AfroGames and IMPA Launch Educational Game at FestMat

A game, a challenge, a match with friends, or a few hours spent playing a video game may seem a world away from math. But even before you realize it or write a number down on paper, mathematical reasoning is already at work. You have to calculate possibilities, recognize patterns, devise strategies, make decisions, and find solutions. This initiative speaks directly to the essence of the National Mathematics Festival: bringing the subject closer to people in a simple, fun, and accessible way. That’s why AfroGames Studios, in partnership with IMPA, developed a brand-new game that was unveiled for the first time at FestMat.

“The World of Math” features 12 mini-games divided into six themes, inviting players to explore, think, and challenge themselves while learning. The goal is to transform mathematical concepts into playful experiences. From the very first day of FestMat, the game was available in the Gamer Arena, and participants were able to try out challenges and experience firsthand how games can stimulate mathematical thinking.

The partnership between the institutions began in 2024 and has been taking on new forms ever since. After participating in the Arena Gamer at the previous edition of FestMat, the project moved on to creating its own game. “This partnership with IMPA, since 2024, has been increasingly fruitful and continues to grow. When we join forces, we know that we multiply knowledge and expertise, and then we share it with our young people,” said Luca Alves, coordinator of AfroGames.

Lectures Highlight the Relationship Between Games and Mathematics

On Sunday (30), Luca and game designers Beatriz de Souza and Polyana Correia offered a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process during the talk “Developing ‘The World of Math’—the Game.” “It’s very rewarding for us, as the AfroReggae institution, to be present in this space, because it validates everything we’ve been doing in the gaming sector and with mathematics,” said Luca.

More than just introducing a new game, the panel highlighted the potential of this partnership to bring mathematics to different audiences. The hope is that the initiative will reach schools and families in different regions of the country, serving as a tool to support teaching and learning.

“I’m very confident that this game will rally the entire country to support public schools, private schools, children, and parents who want to bring math into their homes and classrooms.”

Luca said that one of the moments that surprised him the most was actually the children’s participation in the “Game of 15” challenge. Even though it’s an activity that requires attention, strategy, and reasoning, the kids were able to find the solution quickly.

“We noticed that many people struggled with the ‘Game of 15’ because it’s a game that really makes you think and reason. […] Here on stage, we didn’t expect them to be able to finish so quickly. This shows that the event is, in fact, a success—not only in terms of audience interaction but also because the audience is truly engaged in wanting to learn and challenge themselves. And I think that’s the most important thing,” he concluded.

As part of Sunday’s program, Luca also participated in the roundtable discussion “Gamer Culture in Education: Games as a Learning Tool” with Danilo Costa, executive director of the AfroReggae Cultural Group; Gabriela Sakae, Senior Manager of Sustainability and Communications at IHS Latam; and Karla Soares, Social Director of the AfroReggae Cultural Group. They shared experiences and perspectives on the importance of play-based education for enhancing soft skills and developing new competencies and abilities for the digital and creative age.

In the lecture “The Mathematics of Games,” Marcelo de Vasconcellos, a researcher and writer at Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation), invited the audience to look at games in a different way. More than just tools for entertainment, they can teach, convey ideas, and help us understand complex problems.

Behind the rules that determine what can and cannot happen, the systems that balance challenges and rewards, the probabilities that create suspense, and the strategies needed to win, there is a lot of math.

“The game relies heavily on mathematical reasoning. Math is even useful for winning a game,” noted Vasconcellos, demonstrating how these skills come naturally during a game. In a strategy game, for example, players need to analyze the best way to organize resources and make decisions. In a memory game, they look for patterns and try to understand the logic behind the arrangement of the pieces.

And it’s no different in video games. While someone is building a virtual city, managing resources, or trying to find the best strategy to move forward, they’re making calculations and analyzing possibilities—often without even realizing they’re using mathematical tools.