Emotico Board Wins First Place at National Competition

An innovative board game developed by a student team from UMS earned first place in the National Essay Competition organized by UKMF Penelitian Screen, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Yogyakarta State University (UNY), held on July 19–20, 2025.

The team consisted of three students: Tanwir Raif M. Y. Marengke (Islamic Education), Fauzan Muhammad Ihsan (Management), and Syaban Al Musyaffa Ibnu Ahmad (Accounting).

Team member Fauzan Muhammad Ihsan said their essay was titled "EMOTICO Board: An Innovative Interactive Board Game as an Augmented Reality-Based Learning Medium to Support Emotional Literacy in Elementary School Students."

“This essay stemmed from concerns about the lack of emotional literacy among elementary school students. Many children struggle to recognize and manage their emotions, while emotional education is still not a systematic part of the curriculum,” Fauzan explained via WhatsApp on Wednesday (23/7/2025).

The EMOTICO Board is designed as an interactive board game for learning. The initial prototype, modeled simply after Monopoly, includes a game board, pieces, dice, and emotion interaction cards. The game is designed to help children recognize their emotions in a fun and engaging way.

The Emotico Board team at their exhibition booth at Yogyakarta State University, Sunday, July 20, 2025. 

The board game was then submitted to the National Essay Competition held by UKMF Penelitian Screen at UNY. Fauzan said the EMOTICO Board had to compete against 69 teams from various universities across the country. After a rigorous online selection process, 15 finalists, including UMS, were chosen to showcase their projects at UNY.

“Alhamdulillah, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta successfully won 1st place nationally,” he said proudly.

The presence of the EMOTICO Board offers a fresh approach to creating a fun learning experience for children. Fauzan believes that children's education should not focus solely on academics, but also on shaping character and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence greatly influences learning success, the quality of social relationships, and even a child’s mental readiness to face life’s challenges.

“This idea was designed to deliver holistic and balanced education, in line with the values of SDG No. 4: Quality Education, which promotes inclusive, relevant, and comprehensive learning,” added the 4th-semester UMS Management student.

Fauzan explained that the EMOTICO Board has the potential to be developed into a practical and impactful educational program for elementary schools. The board game represents an effort to contribute to improving education in Indonesia, especially in the areas of character development and children’s emotional intelligence.

“In the future, the EMOTICO Board will be enhanced with augmented reality technology to create a more immersive and engaging learning experience for children,” he concluded with confidence.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid