Bert & Phil's WaterBusters

Game URL: http://www2.seattle.gov/util/waterbusters/

Game Synopsis: Phil's water bills are high. The player is tasked with manuvering Phil Dumpster around the house to locate water pollution and resolve the issue with tools and wit.

Game Overview: The player uses the arrow keys to move Phil around the house: a kitchen, 2bathrooms, a backyard, and a utitliy room. There are 4 levels to the game with 5 water challenges in each. Once the player spots an act of water pollution, they place Phil in close proxomity of the water issue to resolve the issue.

Each time the issue is resolved Bert, the salmon will congratulate the player and provide information on how solving the issue saved money. During the player's search, Phil will also need to acquire some tools to help fix some of the water issues. The player can view the tool guide to help locate the appropriate tool to repair the problem.

There is a timer in the form of water leaks (water drops). The longer there is a water issue, the more the water drops will fade away. However, 15 gallons of water is saved for every water issue that is resolved. When the player completes all of the challenges in a level, the player is given the total amount of gallons of water they have saved and provided with more information on conserving water. The player can also earn bonus points by answering multiple choice questions about water conservation.

Personal View: Upon first glance I didn't think much about this game. I understood the premise and how to manuver Phil, however there was much more involved once you got further in the game. Each level was a bit more challenging than the first. The game was appropriate for elementary aged students, which I assume is the targeted audience.

I did enjoy the tips and information given by Bert, the salmon. I didn't realize the importance of the tools until reading the "How to Play" section after I had started. That section was easy to get to if I needed to revist the instructions by pressing the "Help" button. The "Tool Guide" was also helpful in providing the player with information on how the tool could help conserve water. Some of the information was new to me. This is an appropriate and interesting game for anyone wanting to learning ways to converse water.