GuessTheFlag: Development and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Web Game for Geography Education
Resumo
Introduction: The popularity of web-based games has surged alongside increased access to computers and smartphones. Beyond entertainment, these games serve as powerful educational tools by fostering critical thinking and research skills. Geography-themed games have gained significant prominence, largely driven by digital influencers and streamers. However, the prevalence of subscription-based business models in current platforms often creates accessibility barriers for many users. Objective: This work aims to address this gap by developing GuessTheFlag, a completely free, intuitive, and interactive web game designed for learning the flags of countries and territories. Methodology: The system was developed using standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and hosted via GitHub Pages to ensure global accessibility. An experimental study was conducted with 30 volunteers to evaluate usability and user experience through the SUS and UEQ-S instruments. Results: Data analysis over a 16-month period revealed significant organic traffic, primarily driven by search engines without advertising investment. The experimental results indicated high satisfaction and usability ratings. These findings demonstrate the game’s effectiveness as a low-cost educational tool and provide a successful case study for independent web game development.
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