ActSEA - Action for Change in Southeast Asia

Super Saver is a multi-player board game that helps players understand their attitudes and behaviors towards savings in low-income settings. Players take on the role of a family who has to deal with life events while struggling with low and unpredictable incomes. Through gameplay, interaction, observation, and reflection, families and friends are able to gather insights and have conversations about money in a safe space.

The game was designed to simulate the lived experiences of low-income families in Singapore, based on interviews with low-income families and desk-based research related to poverty in Singapore.

Thanks very much for letting us play this with our families! My family (Z & S) found the game quite fun, and their daughters, especially D, even said she wanted to buy the game. It was actually the first time I noticed the ‘planning’ side of D so it was very eye-opening for me to play this with the family too.

The project sees Super Saver as a tool to enhance the effectiveness of social interventions through games. By understanding their clients’ perceptions of finances, social workers can develop more effective ways to foster effective financial management.

History

Super Saver was initially created by students from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), as part of ActSEA’s Designing for Behavior Change programme, in partnership with Lutheran Community Care Services (LCCS). ActSEA has since developed the game further after playtesting with social workers, low-income families, and the public.

Current Activities

ActSEA is seeking social service agencies (SSAs) or corporate social responsibility (CSR) who wish to run Super Saver with their clients, beneficiaries, or community.