how to design a serious game

HOW TO DESIGN A SERIOUS GAME

Giuseppe Enrico FranchiMarco Mazzaglia

10-06-2014

HOW TO DESIGN A SERIOUS GAMEall I remember on serious games from school

Giuseppe Enrico FranchiMarco Mazzaglia

10-06-2014

Agenda

• Who am I• About the jam• What is a serious game• How to influence/persuade people • The production cycle• 1 hour rant on the concept phase, 5 minutes

to cover the rest• Q&A

Whoami

• MSc in Games, Design• Game designer, code monkey, disciple

evangelist• Master thesis: “Learning Games for

Programming”, spawned Machineers

About the upcoming jam

Any jammers here?Do you know what a game jam is?

Do you know what a game designer does?

What is a…

Serious gameApplied game

Game with a purposeEdugame

…insert name of the week here

Influence people through a game

It already happens

Yay :)

Influence people through a game

“One cannot not communicate.” (Paul Watzlawick)

"As any constructed depiction of reality, simulations convey the bias of its designers."

(Gonzalo Frasca)

Sebastian Deterding, “What your designs say about you”

Enough

Get practical

The Production Cycle

ConceptPre-Production

ProductionTesting and debug

Post-production

Concept

GameWhat interaction with a (computer) system can

result in an interesting experience?

Serious GameHow do I want people to be influenced by

interacting with my system?

More practical!!!

Have your goal in mind when you conceptualize / design.

All the time

What can a serious game DO?How can we influence people for real?

1. Training simulations

I want to instruct players on how to perform a specific task.

1. Training simulations

Principles Motivation, transfer of knowledge consequence-

free.

How toDeep knowledge of a system.

Align player actions with operator actions and replicate consequences.

2. Medication

I want to have a positive influence on a medical condition affecting the player.

2. Medication

Hunter Hoffman, SnowWorld

2. Medication

Hunter Hoffman, SnowWorld

2. Medication

University of Southern California, JewelMine

2. Medication

Principles Immersion, escapism.

How to:\

Talk to professionals, I guess

3. Improve life

I want to change my player’s behaviour.

Moral, immoral? Hard to say.

D. Berdichevsky, E. Neuenschwander

3. Improve life

Principles Motivation, immersion.

How toAlign game mechanics to virtuous behaviours.

4. Raise awareness

I want to make players aware of the existence of a certain issue.

http://www.darfurisdying.com/

http://www.mcvideogame.com/

3. Raise awareness

Principles Immersion, agency

How toIntegrate players in the system, make them "live" the

choice.Avoid bias.

The disclosure principle.Call to action.

5. Inform

I want to give out news using a videogame.

GameTheNews.net, Endgame: Syria

5. Inform

Problem: Principles of journalism: obligation to the truth,

verification, independence.

Super quick and unbiased!

Gonzalo Frasca, September 12°http://www.newsgaming.com/games/index12.htm

5. Inform

Principles Immersion

How toEasy: make super quick, unbiased simulations.

6. Educate

I want my players to learn something.

http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html

6. Educate

Plenty of good design principlesAgency, Immersion, Identification,

Narrative/Fantasy, Intrinsic motivation

6. Educate

Plenty of games failing to apply those principles, especially intrinsic motivation.

It doesn’t come for free!

6. Educate

How toClear goals.

Assistance (scaffolds).Debrief.

Foster intrinsic motivation.Forget school as it is.

The Production Cycle

ConceptPre-Production

ProductionTesting and debug

Post-production

Pre-Production

Do your researchWrite the design document

Set for the technologyEstimate effort

Remember:Have your goal in mind when you design.

All the time

Production

Have an idea of all game featuresKeep tabs on how the project evolves

Be prepared to rediscuss

Test early, test often

Testing and debug

Quality Assurance (pre-alpha)All game features in place (alpha)

Game complete, needs debugging (beta)Release Candidate

Post-Production

Archive the project assetsFinal balance of the project

Post mortem

Thanks

Q&A