{"slug":"eco-metropolis","name":"Eco-Metropolis (Innovisionaries)","hackathon":"nasa-space-apps-2024","tagline":"A three-level city-building game that teaches sustainability, ending with urban-planning decisions made on real NASA Earth data.","placement":{"status":"track-winner","awards":["Most Inspirational"],"track":"sdgs-in-the-classroom"},"team":{"size":4,"members":[],"countries":["AE"]},"problem":"Sustainability is hard to teach as a lesson; students need to practise the trade-offs cities face.","solution":"A Pygame city-building simulation with levels for ages 12–14, 14–16 and 16–18: guided basics, then resource and waste decisions, then data-driven planning with NASA Worldview/MODIS and UAE government datasets scored on carbon, water and biodiversity. Players take roles such as urban planner or waste manager.","demo_moment":null,"build_style":"software-only","tech":{"stack":["python","pygame","figma"],"ai_patterns":[]},"domains":["education","climate-sustainability","games-entertainment"],"analysis":{"why_it_stood_out":[{"claim":"Won the award for the project that captures our hearts.","basis":"organizer-stated","source":1},{"claim":"Inspires sustainability through gameplay: players make urban planning and resource decisions based on real-world environmental data.","basis":"organizer-stated","source":0},{"claim":"Levels are matched to school age groups, so one game spans a curriculum.","basis":"team-stated","source":2},{"claim":"The challenge asked for a lesson plan; turning it into a playable game made the entry memorable to judges.","basis":"curator-inference"}],"mechanisms":["familiar-thing-new-job","theme-native-twist","expert-data-for-everyone"],"judging_lens":["storytelling-pitch","impact","design-ux"],"lessons":["A familiar game genre can carry an education challenge further than the literal deliverable.","No AI in the product and a prototype on a shared drive still won an inspiration award."],"confidence":"medium"},"links":{"project_page":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/find-a-team/innovisionaries/?tab=project","demo":"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1airNh_tsDVddD7beW2M3TJ8sdsoB9Ofi/view?usp=sharing","video":"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PVFNjSIwi91avWh3bmaGw1CLEHiD1U8j/view?usp=sharing"},"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/stem-engagement-at-nasa/nasa-international-space-apps-challenge-announces-2024-global-winners/","kind":"official-results","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14"},{"url":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/awards/","kind":"official-event-page","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14","note":"Award definition."},{"url":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/find-a-team/innovisionaries/?tab=project","kind":"project-page","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14","note":"Team-written game design, levels, data list; AI use 'N/A'."}]}