Tag: Marked

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Week 4 Questions

Observance

What made the experience fun or not?

The experience was fun because if you are the immigrants, you don’t know where your opponents players are and its the mystery of where the green card and the churches are. The game gets a lot easier once you find the green card so you can escape. If you are the boarder patrol, you get to choose where the green card is and the churches. You also have the opportunity to block the immigrants and do search formats that will help sweep them from the board.

What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?

The motivating factor for the immigrants is to find the green card to escape. The motivating factor for the search patrol is to find where the immigrants are and wipe them off the board.
Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

Yes the game is persuasive because it is subtly trying to show you what the boarder is like in real life and is trying to influence your beliefs and social understandings.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

It compares immigration to the game battleship. The mechanic that stands out is the search and hide characteristic of the game that reinforces the cat and mouse dynamic at the boarder.
How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?

The gameplay can feel uncomfortable and strategic rather than playful. It often creates empathy for immigrants because they are positioned as vulnerable and constantly under threat of being “found.” Depending on the role you play, it can also make you reflect on the system itself rather than just one side.
Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?

Yes it can be considered an activist or persuasive game. It advocates for critical reflection on U.S. border politics and immigration enforcement by exposing how the system reduces complex human experiences into tactical operations.
Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

Observance is a board game modeled after Battleship that explores immigration and border patrol. One player hides as immigrants while the other searches as border enforcement, creating a tense strategy gameplay. Through simple mechanics, the game critiques how border systems treat human movement like a tactical game.

5 new ideas:

  1. Concept:
    A workplace simulation game where players navigate a corporate environment over 10 in-game years.

Gameplay:
Players choose a character (with gender identity affecting how systems respond to them) and make decisions about speaking up in meetings, negotiating salary, reporting harassment, or balancing family expectations. The same choices produce different outcomes depending on the character’s gender.

Serious Purpose:
The game demonstrates wage gaps, bias in performance reviews, emotional labor expectations, and the “double bind” women often face (too assertive vs. not assertive enough).

Core Message:
Sexism is systemic, not just individual.

2. Concept:
A life-simulation game where players are randomly assigned a socioeconomic status at birth.

Gameplay:
Players make decisions about education, healthcare, housing, and employment, but available choices vary depending on starting income. Random events (medical emergencies, job loss, inheritance, networking opportunities) dramatically affect trajectories.

Serious Purpose:
Shows how structural inequality shapes life outcomes beyond “working hard.”

Core Mechanic:
Two players can play side by side and compare how different their opportunities are.

3. Concept:
A narrative-driven decision game about navigating everyday spaces (school, stores, job interviews, police encounters).

Gameplay:
Players experience branching storylines where microaggressions, profiling, or cultural assumptions affect outcomes. Dialogue choices influence trust, safety, and social standing.

Serious Purpose:
Encourages empathy by demonstrating how race shapes daily interactions in subtle and overt ways.

Core Message:
Bias operates both structurally and interpersonally.

4. Concept:
A strategy game where players run for local office in a politically divided town.

Gameplay:
Players must balance campaign promises, donor influence, public opinion, and personal values. Decisions affect approval ratings, media coverage, and policy outcomes.

Twist:
Accepting corporate donations may help you win but limits the policies you can realistically pass.

Serious Purpose:
Explores political compromise, corruption, and voter polarization.

Core Message:
Political systems shape what leaders can actually accomplish.

5. Concept:
A time-management and survival simulation about being a nontraditional adult college student.

Gameplay:
Players juggle coursework, a job, childcare, financial stress, and social isolation. Energy and time are limited resources. Unexpected events (sick child, overtime shifts, tuition hikes) force difficult trade-offs.

Serious Purpose:
Highlights barriers adult learners face that traditional students may not.

Core Message:
Higher education is not equally accessible for everyone.

Reading Questions:

what learning games have you played? can you categorize them by the theory of learning types: behaviorism, constructivism, constructivism or social nature? if you played more than one which was the most effective?

Behaviorism:

Duolingo – Uses streaks, points, levels, and instant feedback to reinforce correct answers.

Constructivism:

Minecraft – Players learn by building, experimenting, and solving spatial or logic problems.

Social Nature:

Among Us – Encourages communication, deduction, and social reasoning.

is gamification bullshit, what is ian bogost’s argument and do you agree? where have you encountered it outside of class and what was your experience?

Ian Bogost argues that gamification is “bullshit” because it often reduces games to superficial elements like points, badges, and leaderboards without capturing what actually makes games meaningful. He says companies use gamification as a marketing tool to manipulate behavior rather than create genuine engagement.

