Volume-09 Issue 04, Ap il-2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
Published By:
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IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [104]
TROPA RUN: MOBILE ADVENTURE GAME EXPLORING HISTORICAL
PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Ronald B. Fe nandez
ORCID ID - 0009-0007-0979-6315
P o esso , College o Compu ing S udies, Uni e sidad de Manila,
Philippines
Remil E nes M. Gu ie ez
ORCID ID - 0009-0006-5985-212X
UG S uden s, College o Compu ing S udies, Uni e sidad de Manila, Philippines
Rachelle Ann E. Lau as
ORCID ID - 0009-0005-6937-6027
UG S uden s, College o Compu ing S udies, Uni e sidad de Manila, Philippines
Jus ine P. Pelagio
ORCID ID - 0009-0009-5087-8173
UG S uden s, College o Compu ing S udies, Uni e sidad de Manila, Philippines
B ige he Alessand a Reyes
ORCID ID - 0009-0002-7498-4703
UG S uden s, College o Compu ing S udies, Uni e sidad de Manila, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, mobile games se e no only as a o m o en e ainmen bu also as ins umen s o cul u al
p ese a ion and educa ion. Ne e heless, Filipino cul u e and his o y emain unde ep esen ed in mobile
gaming, which es ic s oppo uni ies o younge gene a ions o engage wi h hei he i age in signi ican ways.
To ackle his issue, he de elope s c ea ed T opa Run: Mobile Ad en u e Game Explo ing His o ical Places in
he Philippines. The objec i e o he game is o enhance his o ical awa eness and os e cul u al app ecia ion
h ough engaging missions, s aigh o wa d s o y elling, and enjoyable gameplay. T opa Run is a h ee-
dimensional (3D) ad en u e unning game whe e use s mus comple e missions in o de be o e unlocking he
nex s age. Each mission is se in a amous landma k: In amu os, Calle C isologo, he Banaue Rice Te aces,
Colon S ee , and he Relie Map o Mindanao. These loca ions we e chosen o highligh he ich cul u al legacy
o Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Addi ionally, an endless mode is included, allowing use s o keep playing
e en a e inishing he missions. To enhance he game's engagemen , i inco po a es i ia challenges, ewa ds,
and b ie na a i es cen e ed a ound h ee cha ac e s—Rai, Aya, and Kiko—who assis use s as hey na iga e
h ough each locale. These componen s inc ease ela abili y and con ibu e o a mo e imme si e expe ience.
Wi h op imized g aphics, simple con ols, and a use - iendly design, T opa Run uns smoo hly on di e en
mobile de ices, making i accessible o many use s. Game es ing showed e y posi i e esul s, wi h an a e age
a ing o 4.7 ou o 5. Mos use s said hey no only enjoyed he game bu also lea ned mo e abou he his o ical
si es ea u ed. This demons a es ha T opa Run can be enjoyable as well as in o ma i e, con ibu ing o he
enhancemen o cul u al unde s anding and na ional iden i y among young people.
Keywo ds:
Mobile games, Filipino cul u e & his o y, T opa Run, His o ical awa eness, Cul u al app ecia ion, Landma ks,
Na ional iden i y
Volume-09 Issue 04, Ap il-2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
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In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
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INTRODUCTION
In ecen yea s, mobile games ha e become inc easingly popula , especially among younge demog aphics like
child en, eens, and young adul s. Wi h he p e alence o sma phones and mobile apps, mo e use s a e
accessing mobile games no jus o en e ainmen bu as a ool o acqui ing knowledge. This change has gi en
ise o game-based lea ning, an app oach ha employs he use o gaming mechanics—such as in e ac i e
challenges, engaging wo lds, and ewa ds— o enhance he lea ning p ocess and enable use s o e ain ma e ial
be e . When his o ical ma e ial is inco po a ed in o gameplay, i can make he lea ning p ocess mo e engaging,
enjoyable, and e ec i e (Dela C uz e al.,2023).
In he con ex o he Philippines i sel , he e a e al eady educa ional mobile games ha in eg a e cul u e, his o y,
and gameplay success ully. Fo example, KaSAYSAYan is an educa ional game ha in oduces c ucial
his o ical e en s in an en e aining na a i e o m, simpli ying he complexi ies o he subjec s o he playe s.
Simila ly, Galà allows use s o explo e a ious his o ical si es h oughou he coun y, essen ially making
lea ning a i ual ques (Dela C uz e al., 2023; Inqui e POP!, 2022). These games ha e p o en ha mobile
pla o ms can be e ec i e media o p o iding cul u al and his o ical educa ion in a manne ha engages he
in e es o he you h.
