Karukinka 2014

Strange signs appear in the forest. Snow and frost show up earlier than expected. Why is summer coming to an end so soon? Venture out to investigate what is happening in the Karukinka Forest Boilers while escaping fearsome predators and saving resources to survive the harsh winter ahead.

In Karukinka, players take on the role of one of the squirrels in the Karukinka Forest. They must go through a first phase of the game, the warm phase, looking for seeds that allow them both to save and to acquire equipment, while facing predators. Then in the second phase of the game, the cold phase, they must face both the predators and the Winter Wraiths with the equipment they acquired and the savings they have collected. The game ends when the Winter Wraiths are defeated and the Boilers in the forest are reignited.

Karukinka was designed for the Financial Education Department of the Social Investment and Solidarity Fund (FOSIS) of the Ministry of Social Development of the Government of Chile. Its use was initially implemented in schools in five regions throughout Chile. Within the framework of a campaign to strengthen the value of savings in 14-15 years aged children. The game is widely appreciated by teachers and students. There have also been tournaments at the national level.

Karukinka mean “our land” in Selknam language, one of the indigenous people of Chile.

—description from the designer