I partially agree because many gamified systems feel shallow and rely on extrinsic rewards, which can lose effectiveness over time. However, when thoughtfully designed, gamified systems can motivate participation, and they just shouldn’t replace meaningful design.

Ive encountered it in apps that aren’t game but have a point system like Starbucks or Sheetz.

What is a serious game and why aren’t they chocolate covered broccoli?

A serious game is a game designed primarily for education, training, activism, or social impact rather than pure entertainment. Examples include military simulations, health training games, and persuasive games like Observance. They are not “chocolate covered broccoli” when the gameplay itself meaningfully connects to the message. The phrase suggests disguising boring education with fun elements, but strong serious games integrate learning into the mechanics so that playing the game is the learning and not just sugar on top of a lecture.

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Game Reviews

Ames’ Game Last Resort

  1. What made the experience fun or not?
    1. The experience was fun because the game was calm but still required a lot of thinking. It kind of put me in a trance while playing, since I had to focus but didn’t feel stressed.
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
    1. The main motivating factor is trying to get the civilians on your side. It makes you want to keep playing so you can improve your strategy and win them over.
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
    1. I’m not really sure if the game is persuasive. It doesn’t clearly try to get you to do anything outside of the game.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. The game’s metaphor seems to be about strategy and opposing sides competing for influence. The mechanic that stood out the most was that each side had specific moves, which made gameplay more interesting and strategic.
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
    1. The gameplay makes me feel calm, but also competitive at the same time. I feel the most empathy for the civilians because they are affected by the choices made by both sides.
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?
    1. I don’t think the game is an activist game. It might encourage players to think differently or more strategically.
  7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Critical Thinking
    2. Competition slowly builds
    3. Thought shapes how you play

Crossing the Bridge

  1. What made the experience fun or not?
    1. The experience was fun but challenging. It made you think a lot, which kept it engaging.
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
    1. The motivating factor is trying to cross the bridge while understanding the rules and limitations placed on you.
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
    1. Yes, because it makes you think about how people face obstacles in real life. Outside of the game, it encourages players to be more aware of challenges others may experience.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    1. The bridge acts as a metaphor for obstacles people face. The mechanic that stands out most is how movement is restricted, which forces players to think carefully about their choices.
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
    1. The gameplay makes me feel frustrated. It makes me feel empathy for people who have limited options.
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so, what does the gameplay advocate for?
    1. I think it can be considered an activist game because it raises awareness about inequality and obstacles. It advocates for understanding and empathy toward others’ experiences.
  7. Describe the game in three sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Steps feel slow and hard
      Limits shape every movement
      Understanding grows

Observance: The Board Game

  1. What made the experience fun or not?
    1. The experience was interesting but not very fun. It was more serious and made you think carefully about your choices.
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
    1. The motivating factor is wanting to understand the system better and see how your decisions affect the outcome. Players keep going to see if they can improve or change the results.
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
    1. Yes, the game is persuasive because it makes players think about how rules and authority affect people. Outside of the game, it encourages players to question systems and be more aware of power and control.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    1. The game is a metaphor for being constantly watched. The mechanic that stands out most is the limited freedom and strict rules, which shape how the game is played.
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
    1. The gameplay made me feel tense and uncomfortable at times. It made me feel empathy for people who live under strict control or constant observation.
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so, what does the gameplay advocate for?
    1. Yes, because it raises awareness about surveillance. The game advocates for thinking critically about authority and personal freedom.
  7. Describe the game in three sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Eyes are always there
       Rules decide what you can do
       Freedom feels distant
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Game design 2 week 4 Game ideas

Aleah Dudek

  1. Theme: Climate justice
    Mechanic: Economic simulation

Every player benefits from pollution at first, but emissions secretly accumulate and trigger disasters that hit the poorest players hardest.

2. Theme: Housing insecurity
Mechanic: Tile laying survival

Pets move through temporary homes as buildings disappear. You don’t control the world, only how long your animal can remain safe.

3. Theme: Forgotten deaths and systemic erasure
Mechanic: Hidden information and area control

Players move through a city where invisible ghosts represent unrecorded victims. Only by standing still can you see them, but doing so makes you vulnerable.

4. Theme: Climate change
Mechanic: Cooperative survival

The dragon’s fire represents rising heat and disasters. Players can fight it, but every attack makes it burn hotter.

5. Theme: Climate refugees
Mechanic: Tile erosion and migration

Rising tides wake the Kraken. Each round, parts of the ocean map sink, forcing fleets to flee while the monster grows.

