Depok-The community service team from the Media Production study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI) once again presented its knowledge to create a society that is media literate, creative, and able to preserve local cultural values through digital innovation.
This community service activity, themed “Introducing Business through Mobile Games Based on Traditional Games,” featured an educational game based on the traditional game congklak. The event took place at Saung Eling, Bogor, on September 24, 2025, and was attended by students, lecturers, and local cultural activists.
This activity is a form of academic concern for cultural preservation, where students of the Media Production study program, with a concentration in Game Development, displayed the results of their interactive game work, adapting the congklak game into a digital platform.
The main goal of this work is to introduce and preserve Indonesian cultural values to the younger generation through media relevant to the digital age. Congklak is becoming increasingly rare as children prefer modern digital games.
This decline in interest is influenced by a lack of play spaces, limited exposure from families and schools, and the overwhelming influence of technology. Yet, congklak plays a vital role in character building, strategy development, and strengthening social interactions.
The digitalization of congklak in the form of a mobile game is expected to be a solution to reintroduce traditional culture in a way that suits the world of today’s children.
“We want to show that cultural preservation doesn’t always have to be conventional. Through digital media, traditional games like congklak can be revived and become familiar to today’s youth. We developed this Congklak game at Ox Lab for approximately two months and it will be the 81st game product throughout 2025,” said the Head of the Media Production Study Program, Ngurah Rangga Wiwesa, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom.
(Photo: The atmosphere of community service activities while playing the Congklak game)
Congklak, which will be available on the Google Play Store, is a casual game with 2D illustrations designed for easy play on mobile devices. In this game, players control congklak pieces by touching or moving their fingers on the screen. Each congklak piece is moved one by one to each hole on the board according to traditional rules.
The main objective of the game is to collect as many seeds as possible in the player’s barn. Congklak is a game that will keep players intrigued because, despite its simple rules, the strategies used can vary from turn to turn.
Saung Eling manager, Riri, expressed the residents’ enthusiasm for this activity.
“The children here were very happy to try the digital version of congklak. They learned that traditional games can still be fun even in modern forms. This activity also opened our eyes to how culture can be preserved through technology,” said Riri.
During the event, participants were also invited to try a digital version of the congklak game and discuss the potential for developing local games based on cultural wisdom. In addition to showcasing student work, the event also provided a platform for cross-disciplinary learning between technology, art, and communication.
(Photo: Community service team at Saung Eling, Bogor)
Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, Director of the Vocational Education Program, also supported the project. He stated that the project demonstrates that Vocational Education Program students are capable of combining creativity, technology, and cultural values within the context of digital advancements.
“We hope this Congklak game will inspire us to continue developing local content that is both educational and entertaining,” Padang said.
The initiative is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Point 4 (Quality Education) and Point 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), because it educates the younger generation while preserving the nation’s cultural heritage amidst the development of the digital era.
UI Vocational continues to encourage students to produce work that is not only innovative but also has social and cultural impact. Through these activities, UI Vocational is committed to becoming a center for applied learning that is relevant to the needs of the creative industry while contributing to the preservation of national culture.
