Eranko a nature adventure

The impacts of climate change pose fundamental challenges for current approaches to wildlife conservation which affect our mission of creating a safe ecological environment for wildlife. Changing temperature and precipitation regimes have interacted with existing drivers, such as habitat loss which influences species distributions. The changes in climate and weather have forced species to migrate to new areas, whereas there is ample evidence of species' ranges shifting as a result of changing conditions, and those that cannot escape their newly inhospitable surroundings or adapt are likely to die. This is a result of habitat loss which is caused by rising temperatures that affect vegetation, food sources, access to water and much more and make ecosystems to become uninhabitable for certain animals, forcing wildlife to migrate outside of their usual patterns in search of food and livable conditions. One other thing is that species that are already threatened and those that are highly sensitive to environmental change are particularly vulnerable to extreme events, and through the combination of extreme climate changes, challenges could drive many animals to go extinct.

Despite some progress to combat climate on the international level, there is no doubt that our changing climate is already affecting species, ecosystems, and people. There is a need to take urgent action to deal with the changes we are seeing and to increase human and ecosystem resilience in order to prepare for the changes to come. One way we are helping to tackle climate change is through innovative climate technology - which helps to create an actionable impact across indigenous communities in Africa. Technology will play an important role in climate action and adaptation efforts, and by engaging experts in the design and deployment of tech solutions will be crucial to helping the most affected communities adapt. We intend to tackle challenges in climate change through creative ideas and innovative technologies, which is an important contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals; by using video games as an awareness tool to reach out to different target groups, We will be able to play a central role in driving innovative climate technologies through video games for climate actions by establishing a relationship with various game professionals, climate change champions and wildlife conservationist we have designed a video game that is meant to solve this type of problem through video game which has a specific objective rather than general aims, targets a specific and sustainability-relevant audience, and above all is fun to play and will promote benefits of taking climate action. Tackling Climate change through video games for climate action serves to unlock grassroots climate action, and amplify the UN environment’s message about climate tech-led advocacy, youth tech-led, the climate crisis, and what games can do.

Eranko, a nature adventure game, is a nature-based game that aims to explore a new approach to climate action among Africans by using a game-based learning approach (GBL) to map out actionable solutions. Eranko is an epic adventure where players navigate a world full of wild animals as they enjoy the game's immersive experience. Inside the game, players will have the opportunity to play as two main characters the first as a lioness that is on a mission to rescue her cubs and the latter as Olu, an orphan boy that finds himself associating with poachers as a result of a civil war that broke out in Zabada the fictional country that the game is set in. Players will have the chance to understand how animal habitat works through their interaction in the game; as the game uses real-world assets that can be found in the wild, they will consciously learn more about different species of animals and plants that they aren't exposed giving them a first-hand experience to know about the get basic info about this animals.

Eranko main Characters

Olu & the Lioness

Eranko, a nature adventure game aim is to contribute to the fight against climate change by using innovative technology for climate actions not forgetting how is also creates envrionmental awareness, Eranko is backed by three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this order, S.D.G. 13 Climate Action, S.D.G. 14 Life Below Water and S.D.G. 15 Life on Land. 

Eranko for climate action 

The value of the global gaming industry is at $300 Billion in 2022, with 2.9 billion active gamers worldwide, and out of those 2.9 billion, 186 gamers are from Africa (Wise, 2022), and of these 186 million gamers, 63 million pay for games (34%) according to Afrogamer (2021). There is a lot of profit and revenue that can be generated through games, as many gamers are not existing donors to climate change fight. We are leveraging on this to by using Eranko as a tool for climate action and an innovative way to get ordinary people involved in the climate fight like never before to inspire a new wave of climate action. Eranko's goal is to create an actionable impact through its one tree per download initiative by allocating 50% of every game download into mangrove tree planting as wildlife gamers make up to 1.1 billion worldwide and this is a way to engage and get them to contribute to climate change fight.

With the release of the vertical slice (first playable), which was played by 100 players, we partnered with SOWC-ALU to plant 100 trees to test out our game's desirability and how well our solution can create an impact.

