COMIC RELIEF US LAUNCHES NEW ROBLOX GAME TO HELP CHILDREN BUILD COMMUNITY VIRTUALLY AND IN REAL LIFE

The notion that online gaming could help players develop charitable habits seemed bold when the anti-poverty nonprofit Comic Relief US tested its own multiverse on the popular worldbuilding app Roblox last year.

As philanthropy wrestles with how to authentically engage new generations of digitally savvy donors, Comic Relief US CEO Alison Moore said it was “audacious” to design an experience that still maintained the “twinkle” of the organization that’s behind entertainmentdriven fundraisers like Red Nose Day.

But the launch was successful enough that Comic Relief US is expanding the game this year. Kids Relief’s second annual “Game to Change the World” campaign features a magical new Roblox world, an exclusive virtual concert and a partner in children’s television pioneer Nickelodeon.

The goal is to instill empathy and raise money through a scavenger hunt across various realms, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Users travel through portals to collect magical tools that will improve their surroundings. The net proceeds from ingame purchases will be donated.

The community-building inherent in collaborative gaming is intended to subtly encourage off-screen acts of kindness.