Cases

We approach each project with an open mind, avoiding a premature commitment to a specific intervention form. In collaboration with end users and stakeholders, we first explore which creative approach will have the greatest impact. A key consideration throughout this process is the implementability of the intervention. Are end users both able and willing to engage with this form? This focus on adaptability explains the variety of interventions in our portfolio, which is still evolving. We’re happy to provide further insights into ongoing projects that are not yet featured on our website. If you need examples from a particular domain or field, don’t hesitate to reach out.

How do you make a roleplaying game accessible for beginners?

A historical game system you can start without any experience

For the Mythemakers Foundation, we built the design framework behind MythWatch: The Age of Redbad, an accessible roleplaying game set in the time of King Redbad. We also advised on the rulebook and built the website. Roleplaying games still have a reputation as a complicated hobby. People who have never played often give up as soon as they have to create a character.

What started as a search for a more accessible alternative to Dungeons & Dragons grew into a game system of its own. On this page, you can read about the role 8D played and what Mythemakers built on that foundation.

Serious game

How do you make a roleplaying game accessible for beginners?

Launch Game is an entrepreneurship education game that 8D is developing further with five European partners under Erasmus+. Students still often learn to start a business from books. In the…
Digitalization

How do you make a roleplaying game accessible for beginners?

With Ineke van der Ham and her research group at Leiden University, we work on science communication and games about navigation problems. The condition Atopia is barely known, which means…

Learning about AI through play

8D is developing a flexible educational programme about AI for primary school children. Children explore AI cases where things have gone wrong and solve mini-games about data, algorithms and energy…
Digitalization

From gut feeling to action

In collaboration with the Municipality of Opsterland and a team of experts and people with lived experience, 8D developed the interactive learning product Signal Safe. This tool helps professionals and…

How do you recognize inappropriate behavior before it crosses the line?

In collaboration with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, 8D developed the serious game Symphony Foetsie as part of an applied research project on social safety in the workplace. The…
Beleid & CommunicatieDigitalization

Learning together for a greener world

As part of the European collaboration Green Transitions, 8D developed a serious game where players go through realistic scenarios and make choices that turn their virtual city greener or greyer….
Climate

Design thinking for heritage and adult education

As part of the European GRACING project, 8D was invited as a domain expert to share its expertise in design, gamification, and co-creation. We led a workshop on design thinking…
Culture & Education

How can healthcare professionals recognise limited health literacy?

The University of Twente, Isala Clinics and Windesheim explored how healthcare professionals can recognise limited health literacy and provide more accessible patient communication. 8D guided the consortium in translating this…
DigitalizationHealthInclusivity

How can technology and humanity go hand in hand?

In collaboration with PhD candidate Charlotte van Lotringen (University of Twente), 8D developed a card set that supports the meaningful integration of smartwatches into lifestyle-oriented mental health treatments. The conversation…
Health

AI in healthcare—how do we use it responsibly and ethically?

What are the possibilities of AI in healthcare? More importantly, how do we deal with this responsibly? Board game AI+ Hospital brings a substantive discussion to this topic.
Digitalization

How can we help young farmers choose climate measures that truly fit their farming future?

In collaboration with three universities of applied sciences, 8D developed the card game Vision Explorers — a serious game that supports young farmers in thinking strategically about climate measures that…
ClimateFood and agriculture

Get moving for a healthier generation

Physical activity isn’t just good for your body; it’s a proven mood booster too. Still, over 80% of youth worldwide are not moving enough. In the European project Be Active,…
Health

Building and maintaining healthy habits

Healthy living is important, especially for adolescents dealing with mental health challenges. But how do you ensure that lifestyle advice truly resonates, sticks, and leads to real action? In collaboration…
Health

What is needed to create an active hospital?

Team 8D is working with healthcare professionals at Leeuwarden Medical Center (MCL) on a creative intervention that encourages patients in a playful and informative way to exercise more during their…
Health

How can virtual reality contribute to rehabilitation care?

