Game facts and game description

The Frostrune is a game that draws inspiration from Norse mythology and history. There is
no age rating on the game.
As the introductory sequence informs us, the story takes place in the summer of 965 CE off
the coast of Norway. You play as Liv, a 13-year-old girl who is the sole survivor of a
shipwreck. You are cast away on a deserted island, which you soon find out is plagued by
an ominous presence.
Your mission is to unravel the mystery of the island and get rid of the unwanted spirits so
as to deem the land habitable once again. In order to do so, you have to explore the
different locales and solve puzzles with the help of ghosts.
The game itself is an uncomplicated adventure with clear intentions that shows how
simplicity combined with conviction can create wonders.

Frostrune can be played on any PC, iPhone, or iPad: iPhone: Requires iOS 9.0 or later. iPad:
Requires iPad IOS 9.0 or later. PC: Windows 10

The Frostrune – Apps on Google Play
The Frostrune på Steam (steampowered.com)

Project outline

Frostrune is used to ensure the basic main objectives in reading and listening at level A2:
● Help students understand the content of short and simple messages.
● Help students follow short and simple location directions.
● Help students to read and understand short, simple texts about familiar topics
using frequent words and everyday language.
● Help students read and understand short, simple texts related to their own work
situation.
● Help students read and understand instructions, recipes and guides that are easily
formulated.
● Help students find and distinguish specific information in a list or a simple
overview, both on paper and digitally.
● Help students read and understand simple written information such as letters,
notices, brochures, and simple newspaper texts, both on paper and digitally.
The game is also used to learn about and talk about basic features of Norwegian history
and the Viking Age, which are part of the goals of Social Sciences for adult immigrants:
● Get to know some of the important processes that have formed the basis for the
emergence of modern Norway.
● Be able to talk about different ways of life, traditions, and views on religion, and
about changes in these areas over time.
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Checklist

Frostrune is available in multiple languages besides Norwegian.
The game is a first-person slideshow adventure with standard point-and-click gameplay.
The menu and inventory are basic and there is an automatic save mode that thankfully
works properly, saving every step of the way.
The points of interaction on each screen and the number of scenes in total are limited, so
a playthrough will only last between 2-4 hours.
The use of Frostrune only needs access to iPads and a licence for the game. Handy, it is
also that this is a mobile game of barely 500 MB. It does not take up much space and does
not require expensive computers.
It is easy to use and easy to implement in an ordinary educational / classroom setting.
This is also a very cost-efficient tool.
No challenges encountered between men and women in the use of Frostrune as an
educational game.

Target group & Setting

The target group is adults (over 18) refugees and immigrants with relatively low language
knowledge in Norwegian, level A1-A2 according to the European Framework for Languages.
Participants at level A1 can understand and use familiar, everyday expressions and very
simple statements about themselves and close relationships. The participant can engage
in routine conversations easily, if the interlocutor speaks slowly and clearly and is
prepared to help.
Communication is highly contextual and is characterised by repetitions and
simplifications. The teacher needs many pauses to look for phrases, pronounce unfamiliar
words, and correct miscommunication.
They spend a lot of time finding words and phrases, but can produce very short and
isolated utterances, mainly forms, fluently. The linguistic breadth consists of an
elementary repertoire of individual words and modes of expression related to specific,
specific situations.
Participants who have reached level A2 can understand a very simple daily language and
can express themselves easily on topics related to their own person and family, close
surroundings, and work.
The participant can cope in simple and routine conversational situations with direct
exchange of information about known relationships, if the interlocutor speaks slowly and
clearly, and is supportive. In unfamiliar situations, communication violations and
misunderstandings often occur.
Frostrune was introduced to the market in 2017.
The game has been used by Fønix within classes of 12 – 16 students at the same time from
2020.
It was discovered by one of the teachers and introduced as a possible learning
opportunity for migrant students.
The main reason we discovered it was that it was launched as a free game through the
state procurement scheme for libraries in Norway.

How to embed

The game is divided into various scenes with written and oral information in Norwegian.
Students must follow this information to progress in the game.
As an introduction, the class goes through the introductory text of the game, playing the
first scenes together on the big screen, so that all students understand how the game
works.
There is also a lot of conversation about words and phrases about the different
environments we see and the time we find ourselves in. This forms a basis for further
learning programs.
After a joint introduction, students are divided into groups that play together on iPad.
Students should have different language backgrounds, so that they must use Norwegian
as a common language in conversations and discussions about how to get ahead in the
game. During the game, they collect various objects, which provide the basis for learning
words and phrases. For groups with very low Norwegian levels, a recipe is drawn up for
what students should do in each scene, with simple instructions in Norwegian. This allows
the game to be individually adapted to different language levels in the class.
Tasks and verb lists are developed for each session, which can be used in continued
language teaching.

Use in class

Engagement from the students. Some of them found it exciting to play and learn. Some
found it boring.
The students learned inventory words and how to tell the directions and some adjectives.
They learned something about Norse mythology.
The advanced language in the game makes it difficult for new beginner learners in
Norwegian to follow the game without coaching and guidance. The game demands a
high-level skill in Norwegian language.
A target audience in B1 and up would benefit more from this game.

Student experience, testimonials and quotes

Testimony from teacher

“A lot of engagement from the students. Some of them found it exciting to play and
learn. A few found it boring.”
“The students learned inventory words and how to tell the directions and some
adjectives.”
“They learned something about Norse mythology. The advanced language in the
game makes it difficult for new beginner learners in Norwegian to follow the game
without coaching and guidance.”
“The game demands a high-level skill in Norwegian language. A target audience in
B1 and up would benefit more from this game. In a corona time point of view, I as
the teacher had to be the one leading the game through zoom.”

Testimony from students

“I learned some words. The game had difficult vocabulary, but if I play a Norwegian
game again, I maybe will remember something.”,
“It was exciting, and the graphics were very good. I learned new words, but I don’t
think I learned anything about the history because I focused more on the target of
the game.”