DeKaVe
Vol 19, No 1 (2026): DeKaVe Vol. 19 No. 1 2026

ReefGuard Karimunjawa: A Role-Playing Board Game for Social–Ecological Conservation Education for Ages 16–18

Chika Aprilia Damarani (Sebelas Maret University)



Article Info

Publish Date
18 Jun 2026

Abstract

This design research developed a prototype educational board game, ReefGuard: Karimunjawa, as an analog learning medium for social-ecological conservation in Karimunjawa National Park for adolescents aged 16–18. The game is a cooperative role-playing experience in which players take stakeholder roles, make team decisions, and observe consequences through shared social and ecological condition indicators. A pre-user test and post-user test with a playtest involving five respondents (N=5) evaluated gameplay mechanisms and visual–UI aspects. Results indicate positive acceptance: respondents understood the objectives and basic rules, found the icons easy to interpret, and rated the visual–UI highly (mean 4.7/5). They also reported increased conservation insights and improved understanding of human–nature relationships after playing. Nevertheless, several abstract mechanics require streamlined rules, stronger player aids, and a clearer information hierarchy to stabilize gameplay and strengthen the perceived meaningfulness of decisions.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

dkv

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

Jurnal DeKaVe diterbitkan oleh Program Studi Desain Komunikasi Visual Fakultas Seni Rupa, Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta bekerjasama dengan AIDIA (Asosiasi Profesional Desain Komunikasi Visual Indonesia) sebagai media publikasi ilmiah bagi karya penelitian maupun perancangan, yang mencakup: ...