Recovering after an ICU stay requires significant motivation and effort from patients. In collaboration with Dr. Lise Beumeler and the Medical Center Leeuwarden, 8D developed Puzzle Motion — a VR…
Health

Combating food fraud through co-design of knowledge transfer

The EFF-CoP project combats food fraud through knowledge transfer and collaboration within an international consortium. 8D develops educational tools and dissemination resources tailored to the needs of stakeholders. Our design…
Food and agriculture

Fighting food waste: why important?

Together with European educational partners, 8D is developing the Leftover Challenge, an educational game and teaching modules to combat food waste among elementary school students and raise awareness. The project…
Food and agricultureClimate

Simulation: what should I do during a cyberattack?

Ransomware is a rapidly growing form of cybercrime that can cause significant financial and reputational damage. Organizations are therefore seeking ways to strengthen their digital resilience. For the project ‘Resilience…
Digitalisation

Can creativity help create a sustainable future?

The energy transition affects us all. Achieving sustainability faster and more effectively is crucial, and collaboration plays a key role, especially in the heat transition. By working together to make…
Climate

Strengthening multilingual literacy in early education

8D is design partner in the international Read with MEE consortium, dedicated to advancing knowledge and skills in inclusive and multilingual literacy, with a particular focus on early education (ECE)….
Culture & EducationInclusivity

Can a game help facilitate difficult conversations?

Discussing agricultural business succession The transition of an agricultural business, whether within or outside a family enterprise, is always a pivotal phase. Effective communication is essential for a smooth handover….
ClimateFood and agriculture

Serious gaming as a research tool

Can persuasive technology – such as a serious game – help promote interdisciplinary collaboration? A key research question within the University of Twente’s ‘eZoon’ project. Team 8D worked in this…
Health

How can workplaces support neurodivergent employees?

The HOST discussion game sparks conversations about workplace dilemmas in the hospitality sector, with a special focus on the experiences of hospitality professionals with autism. What challenges do they encounter?…
Inclusivity

How do you bring theoretical knowledge to life?

A card game is an excellent way to bring theoretical information and research findings to life. What to imagine in doing so? Get inspired by Care Trivia, an upbeat competitive…
Policy and communication

Encouraging understanding between pupils with different backgrounds through play

In collaboration with international partners, 8D is developing an educational picture book that introduces primary school students to European values such as respect and solidarity through playful stories and creative…
Inclusivity

Can gaming help people train their balance?

Can playfully imitating movements in a video game help people train their balance? Particularly during recovery from a stroke? Together with researchers at the University of Twente and Radboud University…
Health

Can you learn Supported Communication (SC) through a game?

Supported Communication is the use of alternative forms and means of communication for people who do not speak or who have difficulty speaking. For children with a communicative disability, it…
Inclusivity

Increasing therapy adherence through gaming: is it possible?

The Skating Game is balance training and fall prevention for the elderly in a fun package. The elderly person makes skating movements in front of a Kinect and is encouraged…
Health

Language activation with a serious game

Together with Province of Friesland and SFBO, we are researching – through gaming and prototyping – ways to stimulate the use of Frisian among young children. How do you effectively…

How can a game increase inclusivity in the workplace?

8D, in partnership with the international consortium Autism: Spectrum of Employment Skills (ASES), has created a game designed to assist managers in making recruitment processes and workplaces more accessible for…
Inclusivity

Practice reading and speaking in a playful way

Together with the Centre for Language and Speech Technology at Radboud University Nijmegen, 8D Games conducted research into the use of speech technology and gaming to promote language skills in…
Culture and education

How to increase biking enjoyment among children

Cycling is healthy, we all know that. But how do you make a cycling trip interesting and feasible for young families? For the Province of Groningen, we investigated what games…
Culture and educationHealth

Making swimming lessons more fun and engaging

Together with Skander Marketing we are developing swimming lesson books that increase motivation during swimming lessons. Even for children who find it exciting. With fun rewards and an engaging story,…
Culture and education