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Game Responses Week 4

Last Resort

Was it fun? Yes, I actually really enjoyed it

What were the player interactions? There are two players and we alternate turns and can take out each others pieces

How long did it take to learn? Pretty quickly for me since I knew how to play chess already

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Honestly, I never got frustrated it was pretty straightforward for me

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I liked the different dynamics of playing with different rules and having the civilians there, it just gave chess a cool flair

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Maybe have the Bleached team be a little less OP and see what that would do to the gameplay

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Give the Oiled side something a little different (or try to play against someone who does know how to play first)

Is this a game you would play again? Yes, I really liked it and would like to see how it could play out again

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. 1) The setup and first moves 2) moving civilians and starting to get them back safe 3) total destruction begins when civilians start dying and the only way to win is total annihilation

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? All competitive, you’re trying to win and at the beginning not kill civilians but whoever kills one first then the vibe shifts and it’s bloody war

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The metaphor is a crisis of unmatched man power where civilians get caught in the crossfire, the mechanic of the civilian movement was intriguing to me

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

Civilians can die
Try to save them or you die
Kill them at your risk

Observance

Was it fun? Sort of, I don’t like long rules so that was not fun

What were the player interactions? Pretty in depth, asking questions and talking back and forth about stuff

How long did it take to learn? A while

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Trying to remember all the little rules and stuff

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? It’s a neat concept and I like battleship so it had that element of gameplay

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Switch sides faster perhaps, I played as border patrol and didn’t get to play as the Mexicans

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Have a little more energy to fully get into the game, nothing with the game necessarily just when we played it

Is this a game you would play again? Maybe? If i didn’t have to go through all the set up again, but it’s intriguing so I might give it a second chance

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. 1) Set up and hiding the different elements on respective “maps” 2) Asking questions back and forth and rolling the dice and doing our different moves 3) either finding the stuff or not and making it to the U.S. which is winning

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? It’s mostly competitive, trying to be the one to get more immigrants to the U.S.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Getting immigrants into the US and defending against them coming in, interesting mechanic (which is also sort of a metaphor) would be that winning is depending on how many get in not how many you keep out, which is probably supposed to be part of the thought provoking idea

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

People coming in
Rolling dice finding location
Switching sides to win

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5 Serious game ideas

Flight or death-

A card game where everybody has a role to keep the plane operational while some have to sabotage the plane

Balance of Rha-

5 different roles with different ways for each player to win. Nobody knows your role but the player secrelty has to push their ideal to the public without grabbing too much attention.

Build That City-

You collect cards to build infrastructures based off what the game gave you. You can trade with other players to achieve your goal faster, but trade at your own risk.

To Ciph or Deciph

You get a random set up numbers and colors based off the card you drew and the player gets to ask questions to try to decipher your code.

KaBlooey

A random player has a bomb and they have to reach the goal before anyone else does. After every set of turns, and event card comes out which could either help you or screw you over.

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Game Design 2 week 4 Reflection

Observant

  1. What made the experience fun or not? I think it was fun I wish it was harder to catch the immigrants though. Mason and I almost caught everyone on each side. I caught all of his and he caught 5 of mine. I wish there was a way to be more sneaky.
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? I think learning the strategy and being able to sneak around. I think the players will want to try and get around the guards.
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game? I think it is persuasive because it motivates people politically. I won’t get to in depth to offend anyone, but especially with what is going on now I can see how this can motivate someone in one way or another.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The only metaphor I can think of is maybe don’t get caught. I can’t think of any without getting too political. The mechanics worked almost like battleship you have to guess where the immigrants are as the border guards and try to catch them before they reach the green card into the US.
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for? It makes me feel bad in a way but also the drive to catch the player. I think there could’ve been a different them than guards and immigrants. Maybe it could’ve been like cats and mice. Sort of makes us feel empathy for the immigrants getting caught.
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for? Yes this is and activist game. You can take it politically or you can’t. It advocates for immigrants in different countries and makes you think about that situation in our world today.
  7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.Silent grid of hope
    Names erased between the lines—
    Ships flee through the fog.

Last Resort

  1. What made the experience fun or not? I think it could be fun, but I don’t really understand chess so it made it super hard for me to play with someone who knew how to play chess.
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? I think to kill one another. The tactics allow you to kill each others pieces so the more you kill the other players the less they can do to kill and take over your side.
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game? I think maybe it can be persuasive. It can maybe persuade people that war is bad and can get very violent. This game can relate to a lot of real world scenarios.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Civilians are the board. In this game, cities claim they are fighting for the people but the people themselves become the terrain over which power moves. Like squares in chess, civilians are treated as strategic positions rather than lives. The mechanics are almost exactly like chess moving pieces to dominate others.
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for? It makes me feel angry but also competitive because I know it’s not real when I am playing it but things like this do happen in real life so sad. It make the player feel empathy for the civilians as they are innocently being killed while the two players battle.
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for? It is an activist game for war and innocent lives and civilians victim to war.
  7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. They guard the squares.
    People become the board’s lines.
    Peace is checkmate’s lie.

