Basic elements of serious game design

An Introduction to serious game design

GAMES FOR GOOD

Part I: Game Design 101

Part II: Serious Game

Part III: Gaming in Healthcare

Presented at the Institute of Mental Health Singapore, July 2014 [email protected]

Part I: Game Design 101 [email protected]

Games are an exercise of voluntary control system, in which there is a contest between powers, confined by rules in order to produce disequilibrial outcome - Elliot Avendon & Brian Sutton-smith

(A game) is an interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle toward a goal. – Greg Costikyan.

A game is a closed, formal system, that engages players in structured conflict, and resolve in an unequal outcome. – Trancy Fullerton, Chris Swain, and Steven Hofftman

A game is a problem solving activity, approached with playful attitude . – Jesse Schell

A game is a particular way of looking at something, anything. – Clark C. Abt.

Games share four defining traits: a goal, rules, a feedback system, and voluntary participation. - Jane McGonigal

Game Design 101 Game Design 101

THE ELEMENTS

Objective

Game Design 101 Game Design 101

who the players are and why they would want to play the game

how the game's structure and rules allow players to exercise choices that influence the outcomes of events

the extent to which the game's elements work in combination to create a system that's appropriately challenging, but which players still perceive as fair and equitable

the design needs to support a sensible experience, where players understand the things that happen in the game and how their actions affect them.

the direct sensory experience, which includes images sound as well as any other feedbacks

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Image: http://uxmag.com/articles/the-elements-of-player-experience

Game Design 101

Game Design 101

Concept of FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Game Design 101

Game design is about providing framework/structure to motivate player

achieving their goal(s), though fun

and

ENGAGING

play experience

FUN

Game Design 101

Game Design 101

Part II: Serious Game

Serious games are games designed for a purpose beyond pure entertainment. They use the motivation levers of game design – such as competition, curiosity, collaboration, individual challenge – and game media, including board games through physical representation or video games, through avatars and 3D immersion, to enhance the motivation of participants to engage in a complex or boring tasks. Lexicon Financial Times

Serious Game

A serious game or applied game is a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment

Serious Game

Challenge 3: Impact measurement.

Serious game need to be measured seriously

Serious Game

Major challenges in serious game design:

Challenge 1: Serious game design = designing game as solution,

i.e. we need to understand the problem, construct visible solutions, transform it into the game.

Challenge 2: Deliver more than (just) FUN.

Game need to be FUN! But serious game need to deliver more than just FUN. The trade of some time unavoidable.

Part III: Gaming in Healthcare

Game as medium to educate and deliver meaningful information (instruction)

Gaming in Healthcare

Gaming in Healthcare

Game as early detection and mapping tool

Gaming in Healthcare

Game as motivator and support for the rehabilitation process

http://happyplay.org

Gaming in Healthcare

and it’s time to play!

Play is the highest form of research - attributed to Albert Einstein

Thank you!

[email protected]