Teacher Resources

ElectroCity is an online game that has been developed specifically for teachers and students between Years 7 and 9. Students build and manage their own virtual towns and cities, making important decisions and learning about energy generation, environmental management and many more practical and relevant concepts. There is plenty of real-world information built into the game and kids can put that information to good use in their own cities.

Game Features:

It's free and can be played on any computer that has Flash 8 or higher installed.

It's easy to learn but there is a lot of complexity for more advanced players.

It's easy and flexible for teachers to set-up and manage. You register once and students don't need to register at all.

There's no correct way to play and many different approaches can lead to success. This is not a game of right and wrong, but of pros and cons.

ElectroCity includes:

  • Electricity generation
  • Environmental impact
  • Supply and demand
  • Tourism
  • Energy efficiency
  • Budgeting and Local Body Rates
  • Buying and selling on a
    fluctuating market
  • Coal and gas prospecting and extraction
  • And much more...

Students will deal with delayed reward versus instant gratification and face many other classic real-world dilemmas.

Two games are never the same. The landscape varies each game, random events affect your progress and there are so many interesting decisions to be made that you'll always want to try 'just one more time'.

To get the highest score you have to play the game in a balanced and realistic way. You need to listen to your citizens, grow your city, maintain a healthy cash flow and care for the environment.

A city can be saved halfway though and re-loaded later.

After you've finished a city you can type in some information about what you were trying to achieve and then publish it for the world to see.

Emails can automatically be sent to parents and friends to invite them to visit the city and rate it.

You can visit other cities from other schools, read their descriptions and rate them.

Nuclear Power

New Zealand is nuclear free and this is an important part of our culture and identity. However we've included nuclear power in ElectroCity so players can explore all the options. In the game nuclear power has simple negatives like all the other methods of generating electricity - including unhappy people, environmental impact, high cost and low flexibility.

It's worth noting that some of the real-world effects of nuclear power cannot be simulated in a simple game like ElectroCity. These include cultural impact and long-term climate change, and are best discussed with the class.

Back-up Versions

If you're worried about your internet connection in class, you can download a limited version of the game that runs on any computer and doesn't need internet access.

Windows XP Download
Mac OSX Download

Note: Cities built with these offline versions cannot be saved, and will not be added to the site.

Useful links