Game Log 3 - "Imagine"

Game Log 3: Imagine

Materials

1. Role Cards + Method: “Empowered Participation” (Roles & Responsibilities)
2. Chosen Imagine Methods
3. Transition Tool: Playtest & Gameplay Experience Capture Grid

Game Mockup: Games for Culture

Look at all you have produced during the “Imagine phase” and from each cultural jam role reflect on (also using images or other documentation methods to illustrate the process and results):

• Reflect on how, in your different roles, you included the chosen values, cultural heritage, and cultural/societal theme into the mockup’s aesthetics, story, design and interaction. How did Playtesters respond to these elements? Include brief reflections from your team members
  • Artist: The long corridor and our overall aesthetics is a reference to James Turell’s installation art piece at AROS. We have been working with the freedom EU value in the fact that the player is being trapped inside the corridor with no possibility to exit without doing what the game tells you to. 
  • Storyteller: Other EU values in our narrative are democracy and the rule of law. The player is introduced as a leader who has absolute control over the population without anyone else interfering, implying that few people are above the law. 
  • Designer: Our game will be available to play in a physical corridor at AROS as an experience with both darkness and mysterious sounds, and in this way we are once again working with freedom, but also in a very physical form with respect for human rights.  

• Based on Playtest feedback, consider how your mockup can evolve into a prototype or full game by further enhancing the use of your chosen values, cultural heritage, and cultural/societal theme as game-making material. Identify key elements to focus on in the next phase of development. Include brief reflections from your team members on their efforts to create a cultural gameworld and an empowering gameplace experience
  • Based on our feedback from our playtest, we came to the conclusion that the sound effects made the experience much more profound for our test participants. This is an idea that we can take with us and make our prototype Another thing we wanted to emphasize was that we had to get the test person to walk down some kind of passageway.  This also contributed to the scary experience that we wanted to achieve. 

• Reflect on how your mockup, with its focus on values and cultural heritage, stands out as a different or innovative game for culture. What new elements are you trying to introduce, and what insights did the playtest provide?

Our game stands out by combining a dark, dystopian atmosphere with interactive choices that have symbolic meanings. Inspired by the long corridor in Jonah Freeman & Justin Lowe’s installation at ARoS, we use space and lighting to create a feeling of isolation and uncertainty.

One new element we introduce is how choices are not just part of the gameplay but also represent important societal values. When the player picks between objects, like a key or a microphone, they are making a deeper decision—choosing between physical freedom and freedom of speech. This makes the game not just a story but also a way to engage players in political and ethical dilemmas.

From our playtest, we learned that the atmosphere and visuals play a big role in making the game feel intense. Testers felt growing pressure, especially when the door locked behind them and the unknown figure appeared. We also realized that the choice summaries could be even more effective if they were shorter and more impactful, possibly with visual or sound changes to highlight their meaning.

• Include visual/written documentation from the Imagine phase and your methods, as well as of Playtest & Playtest Capture Grid.

Visual/Written Documentation from the Imagine Phase and Methods

In the Imagine phase, we each brainstormed and presented 3-4 ideas. We then selected some, refined them, added or removed elements, and sketched concepts to see what was possible. We used drawings, notes, and images from the ARoS installation as inspiration. To better understand the atmosphere we wanted to create, we physically walked around a space to get a sense of how it should feel.

Playtest & Playtest Capture Grid

We originally planned to test the game after programming was complete, but due to time constraints, we conducted a real-life version instead. We drew the objects and used a physical room in Schön to simulate the experience. A few players participated, and while the test went well, we realized that the game is designed for a digital experience, and the real-life version didn’t fully capture the intended gameplay. However, many testers appreciated the sounds, the emotions created by the atmosphere, and the feeling of being under pressure.