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Game ideas(Prototype)

I want to do another drinking style game that not only adults can play. Im thinking maybe a twist on a classic game like war. Not sure of the details yet but it very much intrigues me.

Another idea similar to the idea would be a college themed drinking game I would like to call Syllabus Week. For now i while use a normal deck but the end game would be that its a twist of the game Kings cup and war.

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Reflection on Observance

  1. What made the experience fun or not? The instructions at first. Just a little confusing but overall it was fun
  2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? To try to get to the border
  3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game? Its to make you feel guilty about immigrants crossing the border.
  4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Run like the wind, and being able to move forward and back
  5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for? It makes me feel bad for immigrants
  6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for? It advocates for the border control to keep immigrants out.
  7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. Stupid ah border
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Week 3 Game Review

Games played:

Detroit Become Human:I have played this game previously, but I always sympathize with the game and the characters. By having the game be fpv, and your choices directly affect the character. For example, when we killed Todd (Alice’s dad) I didn’t feel sympathy because of his actions towards us (Kara) and Alice, hence us killing him felt justified. But with the interrogation between Connor and the android, I felt bad as there seemed to be motives and unfair treatment which lead to the murder. The game does a great job at making players sympathize with characters because of visuals, voice actors, and the choices.

Outer Wilds: While briefly playing the game, it seemed fun, due to the controls of the game, but it was difficult to play, at least for me. The brief part of the story I saw was that we were trapped in a time loop, trying to prevent something from happening. I figure if I could get into the story more, I would empathize with the story more, but personally, the controls are what ruined it for me.

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Week 3 Reading Questions

Reading questions:

  • how does mary flanagan’s definition of game differ from chris crawford’s as well as the definition crafted by katie salen and eric zimmerman?
    • She focuses on the idea that games can be a work of art and a piece of constructive content. Games can be used tyo learn something instead of just playing a game.
  • what is an activist game?
    • Games that are used to express social or other ethical issues, not just to play a game. There is more benefit to learning the purpose and reasoning of the game rather then just playing.
  • go and chess are examples of games that feature “perfect information”, what other games share that feature?
    • Uno, Candyland, and Monopoly would count, as all of their info is always available and on the game board.
  • why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
    • Life is also a gamble,so having games be a part of that is still a fact of life, or it could be used as a way to express risk and danger without the same issues.
  • when was the earliest battle between government/ religious groups and games? What modern games can you think of that have been banned or demonized?
    • I know Cards Against Humanity has had some issues, but really any game thats considered too vulgar or graphic can get banned
  • what is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?
    • Games that have unequal opponents, D&D can count as this, as one player always has the answers and the other doesnt
  • what was the purpose or intent of the game: Mansion of Happiness?
    • To encourage people to have these good ideas and dewsries in their hearts, which would encourage them to move on both in life and in the game
  • Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surealist movements play games? Why did Surealists believe games might help everyone?
    • They feel that games can help people open their eyes to new ideas and opportunities
  • Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WW2?
    • Changes in life, war, and anything that affects the world can change how games work. Pinball games were made to look like you were shooting and attacking the enemy, with racist images and slurs on it that reflected the US’s opinion during the war
  • What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like monopoly and ping pong?
    • They commented that world issues can be “played” and made aware of by the people using these games.
  • How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco and Ruth Catlowusing war games?
    • They make art that challenges and critiques current events, making their art feel war-like
  • Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?
    • Then they can undsertand the game and its purpose, to see how these things are affecting others and how to fix it
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Week 3 Homework

Homework ideas/rules 

“Generate a list of five game ideas that revolve around the theme of empathy. Wrinkle: Take one of the five ideas and make it an alternate reality game.”

  1. Alone
    1. A game where you slime life as someone with depression. It would be a choose-your-own adventure, and you could recover or fall further. The goal of the game would be to show people how serious the experience can be
  2. Adoption
    1. Play as a pet in an adoption center. Learn to appeal to humans and try to get adopted. Allows people to feel sympathy for animals and focus on adopting and not “shopping” for pets
  3. Gaia
    1. Play as Mother Earth, who is dealing with the effects of humanity and how we are polluting the planet
  4. K-12
    1. You simulate a kid growing up in school from K-12, learning who they are as a person, and every choice you make affects how they graduate, or if they do
  5. Exploration
    1. You travel the land and choose what to destroy and preserve based on ancient civilizations.

