UN Launches Food Force Computer Game

Posted on April 15, 2005

Food Force is a humanitarian video game about global hunger from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The Food Force game opens with a full-screen video sequence where the player is briefed on a hunger crisis on the fictitious island country of 'Sheylan'. The WFP Food Force team appear as a set of animated characters that help guide the player through the game. The game is designed for children aged 8 to 13 and provides six different missions. The missions contain realistic challenges to quickly feed thousands of people in the fictitious island of Sheylan - piloting helicopters on reconnaissance missions, negotiating with armed rebels on a convoy run, and using food to help rebuild villages.

The 6 missions are:

  • Air Surveillance: A classic 'find-em' game -- involves piloting a helicopter to count hungry people against the clock.
  • Energy Pacs: A combination guessing game to create a balanced diet with limited funds.
  • Air drop: Dropping food from a cargo plane into the crisis zone -- with the playability of a classic golf game.
  • Locate and Dispatch: Solving the jigsaw puzzle of food logistics, against the clock
  • The Food Run: A series of mini challenges along the convoy-style drive to the feeding camp.
  • Future Farming: 'Sim City' in Sheylan -- using food aid to help the island get back on its feet.

    The PC based video game is available as a free download from food-force.com (link no longer available). It is currently available in English, with translation into other languages planned. The website also offers information and lesson plans for teachers.

    More from Gamers Game