Sea Monster Insights

Reaching young audiences isn’t what it used to be. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up in a world where traditional media just doesn’t cut it anymore. They don’t want to be talked at. They want to participate, co-create, and connect. So where are they doing that? Increasingly, the answer is Roblox and for brands hoping to stay relevant, it’s time to start paying attention.

Generally speaking, nobody wakes up in the morning excited to learn how to budget. Or to understand how credit works. Or how to properly save for retirement. And more often than not, these important topics aren’t adequately taught to us at school or at any point during our formative education journeys. So how do we expect people to gain financial understanding and make informed decisions in today’s increasingly complex financial landscape? And where are people finding relevant financial information that they can really trust? 

Globally, Gen Z is at the forefront of social movements, from climate protests to calls for political reform. Their strong sense of social justice and desire to challenge the status quo pose significant implications for brands and organisations. To align with Gen Z’s values, businesses must adopt innovative strategies as this generation becomes more influential and vocal about their expectations.

A game that goes beyond entertainment - that’s an impact game. A game that is purposefully designed to tackle a particular challenge - that’s an impact game. Whether it's to teach us, train us, mobilise us around a cause, or empower communities, all impact games share a common goal: to improve the lives of users and to ultimately drive positive change in the world. 

Thirteen years ago, Sea Monster was founded with a vision to use games to put users back at the center of learning and marketing experiences. We’ve collaborated with incredible global brands to drive these initiatives, but this is just the beginning. As games become an integral part of the media landscape, with an estimated 3.6 billion gamers worldwide by next year, there’s still immense potential for innovation and impact ahead

Games have been around for centuries and with the advancement of technology, games and game design have developed to a point where they are so integrated into our daily lives that they can actively help us navigate and make sense of our complicated and messy world. We already know that gaming is not just for kids, with over 3.6 billion people gaming on a regular basis globally. But where will the focus for impact games be in 2024?

A growing body of research shows that gaming can positively affect mental health. It’s also becoming increasingly clear that impact games can amplify these effects. As people around the world search for solutions to address the widespread mental health crisis, there’s a strong argument for gaming. Before digging into how games can be used to stimulate mental well-being, it’s worth noting that our understanding is constantly evolving. ‍

Impact games are similar to regular games in that they're just as entertaining and engaging. They also mimic real-world challenges and encourage behaviours that companies want to see in their employees. These games promote positive change and development in a low-risk setting. This approach has huge potential to drive growth and innovation across Africa.

In 2023, the world saw record high summer temperatures in Europe and the US, deadly floods in locations across the globe, and catastrophic wildfires in Greece, Canada, Turkey, and many other locations. On their own, each of these incidents is a tragedy. Collectively, these indicators serve as a stark warning, highlighting the significant impact the climate crisis is already having on societies across the globe.