Rules for a game from week 1:

Star Sailor!

The purpose of the game is to gather materials to keep exploring space. But will you destroy these newfound planets to keep exploring? Or will you fall into the void of space to keep the planets you stumble upon safe?

The goal of the game is to explore planets to gather resources, which can be used to explore further and collect pets and upgrades. Players can end the game whenever they choose, but the only limit is how many cards there are. (Basically infinite)

Basic Mechanics:

  • You fly in a ship, and each turn you pull a card to select what planet you land on
  • It costs resources to fly; either you can claim resources that are left on the planet, leave the planet alone, or destroy the planet for extra resources.
  • Players will have a mat in front of them that has resource sliders, a character icon/token, and spots to put planets they destroyed (so they can’t be visited again)
  • Players can use extra resources to get upgrades to travel to the most planets, or adopt pets!  
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Week 3 Reading ?’s

Chapter 1

  1.  How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of a game differ from Chris Crawford’s and from Salen & Zimmerman’s?
    1. Chris Crawford says games are mostly about goals, rules, and winning; they’re kinda like math problems with competition. Salen & Zimmerman are similar, saying games are systems with rules and conflicts that give measurable results. Flanagan is different because she thinks games can do more than that. They can show culture, make statements, or even challenge people. She thinks games can be art or a way to think about society, not just play or winning.
  2.  What is an activist game?
    1.  An activist game is a game made to make you think about real-world issues. It might show unfairness or challenge the way society works. You don’t just read about a problem, you experience it by playing. The goal is to question things, imagine change, or make people see a different perspective.

Chapter 3

  1.  Go and chess are examples of games with “perfect information.” What other games share that feature?
    1. Perfect information games are ones where everyone can see everything that’s happening. Other examples are checkers, tic-tac-toe, Othello (Reversi), Nim, and Nine Men’s Morris. These games are more about strategy than luck.
  2.  Why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
    1. Ancient people thought random games like dice could show what the gods wanted or what fate was planning. It wasn’t just luck, they believed the results had meaning and could guide decisions or rituals.
  3.  When was the earliest battle between government/religious groups and games? What modern games have been banned or demonized?
    1. In ancient and medieval times, people banned games like dice or gambling because they thought they were sinful or bad for society. Today, examples are Dungeons & Dragons during the Satanic Panic, violent games like Mortal Kombat or GTA, gambling/loot boxes, and even online games that get restricted for political reasons.
  4.  What is a fox game, and what is a modern example?
    1. A fox game is one where one player has an advantage over everyone else. Modern examples are games like Dead by Daylight or military simulations where one side has way more resources. Flanagan uses them to show how power differences can be built into a game.
  5.  What was the purpose or intent of The Mansion of Happiness?
    1. It was a board game from the 1800s that taught kids Christian morals. You got rewards for being good and penalties for bad behavior. Basically, it was supposed to teach obedience, temperance, and piety, not just be fun.
  6.  Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surrealist movements play games? Why did Surrealists believe games might help everyone?
    1. Surrealists played games to get creative, break normal thinking, and challenge rules. Fluxus artists played games to turn everyday life into art and make people participate. Surrealists thought games could help everyone by shaking up habits and opening minds.
  7. What changes can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WWII?
    1. When games change in looks, rules, or stories, it can show culture changing too. During WWII, pinball machines got military themes and patriotic symbols to boost morale.
  8.  What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like Monopoly and ping-pong?
    1. By changing classic games, they critiqued things like capitalism and competition. They also questioned rules and ownership. It showed that games aren’t neutral, they reflect culture and values.
  9. How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco, and Ruth Catlow using war games?
    1. They use war games to show how messed up war and power can be. Instead of teaching you how to win battles, the games make you think about violence, responsibility, and systems of power.
  10. Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?
    1. Players need to make real choices, otherwise it’s just like reading a story. When you have agency, you experience consequences yourself, which makes the game more meaningful and teaches lessons in a way you feel.
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THE KAELEGO FREQUENCY RULES

An Alternate Reality Game
“Online Friendship / Upside Down”

Game Overview

You are an Archivist, tasked with protecting memories, places, and people from being lost. You do this by exploring hidden clues, recording real moments of friendship, and using old-school media like cassette tapes, letters, and folders.

