Master's students in Tax Law are good at applying rules, but it is precisely the nuances, the human considerations that judges make in practice, that are difficult to convey. Diana van Hout sought a way to let students experience that the law is not black and white. The inspiration came when she saw a narrative game in which choices determine the course of the story. What if students had to make such choices themselves and experience the consequences?
That educational question was the starting point for a long journey. Together with the Educational Design & Technology (EDT) team, they first experimented with simple versions using only text and still images in Brightspace. "However, this version did not convey a sense of realism or time pressure, so we had to do something different," says Mark Graner, a member of the EDT team. It gradually became clear that the key was not spectacular visuals, but a strong narrative that emphasised making well-considered choices.
A realistic story without right or wrong
The final game puts students in the role of director of the Tax Authority. The story is built up from a series of realistic cases based on actual case law. Students are constantly presented with dilemmas: what do you do with unlawfully obtained information? How do you deal with suspected fraud?
"There are no right or wrong answers. Every choice leads to a logical, realistic outcome. Once you choose a path, you have to follow it," explains Mark. This allows students to experience how complex decision-making is in practice and that different choices each have their own consequences.
The manufacturing procedure
Developing the game took quite some time and eventually gained momentum. Mark: "Diana further developed the script, after which our team went in search of a suitable format." Video proved to be too labour-intensive, but with the help of AI-generated illustrations, animation and audio, a dark, shady and serious game in comic noir style was created.