Tree planting project 

The awareness approach (Eranko for conservation education)

With the use of game HUD, like this one, players are getting information on how animal are impacted by the rapid environmental change putting into consideration on how the dramatical population have decreased with all these key indicators.

To facilitate gender equality and women's empowerment in the context of climate change there is a need to ensure women's participation and leadership in climate action as the role of women can not be left out, and we need to recognize the significant role they play. Women make up half of Africa's population, and although they are often underrepresented in climate actions, Their voices are not always heard due to a lack of inclusion and representation at various levels. Its well noted that women are the future of African conservation, according to Sollitt (2022).

Now more than ever, the involvement of women in climate change will be crucial to ensuring a sustainable future. That is why through the one tree per download, we are partnering with Red Rocks Initiatives, a Rwanda environmental organization, to promote environmental protection and climate change action by raising community awareness and curiosity toward the vitality of environmental protection and management as through Red Rocks we are pivoting and positioning ourselves in Women Empowerment as we aim to empower women from designated local communities in Rwanda to assist with our Tree-planting project (one tree per download initiative), which is an opportunity for them to be more closely involved in climate action while as creating a source of livelihood for them through job creation that will lead to capacity building in these communities. 

Most of the livelihood of local African women relies upon the stability of the environment around them, and its decline has impacted women disproportionately to men (Sollitt, 2022), whereas local and indigenous communities are the most vulnerable communities toward climate change as their profession is mostly farming with no prior knowledge about climate change or the cause of harsh and unfavorable weather conditions, which have affected the state of food systems. Current food systems are facing numerous challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, and inequitable distribution of resources; however, to enhance climate adaptation starting from the local communities, there is a need to transform food systems into more sustainable, resilient, and equitable systems that benefit smallholder farmers and local communities not forgetting that smallholder farmers are often marginalized and lack access to resources.

Connection with the community

With firsthand experiences interacting with local communities in Rwanda as a conservationist, My team and I have pinpoint different approaches on how we will deliver a high-caliber service toward these problems by creating local-centric solutions. 

During the summer of 2022, we developed and co-managed the community conservation index, contributing to an 80% increase in community engagement while also supporting the community team in valuing and documenting community efforts and income, resulting in a 75% increase in family livelihood with active engagement with these communities till date working toward positive amelioration.

We also pay a visit to Akagera national park to map out the parks toward our game development and to understand more about how animals function, behave in their natural habitat and how the ecosystem operates with each indicators. 

A population of 100 players.

The role of innovative climate technologies is crucial for climate adaptation and resilience as it's one of the key factors in accelerating the significance of technologies for climate action. The team at Aquila studio has a central role in driving innovative climate technologies to adapt to the impacts of climate change but we can't do this alone, with limited resources, we have self-funded the project and produced a pilot project (first playable - vertical slice). We recognize the need for additional support and resources to overcome various barriers and maximize the game's impact.

What we need:

1. Market Opportunities: Solve offers a platform to showcase innovative solutions to stakeholders, including potential investors, publishers, and players. By participating in Solve, we can gain exposure and access to the gaming industry, attracting partnerships, funding, and market opportunities that can help overcome market barriers and reach a wider audience.

2. Collaborative Partnerships: Solve encourages collaboration among Solvers and facilitates partnerships between organizations. Aquila studio can leverage Solve's network to connect with potential collaborators, such as climate organizations, NGOs, or educational institutions, to incorporate their expertise, data, or outreach capabilities into the game, creating a more comprehensive and impactful experience.

3. Technical Expertise: Developing an innovative climate-focused game requires technical expertise in game development, climate science, and environmental storytelling. Solve's network of experts, mentors, and advisors can provide valuable guidance to Aquila studio, helping us overcome technical challenges and enhance the game's effectiveness in delivering its message.
   

4. Financial Barriers: Eranko has been self-funded so far, limiting the resources available for its development and scaling. By applying to Solve, Aquila studio can seek financial support through Solve's Solver Funding or other relevant opportunities, enabling us to invest in the game's development, marketing, and distribution.
   

