The journey from idea to impact begins with testing — and for EcoTrade, that journey took its first major step through the Alpha Testing phase.
The journey from idea to impact begins with testing — and for EcoTrade, that journey took its first major step through the Alpha Testing phase.
Conducted internally among partner organisations, this stage was crucial for shaping the first playable version of the EcoTrade board game, ensuring that its mechanics, design, and learning objectives aligned with the project’s educational mission.
Over several weeks, the project partners — ITM Miranda (Spain), Dracon Rules Design Studio (Greece), and Training 2000 (Italy) — gathered their internal teams of educators, designers, and project managers to play, evaluate, and discuss how the game translated sustainability and trade concepts into an engaging learning experience.
🧩 From Concept to Internal Playtesting
The Alpha Testing phase took place inside the organisations, focusing on refining the prototype before it reached external learners.
Each partner team played the game multiple times, analyzing how gameplay reflected real-world sustainability principles and how it could best serve VET (Vocational Education and Training) students in classroom environments.
The sessions explored:
🌍 The balance between economic growth and environmental protection
🎯 How trade routes and logistics influence ecological impact
💬 The clarity of instructions and rule explanations
♻️ Whether game mechanics successfully encouraged teamwork and ethical decision-making
Internal testers acted both as players and evaluators — carefully observing how decisions played out and how well the game conveyed its educational goals.
🧠 Lessons from Internal Testing
The Alpha Testing revealed key insights that guided the project’s next steps.
Team members praised the innovative blend of education and entertainment, noting that the game naturally sparked discussion about sustainability, production, and logistics.
At the same time, they identified areas needing refinement before the game could be shared externally:
⚙️ Game flow: Some rules were too complex for first-time players, requiring simplification.
🧩 Balance: Adjustments were needed in shipment cards, scoring systems, and token sizes.
📘 Learning integration: Instructions and feedback prompts had to be clearer for teachers facilitating the sessions.
Each organisation documented its findings in shared reports, setting the foundation for the Beta Testing phase, where external trainers and students would take part in a broader evaluation.
🌱 Preparing for the Next Phase
The Alpha phase was not only about improving the game — it was about alignment.
Partners ensured that EcoTrade remained true to its vision: to make sustainability and international trade accessible, interactive, and relevant to VET learners.
By testing internally first, the consortium was able to identify potential barriers and fine-tune every element — from card structure to learning outcomes — in a safe, collaborative environment.
This internal collaboration strengthened the project team’s understanding of how educators and students would later interact with the game.
It also ensured that the upcoming Beta Testing would focus on real impact: validating the educational value of EcoTrade through external classroom trials.
The Alpha Testing phase proved one key point: before learners can play effectively, creators must play seriously.
Through teamwork, honest feedback, and creative problem-solving, the EcoTrade partners built the foundation for a game that is not just about trade — but about making sustainable choices in a changing world. 🌍
