Tunnel Tail

This paper describes the development process for Tunnel Tail, a game developed in tandem by a traditional game studio and nonprofit organizations, and released in 2012. Two factors condition the game design: the educational goals and the caveat that the target audience responds negatively to any heavy handed attempts at education through games. By employing their expertise, the companies are able to come up with a solution that satisfies the educational and game design goals. This paper explains the approach taken, why it worked for the parties involved, the risks associated with it and when and how to adopt a similar approach.