Through Solve, Aquila studio can tap into technical expertise, market opportunities, funding and collaborative partnerships to overcome the limitations of resources and further develop Eranko into a powerful tool for climate action.

Video games have the power to inspire change. This video game, titled Eranko, provides an important opportunity to advance the understanding of nature-based game dynamics and its components that have the potential to contribute to the growing area of creating environmental impact. The aim is to explore how video games can contribute to climate action among the marginalized communities of video games around the world that account for 2.9 billion, while we will be focusing on wildlife gamers that are made of 1.1 billion. Through the solution, we will be able to create actionable impacts in African communities and which will they can increase environmental and wildlife protection.

Eranko is an innovative climate technology tool that will play a key role in supporting technology-led solutions to climate change, particularly in the areas of video games, and climate tech, and environment,on how these can be best implemented across future development of games that aims to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the SDG's. To inspire change eranko focuses on three core pillars: 

Core pillars

Climate Action: A tool to contribute to climate change through actionable impact by using one tree per download approach and by allocating 50% of the game purchases revenues on digital platforms, we will be able to raise funds for climate efforts through the restoration of natural ecosystems.

Adventure: Third-person perspective exploration with the human ability to transform into African big five animals to understand how animal interactions work, giving players a first-hand experience on how wildlife behaves in their habitat. 

Storytelling: Inspired by true events such as poachers turned conservationists in Rwanda, the Eastern Congo war, mineral conflict, and child soldier recruitment. The game is built on the foundation of an African real story using video games as a medium to capture a large population.

To create an actionable impact in the designated communities, We have listed out some of the impact goals for a period of 6 years with key indicators on how we plan to achieve them after the release of the game as the first two years will focus on the development of the game while refining the game to a polishable and ready to release on platforms.

First-year: In the first year our objective after release is to measure our awareness impact through the game-based learning metrics and KPI indicators by using game telemetry which is a data-driven tools to obtain data that will assist with our decision making inform of a data-inform format which included close remote monitoring, analysis of players, and players behavior. We will integrate 

Second year & Third year: The recruitment of women from local and indigenous communities through our partner (Red rock initiative), They will thoroughly select women from these communities through an inclusive and readiness approach that will focus on job creation and community development through capacity building. This is to pave the way for women to be self-independent and create a tree-planting culture leading to ecosystem restoration. With the release of the game, the first line of action will be to prepare for the planting of the mangrove seedling after the first month of release to execute the project. Acquisition of hectares of land for mangrove vegetation forest in the designated community to lunch the tree planting project from the game sales purchases that was allocated toward tree playing 

Fourth-year: While in the fourth year, we will use a community index to understand how our project have improved the livelihood of these women while also providing them with financial management tips and also create a sustainable financial pathways for them which will be facilitated by red rocks to establish a career niche for the women through the stipend the women receive from the tree planting project.

Fifth-year & Sixth-year: During the fifth and sixth year we will be offering carbon offset through the mangrove tree project and at the same time will be able to expend and self fund other tree planting projects which will give rise to a long term approach toward creating a long-lasting impact. Furthermore, the designated community involved in the tree planting project can sell its carbon credits after 3-5 years, using the funds to develop their community and sustain the initiative which will be facilitated by red rock and aquila studio. The revenues generated will be use toward community development which will give rise to the mangrove tree planting culture. This will create balance in the ecosystem as it gives room for sustainability as it will increase environmental protection and practices. 

For our impact goal we carry out a impact assessment through game testing and the pilot tree project to measure our impact using KPI. We track the growth rate of the pilot trees weekly and also taking records of how the environment is a key player to their growth. We regularly analyze the collected data , feedback, and community engagement to evaluate the progress made toward impact goals. We also use the insights gained to refine and enhance the game's design, mechanics, and educational elements, ensuring its continued effectiveness in driving climate action and inspiring environmental stewardship among players.

1. Player Engagement: We measure player engagement through metrics such as game playtime, and player feedback to assess how the game's environmental themes and storytelling elements resonate with players and inspire them to take action. 

