Forget the guitars, who wants to be a Budget Hero?

Balancing the federal budget may not sound like fun and games for most people, but American Public Media (APM) is looking to change that. APM has released a new news game, called Budget Hero, that is designed to give users a better understanding of the complicated federal budget and the monumental task of balancing it. The game is based on models from the Congressional Budget Office and gives a score based on how well the user’s taxing and spending policies meet established goals and how long the budget can be sustained.

“It isn’t easy to be a Budget Hero in the game. You have to stay true to the values you express in the first screen and create a budget that achieves your main goals without jeopardizing the fiscal health of the nation for your children and grandchildren,” said Michael Skoler, executive director of the Center for Innovation in Journalism at American Public Media. “Budget Hero is unique in that it provides the player with immediate feedback on how their choices affect the federal budget in terms of revenues, spending, deficit and debt, and the economic, societal and individual impact of their policy choices, and the game collects the choices players make, as well as their comments, so our journalists learn how people think through the budget debate.”

This is the third such news game developed by APM. Select a Candidate helped users find the presidential candidate most in line with their values, while Consumer Consequences shows the impact of lifestyle choices on the environment.

Games that serve to educate and enlighten are becoming more prevalent in the media and education. Dr. John Moravec, innovation and integrated technology coordinator at the University of Minnesota and director of its LeapFrog Institutes, sees news games emerging as part of the new media landscape.

“Budget Hero is one of many new products and services that ‘traditional’ media needs to create to remain competitive with citizen journalists empowered by social media technologies,” said Moravec. “Through the game, American Public Media makes the complex and sometimes boring topic of managing the federal budget accessible to the broader population – especially to kids. Since the federal budget is a public good, I hope this will help to encourage engagement and discourse on the topic at all ages.”

While most would agree being able to manage a budget is an important skill for most adults, aspiring budget heroes probably won’t be landing
lucrative endorsement deals any time soon.