Profit Seed

Profit Seed is a "serious" or "persuasive" game with a clear agenda: to present an argument against the GMO (genetically modified organism) industry -- specifically, how GMO seeds can be difficult for farmers to control. It's easy to learn with just a few core mechanics: Players control the wind as they guide seeds to the proper fields and attempt to keep away GMO seeds from nearby fields. Birds sometimes eat the crops, tornadoes sometimes blow seeds around, and clouds sometimes obscure the view. Occasionally, a prevailing and shifting wind further complicates the process. When a GMO seed accidentally plants itself in a player's field, it must be dug out with a shovel so the patent lawyers don't notice. If too many GMO seeds plant themselves in players' fields, the legal team of Monsanto comes by in a black limo to give warnings and dig up the fields. If that happens too many times, legal action is taken and players go bankrupt, ending the game. There's a clear message: Monsanto and other seed companies control the vast majority of GMO (patented) seeds and -- in the process -- prevent the cultivation of organic and heirloom seeds. 

It starts strong, but the objective doesn't change as players move up levels. Scores aren't kept, and players don't know if there's even an end. In fact, there doesn't seem to be an end goal; rather, it's an increasingly difficult game that players are likely intended to lose, suggesting that keeping GMO seeds out of farmers' fields is a losing battle. It works well for rhetorical effect but might frustrate students, so teachers should address this design choice in class to help students understand why it's frustrating.