General Game FAQ’s
General Game FAQ’s
Q: Is the game supposed to replace therapy?
No, the game is not intended to replace therapy. Although it can have a therapeutic effect, under no circumstances is the game meant to replace therapy in cases that there is need for it.
Q: What is the recommended age group of the game?
The game was created as a game for the family in which the 7-12 year old controls the mouse and the rest participate with their ideas and in conversation. For children playing by themselves or with friends their age, the game is intended for 9-12 year olds.
Q: I tried playing the game with my child however they preferred to play alone.
Independent playing of the game also has a certain value so it is therefore recommended to respect the child’s will at this stage and to gently try again at a later date. The Parent’s Guide has a more detailed explanation.
Q: This looks like a wonderful resource but as a school counselor, I do most of my divorce work with kids in groups. Does this game lend itself to that aspect of therapy or is it meant more as a one player game?
From our research, the game was used as a tool to open up communication with children even in small group situations. There have, however, been groups where at the beginning the children were too busy playing the game itself and were therefore less patient to talk. (The playing aspect of the game usually takes around 5 sessions of 1-1.5 hours in order to complete the game.)
What’s interesting, however, is that even with the groups that were seemingly more difficult to “reach” with the psychological issues, parents of those children later reported noticeable changes in the child (for example, children who suddenly communicated more about their feelings or brought up topics which till now they had kept hidden inside.) One mother of a particularly introverted eight year old boy who played in a group environment, reported to us that for the first time since the parents’ divorce, the boy had talked to her about wishing that his parents would get back together again. She told us that she had no idea of this “fantasy” of his because he had never brought it up, and what followed after that that was an emotional dialogue between the mother and son which would not have been possible had the boy not played the game.
We also noticed that while with one-on-one sessions it was easier to get a dialogue going throughout the game, with group situations we were able to get a more powerful discussion going once the children had actually completed the game.
We were also extremely successful in group situations when we invited the parents to learn more about the game before the children started playing and showed them parts of the game, as well as the Parent’s Guide. This offered the parents better tools for discussions which were likely to be brought up at home about the game itself (as a game) as well as the psychological and emotional issues surrounding it.
Q: I am afraid that Earthquake in Zipland turn covert issues into overt ones.
The fear is very understandable since these issues surrounding children and divorce are can be very delicate and adults sometime fell as helpless as the children in regard of what to talk about and how. Research shows that one of the main problems with divorce is the suppression. We hope that with the help of the Parent’s Guide, parents can feel more qualified to handle some questions or feel enough comfort to seek some external help.
Q: Doesn’t the psychological aspect ruin the enjoyment of just playing the game?
There are about thirty episodes in the game; 25% don’t deal with any psychological issue. The thought behind it is not to engulf the child with psychology but rather have fun. From our experience, children are drawn by the witty dialogue and the game as a “quest” is rather challenging.
