Here’s “Game Map” – my 25th H5P content type (that’s publicly available)

I’m so excited. And I just can’t hide it …

That phrase is probably used too often, but I am excited! I was eventually able to pull off a content type that I wanted to create for quite a while, but I knew would take lots of my free time. Luckily, Hochschule Hannover sponsored the development. And here it is: Game Map for H5P.

Before I start to tell you about its purpose and some ideas, let me show you what one can create with it. I cannot release that demo publicly. You’ll know why 😀 But this video may help to let you get a good first impression …

Aktivieren Sie JavaScript um das Video zu sehen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz0eC-XDK08

So what is Game Map?

Game Map is a tool that allows you to create something similar to Super Mario World in H5P – the map aspect, not the “Jump and Run” part 🙂 You can use an image as a background for your map, define stages that can hold different H5P exercises, you can connect stages (with visible paths of you want to), and you can set different things such as whether stages should all be visible right away or reveal themselves as the user progresses, you can set a finite number of lives or simple ignore that concept, you can attach sounds to all kinds of events, you can change colors, etc.

Those options allow you to create a game, but the result could also be a learning map “only” where you present different contents very much like one could with Image Hotspots. And I am sure that someone will come up with some use case that I didn’t anticipate. That always happens, and I love it.

I think I should demonstrate all the options in a separate video when I find some time … Or you simply explore Game Map yourself, because it’s out now.

Here is some other content that I created for demonstration purposes. Not quite as nice as the Super H5P World demo, but solely using openly licensed media.

Want to use it already?

I will ask the H5P core team to review the content type. Afterwards, they should release it on the H5P Hub, but this process usually takes some time.

If you want to use the content type right away, look for the Reuse button underneath the content. Use that button to download the demo content, and then upload the .h5p file onto your H5P enabled platform. Please note that you will need to have permission to install H5P libraries. Otherwise, you cannot install the content type this way. In that case, your system admin will need to assist you.

The source code is available as well, if you want to check it before installing or if you want to build the libraries yourself:

Is it available in my language?

In theory: yes! If it’s missing, you can fill in the gaps yourself on translate-h5p.tk.

Any future plans for that content type?

Yes. I have tons of ideas, among them:

  • Allow to add static texts and images to the map in order to customize it.
  • Allow to set more rules that define whether a stage can be accessed or not (e.g. a particular date, a certain set of stages that need to be completed, etc.).
  • Add more content types as subcontent (some seemed to cause trouble when used as subcontent, and I’ll have to add a workaround or the content type might need changing).
  • Add More sound options, e.g. setting a custom background music that plays when a particular stage is entered.
  • Add an option to control the volume of both the background music and the sounds separately.
  • Replace the confirmation dialog from H5P core with some nicer custom dialog.

Please keep in mind, however: I could put a lot of effort into this content type, because Hochschule Hannover funded development. I coded it at a discount rate as I usually do if the result bears an open source license. I’ll take care of all the change requests that the H5P core team may have to bring the content type onto the H5P Hub. Additionally, I suppose that I will find time to help you on the H5P forum if you have questions. That’s what I usually do anyway. But if you claim free support or demand features as if it was your right, you’ll most likely get a “no” from me. I may add things, even consider your ideas, but at my own pace – or expect you to toss me some coin. I hope you understand that. Not all do, as I know from bad experience.

33 Replies to “Here’s “Game Map” – my 25th H5P content type (that’s publicly available)”

  1. This is crazy! Perfect! İnsane! The best of the best! I don’t know what to say. The best content type among the others. This wraps it everything. Thanks to you and those who contributed this project.

    Bille

  2. Hi Oliver !

    I was heading to your blog to thank you for the TABS content-type which comes very handy to compile several H5P activities in an uncluttered and nice way.
    But I stumbled upon this pure glorious gem !!! Amazing piece of H5P ! This is a perfect content-type to gamify a learning path for students ; I am sure that they will LOVE it !

    Thanks for your tremendous contributions to H5P and for allowing us teachers to be able to create elaborate yet fun activities for our students !

    Isabelle

  3. Hi Oliver. Is it possible to use a different “branching scenario” as a content type at different points on the map? If not, any plans for this in future? THANKS

  4. No, Branching Scenario can currently not be set as subcontent. Have you read the “Any future plans for that content type?” section?

  5. Hello Oliver
    In moodle the report gives empty result for gamemap although the activity is completed.

    1. Hi!

      I just checked, but everything seems to be working fine on moodle, see https://img.incoherency.co.uk/4295. Are you sure you finished the map by entering the results screen? Similar to Course Presentation that requires the user to go to the results slide in order to send the results, in Game Map, the user needs to visit the results screen.

      Cheers,
      Oliver

  6. Thanks for the reponse! Yes I finish it using the final flag… But I just have found out that there is something else: Sorry to write it here because I know this is not the right place. I am using php8.1 moodle 4.1.2 and. Grade is registered but when reviewing the answer I get ”This user hasn’t submitted an answer to the H5P yet”
    I reinstalled mod_hvp, used different version of php like 8.1 but the issue remains.