2. Behavioral Change Indicators: Identify in-game actions that encourage players to adopt climate-friendly behaviors. Track metrics like virtual wildlife protection achievements, habitat conservation progress, or player decisions that align with sustainability principles. Assess how these actions translate into real-life behavior changes among players.

3. Awareness and Education: We conducted pre- and post-game surveys to measure players' knowledge and understanding of climate change, environmental issues, and wildlife conservation.

4. Community Engagement: We aim to measure the reach and impact of community-driven initiatives and collaborations inspired by our game.

Aquila studio's mission is to use video games as a catalyst for tangible positive change in the world and we envision a planet where people live with a life and care, concern, and respect for our planet, the theory of change for Eranko's for climate action through our tree planting project aligns perfectly as Eranko serves as a manifestation of our studio's commitment to leveraging the power of video games to make a real difference in climate change.

By integrating a tree planting initiative within Eranko, we demonstrate our dedication to translating our mission into actionable impact. The game becomes a platform for players to actively contribute to climate action and foster a deeper connection with nature. Our belief in the transformative potential of video games aligns with the theory of change for Eranko, which seeks to inspire players and empower them to become agents of positive environmental change.

Through Eranko, we aim to create a tangible and measurable impact by not only raising awareness about the importance of tree planting and environmental stewardship but also by directly engaging players in real-world reforestation efforts. By combining our mission-driven approach with the immersive and interactive nature of Eranko, we strive to create a game that goes beyond entertainment and encourages players to adopt sustainable habits, contribute to climate action, and foster a global community dedicated to the well-being of the planet.

By incorporating our mission and vision into the theory of change for Eranko's tree planting project, the game becomes a powerful tool to advance our overarching goals of creating tangible positive change and instilling a sense of care, concern, and respect for the planet among players.

Eranko, the nature adventure game, was meticulously crafted by harnessing the full potential of Unreal Engine, a robust and versatile game engine recognized for its cutting-edge rendering capabilities, intuitive level design tools, sophisticated animation system, seamless audio integration, cross-platform adaptability, and efficient performance optimization features, resulting in an immersive and visually stunning gaming experience that brings the important message of climate action and environmental awareness to life. Unreal Engine 5 was use to add a new level of robustness, efficiency, and accessibility with the needs of different sectors in mind. In the release, there are enhanced tools for building massive open worlds. The game engine includes features ranging from design visualizations and cinematic experiences to high-quality games across PC, console, mobile, VR, and AR. Unreal Engine gives developers everything they need to start, ship, grow, and stand out from the crowd with the new release there is a significant improvements in performance and usability for workflows that apply equally to pipeline integration, world building, characters and animation, rendering, lighting and materials, gameplay and interactivity authoring and developer tools. During development we created the characters Artificial intelligence (AI) so that the Non-Playable Character (NPC) can act independently on their own will inside the level while we use the Playable Character (PC) as pawn we develop the AI system to affect each other input giving it an event to act upon.

In 2020, Jackson published an article in which she discussed games developed for Conservation Education purposes, where she described Alba, a wildlife adventure developed by USgames, which focuses on exploring the world and conserving wildlife. The game uses a Game-Based Learning (GBL) approach, and players will play as Alba as she visits her grandparents on a Mediterranean island and sets out to save the beautiful island and its wildlife. Players learn about animal and environmental protection and the negative effects of construction on wildlife habitats and the surrounding area through the game. 

Scene from Alba, a Wildlife Adventure

Source: Alba: A Wildlife Adventure by Ustwo Games

This kind of game is an effective tool for stimulating and maintaining players' interest throughout the learning process, and it helps improve their social, cooperative, and cognitive abilities. As of 21 December 2021, the game had amassed one million downloads across all game stores, making it a successful example of a video game for climate action. Alba is a leading game in climate action as it has contributed to the fight against climate change through its tree planting initiative and has seen one million trees planted as a result. 