The game happens in the real world and online:

  • Old or “dead” websites
  • Physical mail
  • Audio recordings
  • Real-world locations
  • Interactions with other players

There is no single main character. You are both watcher and watched, and your success depends on your connection with another player, your Online Friend.

How to Start

  1. Find the “dead” 1990s tech company website.
  2. Inspect the site’s source code.
  3. Locate a hidden PO Box address.
  4. Mail a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Rule: If you don’t send something physical, you are not in the game.

Player Roles

  • Every player is an Archivist.
  • Each Archivist is secretly paired with an Online Friend.
  • You do not know your Online Friend’s real identity.

Core Rules

1. Artifacts Are Never Perfect

  • You will receive a cassette tape or USB with scrambled audio.
  • The audio is intentionally distorted.
  • You may edit it but never make it perfect.

2. Record “Sounds of Friendship”

  • Examples: laughter, shared meals, natural conversations, cooperative work.
  • Not allowed: solo narration, acting, or music created for the game.
  • Upload your recording to the URL included in your artifact.

Rule: The sound must be a real connection with real people.

3. Listen to the Return Signal

  • The website will send back a warped melody.
  • It may contain hidden clues, reversed audio, or GPS coordinates.
  • You must listen to it, no skipping.

4. Visit the Physical Locations

  • Go to the GPS location provided (examples: old libraries, closed malls, abandoned tech spaces).
  • You may find: folders, notes, cassette fragments, or instructions from other Archivists.

Rule: Take one item and leave something behind.

5. Archivist Etiquette

  • Never remove everything from a location.
  • Never vandalize or damage the place.
  • Never tell strangers the ARG exists.

6. Your Online Friend

  • They monitor your uploads and send you fragments to interpret.
  • At some point, you will realize the “entity” observing you is another player.

Rule: Trust is optional; collaboration is inevitable.

7. Mutual Restoration

  • You cannot win alone.
  • You must complete tasks on behalf of your Online Friend (recording, traveling, or preserving).
  • You are restoring memories you never lived.

8. Use Analog Media

  • Allowed: cassette tapes, printed photos, handwritten notes, burned CDs, folders.
  • Discouraged: perfect digital files, AI-generated voices, clean edits.

Rule: Imperfection proves authenticity.

9. The Threat

  • There is no monster.
  • Danger comes from forgotten memories, missing items, and corrupted audio.
  • If something is forgotten, it becomes unsafe.

10. The End

  • The game has no official ending.
  • It concludes when:
    1. Two players acknowledge each other
    2. A final artifact is exchanged
    3. Both choose to stop or continue preserving

Rule: The friendship is the archive.

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Game Ideas

The Kaelego Frequency is an Alternate Reality Game inspired by Archive 81 that reimagines the world around you as a playground for strange rituals and restoration. It all kicks off when you stumble on what looks like a “dead” website from a 1990s tech company. If you dig into the source code, you’ll find an old-school PO Box address. Send in a self-addressed envelope and you’ll get back a warped cassette tape or a glitched-out USB drive packed with encrypted audio files. The main event? It’s called “The Reverse Feed,” where you capture and upload “friendship sounds”, think laughter with your roommates or the chaos of a group dinner, via a hidden URL. But when your audio comes back, it’s transformed into a weird, haunting remix, and it hides GPS coordinates. The clues send you on a scavenger hunt to “Physical Anchors” like sketchy old payphones or forgotten library corners, where you’ll find folders left by other players (known as “Archivists”). The deeper you go, the more you realize you’re being watched by an “Online Friend”, but plot twist: they’re another player, just like you. Together, you’re trying to restore each other’s memories and fend off something supernatural that threatens you both. In the end, it’s about forming a real bond with someone you’ve never met, all built on that Gen Z anxiety of being forgotten. Analog tech, digital mystery, and uncanny friendship, where reality and the internet get totally blurred.

The Archivist’s Echo is a narrative game built around the idea that understanding someone is the ultimate act of care. In this world obsessed with efficiency, you play as a Memory Technician, not here to “fix” old people, but to actually witness them. You enter fading minds to help organize their last thoughts, taking on all the sensory overload, emotional baggage, and weird associations they’ve collected. Instead of a linear story, you get a trippy mind-map to explore, unlocking memories by syncing your mood with the client’s vibes. It’s less about solving problems and more about validating a whole life so someone can leave with dignity. You’ll wander through a surreal, dreamlike 3D landscape, solving puzzles built around emotional resonance: pair the right sound or smell with the right memory, but don’t rush, an empathy meter forces you to slow down and literally breathe with the client, or risk losing memories forever. The visuals are all dissolving impressionist washes, like watercolors in the rain, and the binaural audio both guides you and sets the emotional tempo. If you’re into cozy indie games that hit hard, this one’s for you: low stress, high feels, and designed for anyone who wants meaning and comfort over grind or fixing what’s broken.