    _get_completion_state() callback functions such as hvp_get_completion_state have been deprecated and should no longer be used. Please implement the custom completion class mod_hvp\completion\custom_completion which extends \core_completion\activity_custom_completion.

  7. What a cool content type that is! Are you planning to add “column”-content later on (my main use for that is combining audio with true/false questions) or is this included by “cause trouble when used as subcontent”?

    Thanks for all your hard work!

    1. It’s not necessarily a technical reason why Column was not included so far.

      I wanted to include as many content types as possible without the need to wait for H5P Group to include or update them in Column (which unfortunately takes time), so that’s why I included them directly. If I now also add Column, then there are two different ways to include the very same content type which means extra maintenance and restrictions – one cannot have two different content type versions as subcontent, so one would again be bound to what Column dictates. Not something that I wish for.

      You can add audio as an introduction on top of True/False and other content types directly in those.

  8. Hi Oliver! Thank you so much for this amazing content, and so glad they finally are hosting it on the Lumi site and plugins also. Here is a game my wife and myself made for my young nieces (4 to 6 years old), they absolutely loved it!

    https://app.Lumi.education/content/6576d8d2d440f13e8e692b47

    We are also researching H5P and other educational technology at Liverpool University (Suzhou China Campus) and are presenting at several conferences next year. Anyway thanks again and hope you get time have a quick look at what we have done with your content.

    1. Glad you like it! Lumi is still serving an outdated version of GameMap that has a bug, so if you encounter trouble, please feel free to nudge them to install the latest version.

  9. Hi! I just create a game map but I have one little problem. After the last question has been answered, my video set up for to show at the end screen won’t show/start unless the player finds the tiny flag above the screen. Or do I do something wrong? I hope I am doing something wrong! Can someone helps me? Thank you! Elisa

    1. That’s correct. The user is not sent to the endscreen automatically, because he/she may want to explore the map further. He/she will have to finish the map actively.

      With the next bigger update, one will also be able to put special stages leading to the end screen onto the map, and the finish button will be made a little more prominent. There’s no release date set for that update, however.

  10. keep getting this message:
    The file you are trying to upload might be too large.

    Does not seem to matter how small or large the image is.

    1. Sorry to hear, but that’s not something that a content type is responsible for. That’s an issue with the H5P integration that you’re using or with the configuration of the platform that the H5P integration is running on.

  11. Hi Oliver, thanks sooo much for this gorgeous new feature!!! I love it, and I’m sure the kids will love it, too…
    I haven’t found out how to make them do some exercises before they can continue to the next, but I guess I’ll eventually find out. 😄
    I’ve uploaded your animal game and play Sherlocka Holmes.

    Thanks a million, it’s really fantastic! 🥳🎉👍👍👍

    Best wishes, Elisabeth Weixlbaumer from Austria.

    PS: There’s one kind of exercise I’d LOVE to find in H5P, and that’s choosing the correct word ouf 2 or 3 options several times in a text… Just a little hint in case you ever run out of ideas. 😄👋

    1. You will find a “map” section in the behavioral settings where you can decide what the mode for restricting access to nodes can be set.

      The demo content with the animals was created by H5P Group.

  12. GAME MAP great. Is it possible to obtain the .h5p of the example given to better understand the settings?
    THANK YOU

    1. Sure. All you need to do is to use the “Reuse” button underneath the content just like with any other H5P content.

  13. This is just awesome. The best activity ever. Thanks a lot for your work. I already tried it, but unfortunately it isn’t yet installed on our Moodle (Eduvidual.at). I already told them and I am so looking forward to be able to use this amazing content type at school. The kids will love it.
    Thank you very much 👍

    1. You’re most welcome. Admins prefer to install libraries that are offered on the H5P Hub, and it is available there as well.

  14. Moin Oliver Tacke,
    die H5P Game Map ist super!!! Tausend Dank!!!
    Ein kleines Problem: Kann es sein, dass das Audio für
    “Endbildschirm (volle Punktzahl)”
    vertauscht wurde und bei unvollständigiger Lösung abgespielt wird? Und umgekehrt.

    Ich könnte ja meinerseits die Audios vertauscht einsetzen. Wenn dann aber ein korrigiertes Update kommt ohne dass ich es merke, würde das Chaos geben.

    (Info: Ich arbeite mit der über ZUMApps zugänglichen Version).

    Ansonsten: Volle Begeisterung! Auch für etliche anderen H5p Inhalte u. Lernvideos.
    Takk!
    MM-Mathe

    1. Wie gerade schon per Mail geschrieben: In der deutschen Übersetzung sind die Beschriftungen vertauscht.

  15. Ich bin begeistert von game map als hp5 – vielen Dank.
    Eine Frage: gibt es die Möglichkeit, dass der “continue”-Button ERST erscheint, wenn die Aufgabe richtig (oder zu so viel Prozent wie eingestellt richtig) bearbeitet wurde und nicht sofort?

    Kenne ja meine Schüler… wenn die das rausfinden, lösen sie die Aufgabe nicht mehr (das schätze ich sonst so bei h5p).

    Gruß Karin

    1. Schau mal in den Einstellungen. Unter “Karte” kannst du einstellen, dass man einen Inhalt nur passieren kann, wenn man ihn bestanden hat.

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