Game App Handwerk Heroes
Together with CarlNann we developed the game app Handwerk Heroes for DAS HANDWERK that leads young people intuitively and emotionally through the diverse world of skilled trades.
Our solution: Career orientation becomes gameplay. Instead of confronting teenagers with a career test upfront, the game app Handwerk Heroes starts where young people already are – with self-expression and play. While the career guidance happens along the way, almost unnoticed.
The impact: During career expos and beyond the app Handwerk Heroes creates a lasting touchpoint with vocational content around 136 skilled trades. The app fosters peer community and hands counselors a ready-made, playful tool to connect with their audience and open up the conversation.
Out of 100,000+ possible combinations users build their Handwerk Hero and equip the avatar with items such as cable lassos, robotic arms, cyber suits and many more. Without feeling like a test, the app analyzes the avatar and suggests matching trades – turning self-expression into soft career assessment.
The map shows all Handwerk Heroes nationwide, creating a sense of community. The core gameplay mechanic – Task Guessing – challenges users to identify what each hero actually does on the job. This way, teenagers learn what mechatronics engineers or glaziers do day-to-day, entertaining and playful.
Long-term motivation is built into the Collection: a digital album of all 136 recognized skilled trades. The more tasks users guess correctly, the more professions they unlock. It doubles as a permanent pocket encyclopedia – with trade descriptions and links to apprenticeship listings and career resources.
Edutainment at Career Expos
Building the Handwerk Hero Community
