NatWest has launched a video game to help children develop money management skills.
Island Saver has been created in partnership with independent games maker Stormcloud Games and runs on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam for PC.
Kirsty Britz, director of sustainable banking at NatWest, comments: “We have always looked for new ways to teach children about money, and so creating our first ever video game aims to engage them through a medium they already enjoy. Educational video games can be a fun activity for children and a useful resource for parents, bringing together the whole family to learn something new."
The first-person format game is set on a range of idyllic islands made of up different eco systems, including a jungle, beach and desert. Players are armed with a ‘trash blaster’ and tasked with cleaning up the island of litterbugs that have polluted the paradise.
Woven into the gameplay are a series of money learning points. These range from a simple ‘work to earn’ as characters earn coins by cleaning up litter, to saving money in bank accounts. As players progress through the game they will also be introduced to the more advanced elements of good money management including paying tax to maintain the idyllic Island setting, borrowing money, and even elements of foreign exchange.
Kevin Hanley, NatWest’s Director of Innovation, says: “It’s exciting to be part of something like Island Saver where we can make a positive impact on children’s learning and development as they start to think about money and why it matters for the very first time.”