Exercendo a cidadania: gamificação aplicada no jogo interativo das eleições de 2026

Abstract

Discussing technology implies understanding the multiple possibilities offered by this field, including the object of study proposed in this work: gamification. The proposal is to establish a connection between the universe of digital games and the 2026 electoral process, which will result in the election of representatives of the population for the following years, mainly in terms of State and Federal Executive and State and Federal Legislative (with federal deputies and two-thirds of the Senate). To this end, the aim is to develop a game that promotes and stimulates voter participation, encouraging the exercise of democracy through a playful and interactive approach. Gamification, when associated with other digital mechanisms, can play a fundamental role in the development of personalized content and narratives for learning paths and educational games. This context underpins the proposal for the game developed in this research, “Tá Sabendo”. The implementation of a game of this nature proves necessary in the contemporary context in which we are inserted, characterized by the rise of segments that support authoritarian governments and are not very sensitive to the demands of the population. The central question guiding this study is to investigate how gamification can be used as a strategy to develop a digital product capable of informing, mediating and promoting understanding about the 2026 electoral process. The objectives of this research included: developing a gamified product with an educational and informative focus on the electoral process, based on fostering mediation practices that stimulate citizenship, political participation and interactivity of voters in the conscious choice of their representatives; critically reflecting on the challenges and possibilities of making the electoral process more fair and inclusive; and, finally, identifying and applying gamification mechanisms that contribute to clarifying the elections and the candidacies involved. In theoretical terms, issues regarding mediation, gamification, current technologies and interfaces with Artificial Intelligence are highlighted. In methodological terms, the starting point is experimental research to create a game to mediate knowledge, highlighted by means of participatory research. It is noted that, due to the urgency of the debate, notably on the issues of the 2026 elections, all communication possibilities, mainly to involve the most connected audiences, are necessary for the evolution of citizenship processes.