges of engaging directly with teachers and schools in Berlin, we focused on civil society actors, particularly youth workers and educators.
Piloting at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg
The first piloting took place at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, part of the Council of Europe, where we introduced our educational game to youth workers and non-formal education practitioners from across Europe. Integrated into a five-day remembrance program, the game was presented as a tool for engaging young people in Holocaust education.
Participants provided highly positive feedback, appreciating the way the game delivers essential knowledge about Roma history and WWII in an engaging and interactive manner. Many found it to be an effective educational tool for remembrance, particularly for younger audiences. Some technical suggestions were made, mainly regarding the clarity of certain hints, rather than content changes.
Piloting at the Education Forum Against Antigypsyism in Berlin
The second piloting was held in Berlin, targeting youth workers and educators from various migrant organizations. The game session took place at the Education Forum Against Antigypsyism, which hosts a permanent exhibition on the Roma Holocaust and the post-war Civil Rights Movement in Germany.
Following the game, colleagues from the Education Forum against Antigypsyism led a guided tour, deepening participants’ understanding of Roma history and the Holocaust. Many youth workers, particularly those from non-EU backgrounds, were shocked to learn that Roma were among the persecuted groups during WWII. This led to an extended discussion on antigypsyism, its historical roots, and its ongoing impact today.
A key takeaway from this session was the strong interest from migrant self-organizations in having the game translated into German and distributed within their networks.
These piloting activities not only validated the game as an innovative tool for remembrance education but also highlighted the need for further engagement with diverse communities to combat ignorance and discrimination through interactive learning.
Multiplier Events
As part of our dissemination efforts, we organized three multiplier events in different EU countries and regions of Germany in collaboration with our partners and member organizations. These events allowed us to introduce the game to diverse audiences and assess its impact in different settings.
1st Multiplier Event – Thessaloniki, Greece
The first event took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, with the support of our partner United Societies of Balkans (USB). Participants included youth workers, local and international volunteers, and young people. The game was facilitated by a volunteer mentor who had previously participated in the pilot phase during a Council of Europe (CoE) activity.
The session was held in a café that also serves as a community gathering space, offering a unique and informal environment for the game. The participants, unaware of the game beforehand, were astonished by the use of gaming to explore such a complex and serious topic. However, their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding the game’s adaptability and effectiveness as a learning tool. While adapting the game to a café setting was initially challenging, it ultimately worked well, demonstrating its flexibility across different environments. The session concluded with a structured evaluation led by the volunteer mentor.
2nd Multiplier Event – Frankfurt, Germany
The second event took place during Amaro Drom e.V.’s annual networking event, gathering youth workers from member organizations and young Roma individuals engaged in these organizations. As this was a national-level event, we played the game for the first time in German.
Initially, some participants were skeptical about using gamification to address such a sensitive and deeply personal topic, particularly given that Holocaust education in Germany rarely incorporates gamification. However, after engaging with the game, the participants’ perceptions shifted. They recognized its potential as a meaningful educational tool, especially in making the lesser-known history of the Roma Holocaust more accessible. The session sparked discussions about how interactive methods can enhance remembrance education, while still maintaining respect and sensitivity.
3rd Multiplier Event – Mannheim, Germany
The third event was organized in Mannheim, in collaboration with Bai Ganyo e.V., an organization primarily working with students, particularly Bulgarian students in Germany. Given their focus on education and youth engagement, they invited us to play the game with their students and young people from diverse backgrounds.
The response was highly positive. The young participants actively engaged with the game and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Many were surprised to learn about the Roma Holocaust through gamification, emphasizing how interactive approaches can make difficult historical topics more engaging and impactful.
Key Takeaways from the Multiplier Events
- The game proved adaptable to different settings, from cafés to youth networking events and student groups.
- Initial skepticism around gamification in Holocaust education was overcome once participants experienced the game firsthand.
- The game effectively engages young people in learning about the Roma Holocaust, particularly in non-formal education spaces.
- Requests for translation and broader dissemination indicate a strong interest in using the game as a learning tool beyond our initial target groups.
These multiplier events demonstrated that interactive tools can significantly enhance remembrance education, making it more engaging, accessible, and impactful for young people across different backgrounds.
Dissemination Event
In collaboration with our member organization, Roma Integration Center (RIC) from Oberhausen, we organized a dissemination event that brought together over 50 participants from various stakeholder groups. The event welcomed teachers, educators, civil society representatives, members of the Roma community, and young people, all of whom had the opportunity to engage with our project and play the game.
We presented the project’s journey, detailing the steps taken from its inception to its current phase. This provided participants with a clear understanding of the project’s scope, objectives, and impact. We then reintroduced the game, explaining its development process and the rationale behind using gamification as an educational method.
While some older participants initially expressed skepticism about whether gamification was an appropriate method for addressing such a serious historical topic, the civil society members and young attendees praised both the project and the game. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where participants explored the potential of gamification and discussed similar methodologies for engaging young people in remembrance education.
This event reinforced the value of innovative educational approaches and highlighted the importance of interactive methods in reaching diverse audiences.
Ethical Statement
The Ethical Considerations of the A Game to Remember: Gamifying Holocaust Remembrance project to ensure that detective games are implemented with sensitivity, accuracy and respect for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and other authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. All gamification activities are carried out following the following principles:
Respecting the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and authoritarian and totalitarian regimes and their families as well as reflecting a dignified portrait of the stories of the Holocaust and survivors and/or victims of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Unconditional position against the Holocaust and/or the distortion of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, in addition to refraining from causing damage and protecting the origins of the stories used. Protection of personal objects used as game accessories, non-commercialization of activities and voluntary participation in activities.