Building on he success o hese mobile lea ning ools, he pu pose o his s udy is o examine how mobile game
design can u he inc ease use engagemen and his o ical knowledge. P ecisely, i aims a c ea ing a 3D
endless unning mobile game which in eg a es chosen Filipino his o ical si es in o i s le els and missions.By
his s a egy, he game aims o o e he playe bo h en e ainmen and sho bu signi ican unde s andings o
he na ion's ex ensi e his o ical con ex . Finally, his esea ch hopes o help ad ance he expanding s udy o
educa ional echnology by encou aging his o ical consciousness h ough in e ac i e and easy-access mobile
gaming expe iences.
OBJECTIVES
The gene al objec i e o his s udy is o c ea e a 3D anima ed mobile game ha enables playe s o i ually isi
and lea n abou he his o ical places in he Philippines. Wi h he aim o p omo ing his o ical awa eness, cul u al
app ecia ion, and in e ac i e lea ning h ough mission-based gameplay.
The s udy aims o ocus on he ollowing speci ic objec i es:
1. To analyze use engagemen by gauging he deg ee o passiona e and ac i e in ol emen in he game and
asce aining engagemen as a c i ical elemen o in e es and mo i a ional e en ion.
2. To analyze how he mobile game impac s use s’ lea ning abou his o ically signi ican places in he
Philippines using he games in e ac i e s o y elling and mission-based educa ional play o iden i y he
knowledge use s emembe , insigh s o his o y and he o e all educa ional alue he game p o ides.
3. To s udy how game design componen s—including g aphics, sound, challenges, and na a i e—in luence
people's his o ical conscience and pa icipa ion.
4. To imp o e in e ac ion and his o y lea ning om a use -cen ic design pe spec i e in ma ching game
unc ionali ies o game equi emen s and p e e ences.
METHODOLOGY
The de elopmen o T opa Run: Mobile Ad en u e Game Explo ing His o ical Places in he Philippines ollows
he me hodology o Agile, which means he ocus he e is on i e a i e design, es ing, and e ining. The whole
p ocess consis s o he de elopmen o he sys em, ga he ing o da a, and he s a egies o es ing o e i y bo h
smoo h gameplay and cul u al ele ance.
Volume-09 Issue 04, Ap il-2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
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In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
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This s udy uses he Agile Me hodology, which ocuses on i e a i e de elopmen , es ing, and imp o emen . The
de elopmen includes planning he game s uc u e, designing he cha ac e s and en i onmen , coding he co e
mechanics, and in eg a ing sound, g aphics, and educa ional con en . In doing so, he game ollows a numbe o
phases comp ising es ing and e alua ion o de ec p oblems and co ec i e e inemen s. Such a p ocess ensu es
sus ained quali y in e ms o gameplay appeal o T opa Run.
Figu e 1 Agile Me hodology
1. Planning
Lis ing he game’s needs, like his o ical con en , game mechanics, and ea u es. This phase in ol es
su eying po en ial use s o which o unde s and hei p e e ences and ecommenda ions and conduc ing
e iews on exis ing mobile games ela ed o TROPA RUN, and sugges ing echnical needs o build an e ec i e
and cul u ally accu a e pla o m.
2. Design
Making game layou s, c ea ing cha ac e s using blende , and adding his o ical missions. To po ay
cha ac e models o Filipino cul u e accu a ely i is c ea ed using Blende while le els and game layou we e
designed o e lec iconic Filipino landma ks and missions based in his o ical con ex s.
3. De elopmen
Coding he game in Uni y using C# and he GIMP as he g aphics edi o and he Audaci y o edi he
sounds. U ilizing gimp o 2d ex u es and in e ace elemen s and de elopmen was done in UNITY using C#
o game logic sc ip s. Audaci y was in eg a ed o in-game music and e ec s ele an o Filipino cul u e.
4. Tes
To es i he game plays well o no and o ix bugs o as e pe o mance. To ca e ully assess he
game’s mechanics, e o s, bugs and smoo h ansi ions he game wen h ough igo ous in eg a ion, uni and
pe o mance es ing ha a e based on he indings o e ec i ely deli e a s able and esponsi e game while
ensu ing he compa ibili y o and oid de ices.
5. Deploymen
Releasing he game o es ing and collec ing eedback o he end use . End use s we e asked o
explo e le els, missions and i ia o p o ide eedback on he game’s con en and issues on he game.