Process mapping through gaming

8D developed a virtual reality experience for the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) aimed at (new) employees. The VR experience provides an interactive understanding of all the steps involved in…
DigitalisationPolicy and communication

Improving cooperation and communication through a game

Collaboration and effective communication can make or break an organization. The Municipality of Groningen understands this well. In 2017, the municipality approached 8D with a pioneering question: can gaming improve…
Policy and communication

Talking about poverty through a serious game

BAAS is an augmented reality game that engages children in a playful conversation about poverty. They go on an adventure in their own neighbourhood with the stray dog Bonnie. The…
Culture and educationInclusivity

Cultural education in a digital format

For many cultural institutions and organisations, presenting stories about our history in a way that also engages children remains a significant challenge. Geoparks De Hondsrug and Terra.Vita approached us to…
Culture and education

How do we embed the Growth Mindset in European primary education?

Together with educational partners from Romania, Cyprus, Estonia, and the Netherlands, we are working on a game about the growth mindset, based on the theory of the renowned psychologist Carol…
Culture and education

Learning about digital privacy with a game

In collaboration with FERS and the Royal Library, we developed a seriously fun surfing game about digital privacy: the Data Detox Game! The game has already been played by more…
Digitalisation

Game on sexual health

Shkorey (‘darling’ in Tigrinya) is developing a digital game environment that provides Eritrean newcomers to the Netherlands with information on the human body, sexuality, birth care and raising small children…
Health

How do you improve young people’s sexual resilience?

The serious game Dignity gets teenagers talking about sexual boundaries and thus increases sexual resilience. The game was developed in cooperation with professionals from GGD Friesland.
Health

How can we make sign language more accessible?

In collaboration with Pento Audiologic Centre we developed Handlantis, a computer game that allows you to get started with Dutch Sign Language in a fun and motivating way. Find out…
HealthInclusivity

Can you improve social skills through gaming?

Gaming to improve your social skills: at first glance, it does not seem a logical combination. Yet it can be very pleasant and effective to start practising in a ‘digital’…
Inclusivity

Can virtual reality support healthcare professionals?

In collaboration with Leeuwarden Medical Centre, we are working on a virtual reality training course on resuscitating newborn babies especially for healthcare professionals.
Health

How can we playfully test cognitive skills in children with CMB?

Together with Milo and OOK-OC! 8D is working on a challenging innovation project: the development of a game that helps remedial educators, psychologists and practitioners map the cognitive skills and…
Health

Learning to wash hands better with a game

Can a serious game teach children to wash their hands better? With this question, the University of Twente and the University of Münster approached 8D. It soon became clear that…
Culture and educationHealth

How do we combat exercise poverty among children?

Children in the Netherlands do not exercise enough. As many as 46% of children up to age 11 do not meet the national exercise guideline. With Mission Master we get…
Culture and educationHealth

How do you empower teenagers against online bullying?

Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok: a large part of young people’s social lives takes place online these days. These online forms of communication bring with them many wonderful opportunities, but also…
Culture and educationDigitalisation

How do we encourage sustainable entrepreneurship?

Together with partners from Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, the UK and the Czech Republic, we built an educational game that gets young farmers up and running with the Triple Bottom…
Food and agriculture

How do you develop soft skills in teenagers?

Success in the workplace often requires more than just professional knowledge and skills. You also so-called ‘soft skills’, such as communicating well and organising your work productively. How can we…
Culture and education

Improving mental health through gaming

Mental resilience ensures that people can stay in touch with themselves, even when things are not going well or a situation is stressful. Especially for vulnerable young people (and their…
Health

How do you make heritage experienceable for children?

Our history and culture have been meticulously documented in digital or digitized collections and archives of various museums, libraries, and specialized institutions. These databases and archives are a rich source…
Culture & Education

How do you move people with games?

Customized movement in virtual reality: with the advent of increasingly lightweight and accessible vr glasses, there are more and more possibilities in this area. Especially now that hand sensors can…
HealthInclusivity

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