Canterbury Christ Church University’s first-ever Hackabury was a resounding success, showcasing the incredible talent and innovative spirit of its students. Hackabury is a twist on the word Hackathon. A hackathon is an event, typically lasting a few days, where people collaborate intensively on software or hardware projects. Think of it as a creative sprint where participants work together to build something innovative from scratch! In this case – 24 hours to produce something for one of the 6 sponsors.
The challenge, presented by Wave Community Bank, was: Create a fun, interactive game around financial wellbeing! Help people learn, spot dangers, and build good habits. We believe games are a fantastic way to teach complex ideas like money management. We’re looking to students to design a game that teaches essential financial skills in an exciting, relatable way.
We presented some initial ideas, such as Beware the Loan Shark, Level Up Your Credit Score, Escape the Debt Spiral, and What’s Your Money Mindset? but ultimately, the students had free rein to decide what they wanted to do.
We weren’t sure what to expect, but full-blown working games with sounds, graphics, and run-throughs were not where we expected it to go. All the students were also able to talk to Jenni from Wave Community Bank for the two days to ensure knowledge and understanding was there.
All students felt a bit more confident about money matters by the end and also learned how to use games for teaching.
The Winners : Credit Unions: For the Community
The team behind “Credit Unions: For the Community” explained their inspiration: “Little media has portrayed credit unions and banks as support systems for the community, but even at their most basic, these settings consistently support people through financial hardship and connect them with other services that can be of the most help to each individual. Our inspiration for this project is unity, social sustainability, and community. Following discussions with Jennifer, we were inspired to create a heartfelt, warm narrative experience that bridges the cosy game genre with educational games.”
The game aims to help players not only learn about a breadth of financial literacy covering scams, support systems, and credit building, but also develop their skills to discuss sensitive topics like finances with compassion, understanding, and impartiality. By unifying as a community and supporting each other with systems like circular economies, we can uplift each other and ensure no one is struggling without help.
The team’s engagement and inquisitiveness were remarkable. They soaked up all the information provided, took note of the brand colours, and incorporated this into their game. Their elevator pitch – a concise summary of their game’s concept – was smooth and hit on the key aspects of Wave Community Bank.
They would love to expand development for this project further and create a small game that not only encourages financial literacy within several different contexts but also encourages open discussion of finances, even when it seems embarrassing.
Highly Commended: Financial Fishing
This unique fishing game teaches different ways to escape debt. Each fish represents a different financial aspect, but beware of the shark – catching one will plunge you into a large amount of debt!
This duo turned up at 9 am on day two with a concept and an idea and had until 1 pm to produce something. They had been thinking about it overnight and designed a concept and a working game to show the judges in time – truly impressive work!
Here’s a rundown of the other fantastic games that were developed:
Game 1: Street Shark
A fun running thriller that teaches players about the dangers of loan sharks and how to navigate these situations using government programs.
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Game 2: Current Sea
Set in a friendly undersea world, Current Sea is an educational resource management game. Fish approach you with their financial woes, and it’s your job to offer sound advice.
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Game 3: Legit Banking Company
Step into the shoes of a loan reviewer in this engaging game. Accept or decline applications from a cast of increasingly quirky characters, and witness the consequences of your decisions.
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Game 4: Bingus & the Debt Spiral
Join Bingus, a lovable goblin critter, on his quest for better financial habits. This platformer emphasizes avoiding loan sharks and debt, teaching players to manage their income and expenses. The game creators even drew inspiration from their D&D character, Bingus, to broaden its appeal! They also worked closely with Jenni to ensure the game accurately reflects the importance of avoiding loan sharks and provides well-communicated information. The game also highlights the dangers of “buy now, pay later” schemes.
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Game 5: Financial HeadSpace
This puzzle/first-person shooter hybrid puts you in the hat-collecting shoes of Darren. Use the 50/30/20 rule to manage your money and achieve a total score of 10.
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Game 6: LoanSharkDriver
Get ready to burn rubber in this high-octane driving game! But be careful – car upkeep costs money, and the easiest way to get funds is a quick loan from a loan shark. Drive recklessly, and you might find yourself crashing under the weight of financial irresponsibility.
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Game 7: Viral Stand-Off
In this western-style game, you play as Randy, a ranger facing off against viruses. After each wave, you’ll encounter Shady Jim, a merchant.
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The level of creativity and engagement displayed by the students was truly inspiring. Hackabury 2025 has not only provided these students with invaluable experience but has also highlighted the potential of gaming as a powerful tool for financial education. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future!