Aquila studio embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion as core principles. Our solution team places people at the forefront people from marginalized group such as LGBTQ+, prioritizing their well-being and fostering a work environment that values freedom. This has allowed us to cultivate a flexible work culture that promotes collaboration and harmony among team members.

At Aquila studio, women are our core pillar as they make up 70% of the team member. They reflect our beliefs about how we can achieve the results that will allow us to excel and we recognize the role women played as they encourage creativity and individual growth within our organization.

Eranko Business model

Eranko's financial sustainability is built on a comprehensive and multifaceted approach, ensuring long-term support and growth for the project. One key element is the game development program which is to teach the next generation of green game talents to create nature-based games, which serves as a source of revenue. By offering training and educational resources to young aspiring game talents, Eranko generates income through enrollment fees and partnerships, fostering a sustainable pipeline of talent for the future.

The social impact project initiative is another crucial component of Eranko's financial sustainability. The one tree per download initiative not only encourages players to take action and contribute to sustaining the environment but also allocates a portion of the project's revenues to fund tree planting and other environmental initiatives. This dual approach enhances the game's impact while generating ongoing financial support through game purchases.

To further bolster financial sustainability, Eranko leverages carbon offset opportunities. By actively participating in carbon offsetting, the project attracts organizations and individuals committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Collaborations, sponsorships, and partnerships with these entities provide financial resources to sustain the project's operations and expansion, strengthening its long-term viability.

Additionally, Eranko envisions the designated community involved in the tree planting project becoming financially self-sustaining. After 3-5 years of dedicated tree planting and ecosystem restoration, the community can sell the accumulated carbon credits to organizations interested in offsetting their carbon emissions. The funds generated from these carbon credit sales can then be reinvested in further community development, ensuring the continuity of the tree planting initiative while empowering the community economically. Moreover, Eranko's promotion of a culture centered around mangrove tree planting attracts support from governmental and non-governmental organizations, grants, and partnerships. This support contributes to the project's financial sustainability by providing additional resources for growth and expanding its environmental impact.

Overall, Eranko's financial sustainability is built upon a diverse range of strategies, including the game development program, the social impact project initiative, carbon offset collaborations, community financial empowerment through carbon credit sales, and partnerships based on the promotion of a sustainable tree planting culture. These combined efforts ensure a steady flow of financial resources, allowing Eranko to thrive, expand, and continue making a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change.

We have achieved significant success in our journey towards financial sustainability through various initiatives and partnerships. One example is our game development program, which has proven to be a lucrative revenue source. By providing access to gaming laptops and dedicated facilities, we have created an engaging and educational environment for young aspiring game developers. The program's enrollment fees have played a crucial role in sustaining our financial stability while nurturing the next generation of green game talents.

Furthermore, our efforts have garnered media recognition, including a feature in The Newtimes, a leading daily news outlet in Rwanda. This media coverage has not only raised awareness about Eranko and its mission but has also attracted the attention of potential players and stakeholders interested in supporting our cause. Such exposure has had a positive impact on our financial sustainability by expanding our reach and influence.

In addition, ongoing conversations with the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) indicate the potential for a fruitful collaboration. By partnering with REMA, a prominent environmental authority, we can tap into their resources, expertise, and potentially secure funding for our environmental initiatives. This collaboration would not only strengthen our financial sustainability but also amplify our impact in promoting environmental conservation through Eranko.

Furthermore, we are proud to share that the UNDP Rwanda Accelerator Lab has expressed a keen interest in Eranko. This endorsement from the UNDP Rwanda Accelerator Lab further solidifies our credibility and potential for success. Their support and partnership open doors to additional resources, networks, and opportunities for funding, contributing significantly to our financial sustainability. The recognition from such a reputable organization validates our commitment to creating tangible positive change through Eranko and propels us towards achieving long-term financial stability.

Overall, these examples highlight the progress we have made in achieving financial sustainability for Eranko. Through our successful game development program, media recognition, ongoing discussions with REMA, and others information we can not publicly shareable, we have built a solid foundation for long-term financial viability. These endeavors not only support our financial sustainability but also advance our mission of creating positive change through video games.