Singapore – The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have forged a partnership with Publicis Media’s Starcom Singapore and Publicis Play to launch ‘SG Farm Tycoon’ on Roblox.
Launched on Roblox, SG Farm Tycoon is an immersive and educational high-tech farming game that is designed to raise awareness about the issue of food security among young Singaporeans. It offers an entertaining twist on urban farming by allowing players to create high-tech vertical farms within a virtual Singapore on Roblox.
The game also encourages collaborative play and introduces different scenarios that pose challenges, such as disease outbreaks, climate change, and supply chain disruptions. Players can then leverage advanced farming technologies on their urban farms to overcome these challenges, thereby enhancing farm productivity, building resilience against climate impacts, and improving resource efficiency.
By employing a progressive learning model, players experience the thrill of digital gaming with educational elements, making them experience what goes into growing local produce and educating them about the challenges of farming to reinforce Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ vision.
Additionally, the game also features SFA’s local produce mascots, such as ‘Caixinderella’, ‘Eggs Benedette C’, and ‘Seabasstian Water’, to bring a familiar and engaging touch to the gaming experience.
Starcom Singapore leveraged its strategic expertise to guide and align the awareness and engagement goals of MCI and SFA. Publicis Play, on the other hand, utilised their specialty in gaming communication platforms to conduct focused workshops aimed at developing a tailored strategy.
After a series of processes, the companies and organisations involved eventually selected Roblox’s tycoon game format as the ideal medium for SFA’s educational objectives.
By going beyond conventional educational methods, SG Farm Tycoon aims to offer an immersive learning experience that will reflect real agricultural innovations and modern farming technologies, offering young minds a deeper understanding of the role of ‘Growing Local’ in Singapore.
Since its release, the game has now amassed over 3,600 game sessions and more than 1,200 unique users. It also enjoys a 91% like ratio, which indicates a high level of player satisfaction and engagement.
Elaine Poh, managing director at Publicis Media Singapore, said, “Partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Information and Singapore Food Agency on SG Farm Tycoon marks a significant shift in our approach to advertising and communication.”
She added, “This project symbolises a new era in communication, where interactive and immersive experiences can create a two-way dialogue with the audience. It is a step forward in connecting, engaging, and educating, reflecting our evolution beyond conventional engagement methods.”