RIZK

Tuesday 1st February 2011

The world famous Science Museum who brought you games such as Launchball and Thingdom, have launched their brand new online game RIZK. This unique game, created by Playerthree is launched as a part of Climate Changing… the Science Museum’s three-year series of thought-provoking events, exhibitions and installations. The game is all about understanding risk and its relation to our climate.   

“Our brand new game is underpinned by the idea that making decisions involves weighing up risk, and risk must be carefully managed to avoid the worst consequences. Rizk challenges players to grow and protect a plant by collecting resources, with their associated costs and benefits.“ said Alex Burch from the Science Museum. 

About The Game

RIZK builds on the classic tower defence model in that you expend wealth (coins) to invest in defenders to mitigate against threats of varying impacts. RIZK, however, is played from a 2-D, side-on perspective much like a platformer. You must also balance the need to collect resources to grow your plant with the fact that this can increase the likelihood of threats releasing dangerous spores. As you play the game, resources become more scarce, and threats more dangerous. The key to success is to assess where the risk is based in a level and plan how your impact on the environment will affect your chances of survival.

David Streek, creative director at Playerthree, said: "Visually influenced by sci-fi posters of the 50's and 60's, we created an original risk strategy game set on an alien world where players must find and develop resources to nurture and protect their mother plant whilst defending it from indigenous threats. Every action you take affects the level of risk to your plant and hence there is no perfect strategy for completing the game's 20 levels.

David Streek also added: “As a result of the 2-D side-on perspective to the game, the enemy’s paths of movement are more varied than a traditional tower defence game. This also allowed us to create very intricate worlds right from the first level. “

How To Play The Game

The aim of the game is to grow your plant. Once your plant is fully grown it produces a seed that transports you to the next level. Find the right balance between collecting resources and managing threats and your plant will flourish. If your plant health drops to 0 at any point, the game is over and you’ll need to start again.

Use your collectors to gather resources in order to grow your plant. Each type of collector can only collect a specific type of resource. Some resource is quick and cheap to collect – but beware, it can increase the likelihood of nearby threats releasing spores which damage your plant.

Buy defenders to protect your plant from the damaging spores or try to collect resources which don’t activate threats. You can spend coins on repairing and upgrading your defenders and collectors as you go.

Feature the game on your website / blog:

You can feature the first 5 levels of RIZK on your own website, for your visitors to play the game. That’s over 15 minutes of captivating game play for free! If you’re interested please get in touch with Adam Hawes - hawes.a.c@gmail.com or 0203 176 0389 

To find out more and play the game:

Visit: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/rizk

About Our Sponsors

RIZK and the accompanying Climate Changing programme has been made possible by support from principal sponsors Shell and Siemens, major sponsor Bank of America Merrill Lynch, major funder the Garfield Weston Foundation, and with additional support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Patrons of the Science Museum and members of the Founders Circle: Climate Changing programme.

For further information & more in-game screenshots please contact:

Adam Hawes - hawes.a.c@gmail.com or 0203 176 0389

Notes to Editor

Science Museum

For over 100 years the Science Museum has been world-renowned for its historic collection, remarkable galleries and inspirational exhibitions. With around 15,000 objects on public display, the Science Museum’s collections form an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical change from the past few centuries. Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. In 2008/09 the Science Museum was proud to have been awarded the Gold Award for Visitor Attraction of the Year by Visit London and a Silver Award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year by Enjoy England. The Science Museum works with a number of partners and retains editorial control over all gallery content.

Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges.  Shell companies have operations in more than 100 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects.  For further information, visit www.shell.com.  Shell runs a series of nationwide social investment programmes and sponsorships.  For more information please see www.shell.co.uk/socialinvestment.

Siemens plc

Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs 16,915 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk.

Bank of America

Defra

Defra is the government department responsible for policy and regulations on the environment, food and rural affairs. Defra runs the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, aimed at ensuring that the country is prepared for the challenges and opportunities posed by a changing climate. In March 2010, Defra published it’s Climate Change Plan, along with all other government departments. The Plan explains what Defra is doing across its policy areas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to address the risks and opportunities that climate change presents. More information on Defra’s work to adapt the UK to climate change can be found at www.defra.gov.uk\adaptation\.

Founders Circle: Climate Changing Programme

The Founders Circle is an exclusive Corporate Membership offer designed to allow organisations to focus their support of the Science Museum, and enjoy a range of benefits associated with the dynamic Climate Changing programme running in the Museum until 2013. Founders Circle members commit to supporting the Science Museum through an annual fee for a minimum of three years. Current Founders Circle members are Accenture, Barclays and Bayer. For more information please visit: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/corporatemembership

Patrons of the Science Museum

Our Patrons are people who are united by the same aim – to make the Science Museum the best place in the world for people to enjoy science.  Annual support from our Patrons enables us to develop cutting-edge exhibitions, innovative new galleries and to continue our inspirational and award-winning learning programmes.  For more information please visit: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/supportus