Tiltfactor Laboratory announces POX: Save the Puppies

For Immediate Release
Contact: contact@tiltfactor.org

July 17, 2013 (Hanover, NH) – Tiltfactor Laboratory is proud to present a new digital game, POX: Save the Puppies! POX: Save the Puppies is a game developed for our collaborator in Australia, Dr. Mark Kelman BSc BVMS CMAVA (http://www.virbac.com.au). POX: Save the Puppies serves as a reminder that achieving herd immunity is not just important for humans, it’s also extremely valuable for animal populations. Our recent experimental research shows that playing the game gives players food for thought while also promoting an understanding of systems thinking concepts.

POX: Save the Puppies is a game in which players fight the spread of a disease that threatens to take over our pet dog populations. The game is based on the way a typical disease spreads, and players must work to contain the spread of infection by either vaccinating or curing puppies. While POX: Save the Puppies is fictitious, it is based on a very real disease, Canine Parvovirus (“Parvo”), which infects puppies as well as adult dogs, often resulting in death. POX: Save the Puppies demonstrates how vaccination stops the spread of disease in a population, as well as the dire consequences of failing to vaccinate our canine friends.

“The puppies have really tugged on the heartstrings of playtesters,” says Tiltfactor game designer Max Siedman, “We’re excited to teach herd immunity on the Android platform.”

Mary Flanagan, founder and director of the Tiltfactor Lab, notes, “Extending our POX game model to cover members of the animal kingdom is a great way for people to explore important issues in public health by thinking about their pets.”

The game is now available for download at tiltfactor.org and is also available at Google Play.

https://tiltfactor.org/puppypox

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POX: Save the Puppies
Tiltfactor Laboratory
22 Lebanon Street
246 Black Family Visual Arts Center
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
(603) 646-1007

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