New Technology Division IPN educational workshops at the largest computer games fair GAMESCOM

Gamescom is a computer game fair that has been held for 10 years in Cologne, Germany.
After a two-year break caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, players and industry media will meet at the exhibition halls in the Koelnmesse center. This year’s edition will be held on August 24-28, and on August 23, anyone interested will be able to follow the online event – Gamescom Opening Night Live.

The first day of the fair will be reserved exclusively for the press and people associated with the gaming industry, and on August 25-28, the exhibition halls will be open for visitors. 550 companies have already reported their presence at the fair, 70% of which are foreign companies from 27 countries. In addition to the show of various games, additional attractions will be provided by AMD, Funcom and ESL Gaming / Qualcomm and numerous developer agencies. In addition, the organizers ensured that during this year’s edition of the fair a number of live broadcasts will be available, thanks to which players from all over the world will be able to follow the entire event without leaving home.

The popularity of Gamescom is confirmed by numbers – in 2012 had visited by 275,000. people from 83 countries, and in 2019 over 373 thousand. There are many indications that Gamescom will also be the most popular event in the electronic entertainment industry in Europe this year. In addition to foreign companies, there will also be Polish brands, including the New Technology Division IPN with prepared educational workshops on the Polish-Bolshevik war. One of the teaching aids under the project will be the “Cypher Game”, which was very popular at this year’s PAX East in Boston.

“Cyphers Game” is a gaming project prepared as a FPP (first person perspective) game, consisting of three missions. They describe the course of the Polish-Bolshevik war and the contribution of Polish cryptology to its victorious end. Each of us can break Bolshevik codes and destroy a Soviet armored train. Dozens of young people can play as the authentic figures of the soldiers from the Polish-Bolshevik war of 1920, launch complicated communication devices from 100 years ago and save Europe from communist enslavement.

The solutions used in the game were created on the basis of source materials or were accurately reproduced from historical exhibits. Missions are documented historical events, and each hero has a different mission that is crucial to the results of the battle. This first-person 3D game with stealth elements and extensive puzzles introduces the player to the world of war that defined Europe. Its plot (story) begins at the end of 1920, with the fight for Korosten – a key railway junction and a technical and supply base.

By the decision of the Minister of Education and Science, Przemysław Czarnek, “Cypher Game” will be added to the curriculum as recommended content by the end of the current calendar year. In this way, it will become part of the educational program in Polish schools therefore teachers and students will have the opportunity to play it.

The game can now be downloaded for free from the website of the Ministry of Education and Science or from the Steam platform (https://bnt.ipn.gov.pl/en/projects/games/cyphers-game/). Moreover, it is available in the Play Store and in the AppStore. The game works on VR goggles, PC with Windows and mobile devices supported by iOS and Android.