Short video app VMate’s new corona games raise awareness, emerge as a great lockdown stressbuster

Trending short video platform VMate, which is among the most downloaded social media apps globally, has rolled out slew of initiatives since the outbreak of the Covid-19 aka coronavirus pandemic to raise awareness and benefit its users. At first, the app roped in qualified doctors/medical professionals to furnish authentic corona-related information and bust myths around the same, and later launched a #21DaysChallenge to benefit those who are fighting boredom in the prevailing lockdown situation. Going a notch further, the short video app has now launched a series of three innovative sticker-based games that aptly serves the dual purpose.

One of these games on VMate is inspired by the decades old but extremely popular Super Mario game, which most of us have definitely explored at some point during our growing up stage. The flowers and mushrooms that acted as Power Ups in the Mario game have been replaced with masks and sanitizers – the most essential ammunition in the fight against the virus. And the ‘Mario’ has been replaced with a tweaked version of the VMate mascot, Vivi. Holding an anti-corona flag, Vivi has been converted into an anti-corona mascot.

To play the game, creators have to simply select the sticker. Once the game begins, player’s head movement before the mobile screen controls the movement of the mascot, which has to jump over the viruses to prevent them from touching. And while jumping over the viruses, the players also have to ensure that they collect as many masks and sanitizers as possible. Survival in the game is directly proportional to the number of masks and sanitizers acquired. The song featured as the background score is foot-tapping and advises all to greet each other only with the Namaste gesture.

The other game launched by VMate is basically a quiz, wherein the players are asked questions related to coronavirus pandemic. The questions cover aspects such as Dos & Don’ts and other generic information like “who is more vulnerable to the virus – young or old”. All the questions come with three answer options, and the players have to respond with a particular hand gesture before their mobile screens. One who answers the questions correctly are adjudged the real corona warriors.

And the third game is a list where a player is confronted with several viruses on the mobile screen. The players need to initiate a head movement to equip themselves with a virtual mask. Once the players don the mask, the viruses get killed.

With these AI-integrated games, the short video app is offering a smart way to keep the users entertained and at the same time get awareness related to the pandemic that has gripped even the most developed nations across the world. It has come as a boon and stressbuster for those who are adhering to the social distancing guidelines and remaining confined inside their homes. The games have been received well by the users soon after their launch on the platform. A #CoronaGame hashtag is being run on the app to maximise the reach of the games.