Facebook game enables real-world social good

WeTopia is a new social game that enables players to directly fund initiatives that improve the lives of children.

A few months ago we featured Striiv — a portable device that gamifies exercise and converts points earned through physical exertion into money for charity. In a similar charitable vein, WeTopia is a new social game that enables players to directly fund initiatives that improve the lives of children. Launched last month, WeTopia — the first in a series of social-good games by Sojo Studios — is free to play via Facebook. Within the game, players create and manage their own villages, making a real-world donation for any virtual purchase — for example, when trees or vitamins are bought in the game, a partner charity will donate the same item to a community they work with. Currently WeTopia are partnered with over 12 non-profit organizations, such as Save the Children and Children’s Health Fund. Throughout the game, “joy” points can also be earned through various actions, including viewing ads from sponsors who then make a charitable donation. WeTopia have pledged to donate at least 20 percent of their revenue or 50 percent of their profit to its partnered charities. Players are able to view the impact of their gaming online via videos, blogs and pictures. The goal of WeTopia is to encourage donations by making charitable-giving fun and demonstrating tangible results. Could gaming engage supporters or attract additional funding for your cause or business? Spotted by: Katharina Kieck