RIZK

RIZK is a casual, serious, reverse tower defense game. It is part of the British Museum of Science's "Climate Changing..." exhibition, designed as a medium for "exploring the science of climate change." The game has short scenarios in which you invade regions to acquire purple goo resources to grow the tree at your base. In typical RTS fashion, you start with a base where you create two types of units -- harvesters and defenders. Various harvesters are specialized in collecting goo -- e.g., from underground reservoirs or from goo falls. The defender units generate a shield bubble that can protect the harvesters or your base. The goo is guarded by tree tower defense units that hurl homing shuriken-like projectiles. Your goal is to cost effectively deploy appropriate defenders and harvesters to collect goo to grow the tree at your base.

It is a fun, clever little tower defense game in which you are the invasion force facing the tower's defense with a twist: you have no offense, only shields. The graphics and level design are great and fun. I however do not understand why this game is promoted as a serious game, part of an online exhibit at the Science Museum. What is the message of this serious game? I look hard and find this: "This [RIZK] game is about 'risk management; which can be applied to many areas of life including climate change." How silly -- what games do not have any sort of risk management?

RIZK is great twist on the tower defense genre and with great presentation and level design. However after one game you realize that it is not a serious game.​