Diseño de niveles y narrativa interactiva del videojuego “Qhapac Ñan: El Camino del chasqui” para la educación patrimonial infantil en Ecuador.

Abstract

In the modern world, traditional educational methods have proven ineffective for new generations of digital natives because they fail to hold their attention. For this reason, new approaches and game-based solutions are being explored to generate genuine interest in cultural heritage among young people. The objective of this project is to design the narrative and gameplay mechanics of an immersive video game that engages children between the ages of 8 to 12, encouraging them to take an interest in and learn about the worldview and communication system of the ancient Inca Empire, using the ancestral tale of “Sacrificio de la Llama Sagrada” [The Sacrifice of the Sacred Llama] as the narrative foundation, which is translated into turn-based roguelike strategy mechanics. When presented to the target audience, consisting of a sample of 12 children, the proposal generated genuine interest, with positive responses. The participants acquired new knowledge and, more importantly, demonstrated a genuine interest in the cultural heritage of their ancestors after playing the video game.