Beats Empire

Beats Empire is a turn-based computational thinking and data analysis game developed for Columbia University and delivered through web browsers. Players run a music studio and record label, using market data from a fictional city to guide business decisions.

EDTECH DIGEST AWARDS
2021 finalist for best game for learning/simulation
GEE! AWARDS
2020 judge’s choice winner
SERIOUS PLAY CONFERENCE
2019 silver award
Platform:
web
Subject:
computer science
Genre:
strategy
Art:
2d
Release:
Age:
adolescents

Turn-based computational thinking and data analysis game for web browsers

Beats Empire is a turn-based computational thinking and data analysis game developed for Columbia University and delivered through web browsers. Players run a small music studio and record label, using market data from a fictional city to guide business decisions. By analyzing market trends and applying computational thinking, players learn to manage their label through data-driven choices in an interactive music industry simulation.

Learning focus

Data Literacy, Computational Thinking, Market Analysis, Data Visualization

GAME FEATURES

Analyze market data

Review data about musical preferences across different boroughs.

Make data-driven business decisions

Use trends and insights to guide studio strategy.

Manage artists and productions

Sign artists, book gigs, and record songs.

Respond to marketing requests

Fulfill requests using insights derived from data analysis.

Core Learning Outcomes:

  • Practice computational thinking through structured decision-making
  • Analyze and interpret data sets
  • Use data visualizations to inform strategy
  • Apply data insights to achieve defined goals
  • Understand relationships between data, decisions, and outcomes
Why This Project Matters

Data literacy and computational thinking are increasingly important across disciplines. Beats Empire situates these skills within a familiar creative industry context, giving learners repeated practice using data to make informed decisions and evaluate outcomes.

Awards & Recognition

EDTECH DIGEST AWARDS
2021 finalist for best game for learning/simulation
GEE! AWARDS
2020 judge’s choice winner
SERIOUS PLAY CONFERENCE
2019 silver award
See more →

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