Mother’s Good Luck is like Coraline meets a psychological escape room, but way more unsettling. You’re this kid stuck in a perfectly curated, looping childhood made by Mother, who says she just wants to protect you forever, but it feels more like control than love. The wild part is you don’t fight your way out; you have to be empathetic and dig for the cracks in her world, called Missed Opportunities, to understand what’s broken inside her. The “Good Luck” system is genius: play by the rules and things stay warm and easy, but the minute you rebel, the world goes dark and the creepy stuff shows up, pushing you to find hidden paths out. The whole vibe flips between cozy nostalgia, like soft lighting, giant toys, and that childhood dream feel, and this eerie sense that something’s off, especially with rooms that look unfinished or sounds that turn from calming to straight-up bone-chilling. You solve puzzles by literally sewing memories back together, which is both weirdly wholesome and super unnerving. If you’re into games that mess with your feelings and flip comfort into horror, this is peak “creepy-cozy.” It’s the kind of game that makes you rethink what safety and love really mean, and whether always doing what you’re told is really for the best.

The Hive’s Debt is a social horror game with two timelines, inspired by Yellowjackets and the idea that “the past isn’t buried, it’s hungry.” Players move between the harsh winter after a team’s plane crash in the wilderness and their troubled adult lives twenty years later, as the “Wilderness” starts to affect the present. The main gameplay focuses on managing both timelines. Choices in the past, like betrayal or violence, have lasting effects in the future, showing up as paranoia, broken relationships, and blocked-off places in modern suburbia. The game avoids simple ideas of good and evil, pushing players to pick between “Primal” survival and “Civilized” morality. Primal choices help characters survive in the past but bring strange, ritual-like consequences in the present. Players must handle survival tasks like hunger and hunting in the past, while also dealing with hiding evidence and recovering memories in the present, all while trying to keep the truth hidden. The game’s look and sound set gritty wilderness horror against cold, sterile suburbia, with strange echoes connecting the two. A shared delusion system makes it hard to tell what’s real, mixing trauma and possible supernatural events. Made for fans of deep, character-driven horror, The Hive’s Debt is about social tension, moral choices, and the lasting price of survival, where recovery, time, and morality are always linked.

The Last Tea House is a narrative game inspired by The Umbrella Academy about being the “normal” sibling in a deeply dysfunctional super-powered family. Trapped in a magical Tea House during a memory-erasing storm, you’re stuck making tea, managing egos, and trying to keep everyone together while the rain outside slowly deletes who they are. The house is protected by a giant Umbrella powered by family harmony, so every argument weakens it. Your choices, where people sit, what tea you serve, and who has to sacrifice a power or memory, directly affect whether the family survives the night. Cozy on the surface but emotionally heavy underneath, the game builds to one final question: do you follow your father’s cold logic to keep the family intact, or let it fall apart so you can finally be free?

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2.5 Week 3 Games for Change Reviews

  • Detroit Become Human

1. What made the experience fun or not?

  • What made the experience feel fun was the fact that the narrative was able to connect in an emotional way as opposed to normal game play with their mechanics. the branching choices created a compelling story and Drew the user in.  overall I like the plot line and the fact that you can control the narrative while still having an underlying interesting storyline.

2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?

  • The biggest motorgating factor to keep playing was to see how the choices affected the outcome because there are so many branching paths there are so many endings which keeps the user drawn in because the story stays the same however we never quite know if that was the only ending. Honestly the game was really just investing in the storyline.

3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

  • I would say the game is persuasive because it’s trying to get you to keep playing even during times when the game is not even being played it encourages the audience to feel more empathy and autonomy the idea of outside the game it encourages people to look at the way Society treats others even in real world issues like discrimination overall the game creates reflection. 

4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?

  • The metaphor of the game symbolizes an oppressed population being the Androids and they’re Awakening to fight for their freedom challenging ideas of what it means to be truly human. The main mechanic that stands out is the branching Choice system that is best displayed by the flow chart this just completely drives the narrative and brings the user in to keep playing even after the game is finished.

5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?

  • The game play feels emotionally heavy intense because it invites the user to play a moral story as opposed to a typical action game and there’s a lot of pressure to make good choices to create change and fight oppression the game makes you feel empathy for a Marcus Cara and Connor by playing directly in their shoes.

