INDUSTRY
Education
CLIENT
UNDP Forest Foundation
YEAR
2024
DELIVERABLES
Mobile Application
The Background
Animal Town is a mobile idle casual city-builder game designed to promote biodiversity awareness while generating funding for environmental initiatives. To engage the public in conservation efforts, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Biodiversity Finance Initiative partnered with Forest Foundation Philippines and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau to create an interactive platform that combines education and gameplay.
The Challenge
The Philippines faces a major biodiversity funding gap. Implementing the country’s Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) requires significantly more resources than are currently available, limiting the scale of conservation initiatives.
The project needed a digital solution that is capable of:
The challenge was to design a mobile game that remained enjoyable and accessible to casual players while integrating educational content and monetization features to directly support conservation efforts.
The Solution
ThinkBIT Solutions developed Animal Town as a mobile idle casual-city builder game that combines interactive gameplay with conservation education.
Key Features
Idle Casual Gameplay
Players construct and expand a town of animal residents, completing requests inspired by real-world conservation activities.
Ad Integration for Monetization
Non-intrusive ads generate revenue to support the biodiversity program.
In-App Purchases
Optional purchases allow players to accelerate gameplay while contributing directly to conservation funding. Revenue generated through ads and in-app purchases is directed towards biodiversity initiatives managed by Forest Foundation Philippines and identified by DENR.
The Insights
Animal Town highlights the value of combining engagement with impact in environmental education. By integrating gameplay, interactive learning, and sustainable funding into a single mobile application, it creates an engaging experience that encourages users to support biodiversity conservation. It demonstrates how a well-designed digital game can not only raise awareness but also generate funds for real-world conservation programs and reach audiences who might not otherwise engage with environmental initiatives.
Gamification drives awareness. Interactive gameplay helps players learn about biodiversity and conservation in a fun, accessible way.
Monetization supports conservation. Ads and in-app purchases generate funding that contributes directly to biodiversity programs.
Digital reach expands impact. Mobile accessibility engages a wider audience, including younger users, increasing participation in environmental advocacy.