Ques ionnai es we e used ha a e ocused on gameplay, educa ional con en , and use expe ience ha we e
collec ed o imp o e he games con en s.
6. Re iew
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Imp o ing he game based on he eedback o he playe o end use o enhance he use ’s expe ience.
And hen analyzed o be used on e isions o he aspec s o he game. To be accu a e on his o ical con en s i is
alida ed and he use in e ace elemen s we e imp o ed o be e na iga ion. Gameplay was adjus ed o
main ain he engagemen whils imp o ing educa ional deli e y. This p ocess helped he game’s pe o mance
and ele ance.
(Sys em E alua ion Table)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The su eys and es s con i m ha T opa Run: Mobile Ad en u e Game Explo ing His o ical Places in he
Philippines is e icien , eliable, and well-accep ed. Wi h weigh ed means consis en ly abo e 4.7, he sys em
demons a es high usabili y and s able pe o mance. O e all, i success ully achie es i s goal o making
his o ical lea ning mo e accessible, engaging, and enjoyable o i s use s. The su ey esul s on he sys em
e alua ion, p esen ing he esponden s’ a ings on unc ionali y, usabili y, eliabili y, e iciency, main ainabili y,
and po abili y.
The es ing and e alua ion p oduced he ollowing esul s:
Func ionali y: All in ended ea u es we e de eloped and ope a ed success ully.
Usabili y: Con ols we e easily o lea n by playe s; in e ace design was app ecia ed.
Educa ional Impac : A e playing he game, he use s lea ned some hing abou Philippine his o ical si es.
Engagemen : The game encou aged playe s o con inue playing hanks o he in e play o challenges, and
cul u al con en .
Resul s om his s udy sugges ha T opaRun e ec i ely combines gami ica ion wi h his o y lea ning.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We, he p oponen s o T opa Run, would like o since ely hank e e yone who has been pa o his jou ney and
helped us comple e his s udy. Fi s o all, we a e uly g a e ul o ou caps one ad ise , M . Ronald B.
Fe nandez, o his pa ience, guidance, and cons an encou agemen while we we e wo king on his p ojec . His
ad ice and cons uc i e eedback ha e been a big help in imp o ing ou wo k. We also ex end ou hanks o ou
echnical ad ise , M . Kenne h Od uhan, o sha ing his knowledge and gi ing us aluable sugges ions ha
s eng hened he echnical side o ou s udy. Las ly, we would like o hank Ms. Da yl Joy Tonido, ou
g amma ian, o he ime and e o in helping us e ine ou pape and making su e ou wo k was clea and well-
w i en.
We would like o hank M . Eu emio O. Agbayani III, His o ic Si es De elopmen O ice II o he Na ional
His o ical Commission o he Philippines (NHCP), o sha ing his knowledge abou Philippine his o y, which
eally helped us gi e mo e dep h o ou s udy. We a e also hank ul o he NHCP o hei suppo , and o ou
esponden s o gi ing hei ime and hones answe s ha became a big help in imp o ing ou p ojec .
Volume-09 Issue 04, Ap il-2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
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In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
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Abo e all, we wan o hank ou amilies and iends o always being he e o us. Thei suppo , pa ience, and
encou agemen kep us going and ga e us he s eng h o inish his s udy, e en wi h all he challenges we wen
h ough.
CONCLUSION
The de elopmen o “T opa Run: Mobile Ad en u e Game Explo ing His o ical Places in he Philippines”
h ough he in eg a ion o Uni y Engine and OOP ( Objec O ien ed P og amming), has success ully ul illed he
s udy’s objec i e. The sys em consis s o an endless unning game mechanics wi h cul u ally ele an e en s and
i ias ha bene i s end-use s, which p o ides en e ainmen and insigh s o Philippine his o y. By conduc ing
es ing and e alua ion has shown ha he game is use - iendly, e ec i e in p omo ing cul u al lea ning and
in e ac i e gameplay.
Wi h he in eg a ion o use -cen e ed design has ensu ed ha he gameplay is no pu ely en e ainmen bu also
educa ional ha p o ides a posi i e eedback ha con i ms i as a po en ial supplemen a y ool o educa ional
and his o ical awa eness. To alida e he indings o he sys em o mee i s goal is by enhancing use
engagemen , in e ac i e suppo i e lea ning and h ough os e ing app ecia ion o cul u e h ough mobile
gaming.
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