Ready to Play - A Comparison of Four Educational Maze Games

The increasing use of game-based learning necessitates software platforms and technological tools to create serious video learning games. This article presents the APOGEE process for the automated creation of maze video learning games and describes the development methodology. This methodology has been applied to the design of four educational video maze games enriched with various mini-games. They are in different thematic areas - two considering Bulgarian history in the 12-13 and 18-19 centuries, one game presenting the national characteristics of the old Bulgarian carpet industry, and another game dedicated to the monumental cultural heritage preservation in the era of intensified climate changes. The paper briefly describes the four video games and also presents their creation process, with a discussion about the game design.