6. Is the game an activist game? If so, what does the game play advocate for?

  •  yes this is an activist game because it advocates for empathy  equity and equality by stepping you in the shoes of these other characters and their narratives overall this game  advocates for change.

7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku

Machines learn to feel
Choices ripple through futures
Freedom seeks its voice

  • Factorio

1. What made the experience fun or not?

  • What made the experience fun for me was the system design an automation because it created out of the spying game loops the idea of solving complex problems is engaging for audiences and it allows them to feel a sense of growth for simple actions overall the game is very rewarding.

2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?

  •  the motivating factor for this game was the idea of continuous Improvement there’s always a  way to make the game faster and more efficient which allows these user to be easily sucked in to so many hours of gameplay to achieve milestones.

3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

  • The game isn’t persuasive but it encourages analytic thinking among the audiences as well as developing logistical problem solving skills.  I didn’t see them pushing any real world agenda outside of the game but it changes the way the user thinks and their daily lives.

4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?

  • The game’s metaphor is a struggle for control over a complexity systems the idea of building and transforming chaos into order with structures to automate the process and amplify productivity. some of the standout mechanics come from the logistical systems like conveyor belts and transportation systems as well as blueprints that create reusable designs in a research Tech Tree to unlock more machines and capabilities.

5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?

  • The gameplay made me feel strategic and clever because of the balance of expanding Productions however the game did make me feel frustrated because have how out of control the systems can get but I do feel invested in the idea of continuous creation. 

6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?

  • I didn’t necessarily see the game as categorizing under an activist game where it’s more focuses on the industry and optimization of systems but outside of the game it advocates for reflection of our industrial growth and environmental impacts. 

7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku

Belts hum in rhythm
Machines crafted by thought’s fire
Order from chaos

  • Gris

1. What made the experience fun or not?

  • What made the experience fun was the art and animation and honestly the atmosphere that the game and music provided. if you like it took the user on an emotional Journey and was on a relaxing.

2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?

  • The motivating factor to keep playing was the emotional engagement in the ability taking more and it allowed me to feel encouraged to see how the journey would unfold and what relevant themes came up.

3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

  • This game I would say is persuasive in a reflective and emotional way I don’t think you pushed any specific agenda but it encouraged players to think about grief and healing especially through visuals and narrative outside of the game I think it encourages users to bring introspection and empathy into their life.

4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?

  • The game’s metaphor uses a progression from monochrome to vibrant colors which allows the user to better understand processing grief and emotions.  I think as a mechanic color but a huge role and emotional state as well as the ability to progression from like skills of floating swimming and singing which represented breakthroughs.

5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?

  • Playing this game I felt calm with the Aesthetics and the sound rather than challenged the game made me feel empathy for Grace and honestly myself and others cuz we all go through some form of Sorrow finger or despair.

6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the gameplay advocate for?

  • I would not say this is an activist game it more so focuses on emotion exploration and the psychological experience rather than cause the gameplay does advocate for empathetic engagement with big themes like grief and acceptance.

7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku
Gray heart learns to breathe
Colors rise from silent pain
Hope walks in sunrise

  • Dumb Ways to Die

1. What made the experience fun or not?

  • I thoroughly enjoyed the game because of its quick reaction times and how short the games are.  especially someone who has ADHD and sometimes can’t stay on one thing for too long I felt like this was really engaging.

2. What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?

  • The motivating factor of this game is to keep beating your own high score and a variety of many games because the longer you survive the more characters you unlock and overall it’s just a chain of progression.

3. Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

  • This game is definitely persuasive because of its original intent which was to create Public Safety to avoid dangerous and Reckless Behavior in your trains and other scenarios which I had no idea coming into the game. overall it’s just trying to get people to be a little more cautious and aware of their surroundings in real life. 

4. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?

  • The games metaphor and coincidentally is in the name Dumb Ways to Die because of how easy real life accidents can happen when people are not aware or careless.  I think the biggest mechanic within this game is the fast-paced mini games because it demands quick reflexes keeping each user on their toes and wear their surroundings. 

5. How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?

  • The gameplay made me feel panicked but also excited because of the Split Second reactions it forces honestly with the humor in this game I don’t really feel empathy for anyone it’s just kind of funny and ridiculous. 

6. Is the game an activist game? If so what does the gameplay advocate for?

  • Going back into an earlier question yes this is an actual activist game that advocates for safe Behavior especially around trains and public safety hazard Lego listed influence real world behavior and great change. 

7. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku
Beans wobble and fall
Tap fast, avoid silly ends
Learn to stay alive