Gamification of Education: Cities Skylines as an Educational Tool for Real Estate and Land Use Planning Studies

Computer games and other simulations have for a long time been used as a teaching method all around the world. They give a comprehensive, but simplified view of the reality to students with a hands-on approach to problems. Games as a teaching method offer competitiveness and a chance to see the results of decision-making in real time. These elements offer a different kind of inner motivation to learning, which usually is highly welcomed among students. Computer games give a contrast to the everyday not-so-interactive class teaching, and therefore have gained high popularity in schools and universities as a method for engagement.Cities Skylines is a city planning game that offers a simplified city planning experience, but also a surprisingly in-depth understanding of a city and its various functions. Alas, the planning system in the game is streamlined and does not include a realistic view of a city planning process with its multiple participants and developers. However, the city as a functioning system is well modeled and has some real potential for educational purposes. As a stand-alone game Cities Skylines does not fully meet the requirements for an educational game in the field of real estate or city planning. Nonetheless, the game is an exceptionally well developed platform and supports plethora of modifications. With a select few, well-thought modifications, the game would support educational uses, especially city planning problem solving using scenarios