Singapore Government, Starcom Singapore and Publicis Play Launch “SG Farm Tycoon” on Roblox

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Starcom Singapore (part of Publicis Media), and Publicis Play have collaborated to launch SG Farm Tycoon – an immersive and educational high-tech farming game on Roblox.

Launched on 16 October 2023, SG Farm Tycoon is designed to raise awareness of food security among young Singaporeans. This game combines the thrill of digital gaming with educational elements, allowing players to experience what goes into growing local produce and the challenges of farming and better understand Singapore’s ambitious “30 by 30” vision (1).

As part of this educational venture on Roblox, Starcom Singapore leveraged its strategic expertise to guide and align the awareness and engagement goals of MCI and SFA. Publicis Play, specialists in using gaming as a communication platform, conducted focused workshops to develop a tailored strategy, eventually leading to the selection of Roblox’s tycoon game format as the ideal medium for SFA’s educational objectives.

“Partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Information and Singapore Food Agency on SG Farm Tycoon marks a significant shift in our approach to advertising and communication,” said Elaine Poh, Managing Director of Publicis Media Singapore. “This project symbolises a new era in communication, where interactive and immersive experiences can create a two-way dialogue with the audience. It is a step forward in connecting, engaging, and educating, reflecting our evolution beyond conventional engagement methods.”

Growing Greater Awareness of Food Security in Singapore
SG Farm Tycoon puts an entertaining twist on urban farming by allowing players to create their high- tech vertical farms within a virtual Singapore on Roblox. Players cultivate three types of local produce: vegetables, eggs, and fish. As they harvest and sell their produce, they earn coins to build taller vertical farm towers and are awarded different SG Fresh Produce (SGFP) badges(2).

Employing a progressive learning model, SG Farm Tycoon intertwines fun with education, enhancing understanding of urban farming’s significance and processes within Singapore’s unique geographic context. The game introduces different scenarios that pose challenges, such as disease outbreaks, climate change, and supply chain disruptions. By leveraging advanced farming technologies in their urban farms, players can overcome these challenges, thereby enhancing farm productivity, building resilience against climate impacts, and improving resource efficiency.

SG Farm Tycoon also encourages collaborative play, enabling players to work collectively towards Singapore’s “30 by 30” vision. To further engage the community, the game offers free, user- generated content (UGC) once players achieve the community goal.

Cultivating Future Generations
Tailored for Gen Z and Alpha audiences, SG Farm Tycoon is designed to educate and motivate young minds about the role of “Growing Local” in Singapore’s food future. By immersing them in a virtual world that reflects real agricultural innovations, the game seeks to spark interest and understanding in farming.

Understanding the digital affinity of today’s youth, the game balances educational content with captivating gameplay. It also features SFA’s local produce mascots – “Caixinderella”, “Eggs Benedette C”, and “Seabasstian Water” – bringing a familiar and engaging touch to the gaming experience.

SG Farm Tycoon goes beyond conventional educational methods, offering an immersive learning experience where modern farming technologies are interactively explored. Through varied levels and challenges, players gain a deeper understanding of urban farming, making the learning experience dynamic and impactful.
Promising Initial Outcomes

Since its launch, SG Farm Tycoon has demonstrated promising results. As of 28 November 2023, there are over 3,600 game sessions and more than 1,200 unique users, with 94% of the users playing the game in Singapore. The time players spend in-game per session is also notably longer, averaging 14.9 minutes in mean session length – 57% more than the APAC benchmark of 9.5 minutes. Additionally, the game enjoys a 91% like ratio, surpassing the APAC benchmark of 80% – indicating a high level of player satisfaction and engagement.

Play “SG Farm Tycoon” on Roblox here.

(1) Singapore’s “30 by 30” vision is to build the capability and capacity of the agri-food industry to sustainably produce 30% of the country’s nutritional needs by 2030. Local production is important to reduce Singapore’s reliance on food imports. As a country with limited resources, Singapore wants to “grow more with less” through innovation and technology.

(2) The SG Fresh Produce (SGFP) 1-star badge signifies locally farmed produce. The SG Good Agricultural Practice (SG GAP) 2-star badge is awarded to local farms certified for high-quality produce. The 3-star SG Clean and Green (SG C&G) badge is for local produce that meets quality and sustainability standards. Certification for SG GAP and SG C&G requires farms to fulfill specific criteria.