Cashcheck Interactive Educational Game: GDLC Implementation and UEQ-Based User Experience Analysis for Preventing the Circulation of Counterfeit Money

Abstract

The circulation of counterfeit money in Indonesia poses a real threat that disrupts the financial stability and economic welfare of the public. One contributing factor is the limited financial literacy found among Generation Z (aged 15–24). This research aims to strengthen public literacy regarding the authenticity of the Indonesian rupiah by presenting the development and evaluation of Cashcheck, an educational puzzle/simulation game built as game application software and designed to improve the ability to identify genuine rupiah banknotes. The development was carried out using the Game Development Life Cycle (GDLC) framework across six systematic phases. The game design incorporates a core-loop mechanic, multi-level difficulty escalation, a layered feedback system, and a challenge-based learning approach. The user-experience evaluation was conducted using the standard 26-item User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) involving 50 Generation Z respondents. The results show that Cashcheck achieved an overall mean of 1.57, which falls into the Excellent category, with a Pragmatic Quality of 1.78 and a Hedonic Quality of 1.11. At the subscale level, Attractiveness (1.87), Perspicuity (1.95), Dependability (1.78), and Stimulation (1.59) reached the Excellent category and Efficiency (1.61) the Good category, while Novelty (0.64) was the only subscale below the benchmark average, reflecting a deliberate retro design direction and familiar interaction patterns rather than a design flaw. The final build was published on itch.io, confirming Cashcheck as fit interactive educational media for rupiah-authenticity identification among Generation Z.