Erste Sveznalica: Turning National Knowledge Into Play

How It All Started

How do you inspire people to learn more about their country - and make it genuinely fun?

Erste Bank Montenegro took a bold step into the world of mobile games to do just that. In collaboration with ZUNO Games, they launched Erste Sveznalica, an educational quiz app designed to take players on a colourful journey through Montenegro’s landscapes, culture, and knowledge. From history buffs to casual players, the app invites everyone to test what they know and discover what they don’t - with the chance to win monthly prizes for those who go the distance.

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Who It Was Made For

The primary audience for Sveznalica were Erste’s clients and the broader public in Montenegro, including families, students, and trivia lovers. But the game also found traction in offline promo activations - QR-coded flyers and branded materials were distributed across branches making it easy for anyone to jump in and play.

(Design note: include visual of printed card with QR code here?)

By combining educational value with lighthearted competition, the game appealed across generations - from schoolchildren to retirees - turning "just another quiz" into a shared, national experience.

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How the Game Works

Sveznalica follows a simple but effective gameplay loop: players press "Start" and begin their journey through Montenegro. Along the way, they encounter 15 randomized challenges from a pool of four different mini-games:

• Four Answers - classic multiple-choice
• Yes/No - fast-paced true or false
• Missing Letters - guess the term by filling in the blanks
• Balloons - tap the floating words that fit the clue

Each question is worth between 1 and 5 points, with a maximum of 48 points per session. Depending on their total score, players earn between 0 and 3 stars. And here’s the catch: only those with a perfect 3-star rating can enter the monthly prize draw.

Topics span the full spectrum of Montenegrin life - from geography, sports, and finance to art, famous figures, and fun facts that even locals might miss.

Behind the scenes, a smart anti-cheating system ensures fair play, while telemetry data and session logs help track participation for prize eligibility.

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What Happened After Launch?

• 4,184 completed entries into the prize draw (players who earned 3 stars)
• Strengthened Erste Bank’s positioning as a family-friendly and innovation-forward brand
• Increased user engagement via gamified banking campaigns
• Game used as a communication bridge for financial literacy, local pride, and brand loyalty

The game wasn’t just played - it was talked about, shared, and passed around at kitchen tables and student desks alike.

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Fun Fact

The game didn’t just stay on screens - it echoed through school hallways and lunch breaks. In more than one case, teachers reported that their students discovered Erste Sveznalica before they did… and refused to stop playing until they topped the leaderboard. Turns out, a good quiz travels fast.

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