Zippy:
A Hospital Game
A Fun and Therapeutic Adventure!
Get ready to embark on a fun-filled adventure with Zippy: A Hospital Game! Designed to bring joy, connection, and skill-building right to your hospital room, Zippy helps you explore your experiences while having a great time.
ABOUT
Meet Zippy
Zippy: A Hospital Game is a skill-building board game designed to help children navigate the hospital experience with confidence. Through play, children can express their thoughts about their illness, treatment, and hospital stay while developing coping skills. Board games offer a sense of control by allowing children to make choices, helping them realize they can manage their experiences in new ways.
FOUNDATIONS
Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Zippy is inspired by the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Children learn simple strategies to cope with hospital procedures while having fun—without relying on screens! The game encourages children—and their parents—to openly share their thoughts and emotions about hospitalization, illness, and treatment. It also strengthens communication between players, whether they are family members or medical staff.
FUN AND INFORMATIVE
From a multidisciplinary team
Designed by a multidisciplinary collaboration among a psychologist, a user experience expert, and a graphic designer, Zippy offers an educational gameplay experience without compromising engagement and visual quality. Players move through the board by answering thought-provoking questions and completing interactive challenges. The goal? Visit all the rooms, collect the room tokens, and be the first to leave the hospital!
FUN AND INFORMATIVE
A skill-building Boardgame
Share Your Story: Talk about your thoughts and feelings about the hospital, your illness, and treatments.
Connect with Others: Communicate with your family, loved ones, medical team, or even other kids!
Learn Coping Skills: Pick up simple and effective ways to handle hospital procedures with confidence.
Have Fun: Find new ways to pass the time in your hospital room, beyond just screens!
Zippy is here to turn your hospital experience into a meaningful, uplifting adventure—one move at a time. Let’s play and discover just how strong you are!
ABOUT US
Meet the Team
Aslıhan Özcan
I’m Aslıhan, a psychologist and art therapist with nearly 20 years of experience supporting children and families facing chronic illnesses like cancer and organ failure. My mission is to make hospitals more child-friendly while addressing the emotional needs of patients and their loved ones.
I studied Psychology and Sociology at Koç University and later specialized in Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University. Using play and creativity, I provide therapeutic support to pediatric patients and families coping with illness and hospitalization.
After working in pediatric oncology and hematology units as a volunteer, I became a psychotherapist at the American Hospital in Istanbul in 2011. In 2015, I joined Koç University Hospital’s Department of Pediatrics, fulfilling my passion for working with children. In 2019, I founded the Happy Child, Happy Family Program to help families navigate the emotional and social challenges of hospitalization.
I have collaborated with various foundations to expand my reach, including KAÇUV’s “Play is My Medicine” and “Adding Color to Life with Art” projects. In 2019, I partnered with the Ministry of Education as a trainer for “Teacher, Please Hold My Hand”, supporting the education of children in medical settings.
Pelin Karaturhan
Works like the canvas tools you’re familiar with.
Derin Kılıçoğlu
I’m Derin, a graphic designer based in Istanbul, specializing in brand identity, visual campaigns, and illustration. I hold a degree in Media and Visual Arts with a minor in Sociology from Koç University, where I graduated in 2023.
During my studies, I joined Circle Graphic Communication Design Studio, where I deepened my expertise in visual communication design. In my senior year, I began collaborating with KARMA XR Lab, and I have been part of their team ever since.
In 2024, I started my Master’s program at Koç University, focusing on design education. Currently, I’m working on developing an educational toolkit aimed at enhancing design literacy.
Collaborators and Supporters
Zippy: A Hospital Game 2025 is created with funding from the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) (www.siop-online.org).
Zippy: A Hospital Game is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ See the usage terms in the manual for details.