Blink Land, launched in June 2023 as the American Optometric Association (AOA)’s first-ever mobile board game, is targeting two very different items: gaming and eye health.
First things first … why gaming?
A reported 227+ million Americans play some sort of video game. (As a comparison, there’s over 335 million people and counting in the U.S.)
Based on results from the AOA’s 2022 Gaming Survey, these gamers spend 8+ hours a day using handheld electronic devices; of that, 4 hours are spent playing video games.
Gotcha. Now this new game.
Blink Land was launched as part of the AOA’s national public awareness campaign (Eye Deserve More) as an exercise to teach players about eye health and its connection to screen time.
But more specifically, according to the AOA, it was developed by Elaine Gómez-Sanchez, an independent senior gameplay and systems designer along with Playcrafting, a New York City (NYC)-based game developer and member of the Screen Time Alliance.
Give me a quick rundown on this alliance.
A first of its kind, the Screen Time Alliance is a collaboration between the AOA and gaming industry partners as a call to action to prioritize—and educate on—eye health in relation to screens, devices, and all digital platforms.
Back to this game.
Available via IOS and Android devices, the game features a main customizable avatar (named “Blink”) that a player then rolls the dice to follow through the digital board game, all the while collecting points by participating in various activities.
Blink Land players can play mini-games, test their eye knowledge with trivia, and learn how to develop more eye-friendly screen time habits.
Why “Blink”?
The autonomic and voluntary neural reflex controlled processes of blinking serve several functions.
It helps to keep the eye oxygenated and moist by spreading the tear film evenly across the service coupled with using these same tears to wash the surface of any debris (think windshield wipers). The result is more sharpened and clearer vision, brightening the image your retina receives.
Blinking can also be beneficial to minimize digital eye strain—the AOA recommends practicing the 20-20-20 rule of taking a break from screen time every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes.
I need a visual on this game.
Watch the AOA video below for a sneak peek.
How can I download it?
Two ways:
- Apple App Store (click here)
- Google Play Store (click here)