-Final Report-

Authors

Camila Vicent Pérez, 1974491

Marion Thépaut Vidal, 1870610

Yesse Abdullayev, 1966596

Neel Spinoy, 2046571

Emma Mugnai, 1921525

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2023 – 2024 Semester A
Eindhoven University of Technology, Bachelor College
Major Industrial Design

Coach: Liza Blummel

Total Word Count: 8549 words

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 Executive Summary

"A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at (or getting
better at) and enjoy." - Jane McGonigal. According to Oxford Languages, a game is an activity that one engages
in for amusement or fun. Now, envision the transformative potential it holds when education becomes its
primary objective.

Through research, we discovered the importance and the benefits of introducing gameplay as a learning strategy.
This is called Game-Based Learning (GBL) and it is proven to positively impact the cognitive and emotional
levels of students (Azita Abdul, P.Felicia, 2015).

Moreover, insights from four interviews conducted with several teachers, and an expert around psychology
revealed how GBL impacts in a good way kids with attention deficits. Additionally, our exploration uncovered
that incorporating elements such as role-playing, stakeholder thinking, and teamwork proves to be highly
effective in the learning process. At the same time, this allowed us to play with these concepts and be as free and
creative as we could to create solutions.

An impactful quote that resonates with us is Alfred Mercier's "What we learn with pleasure, we never forget."
And this is completely true. Learning must be something fun, interactive, engaging and pleasurable so that it can
be memorable and effective. As a result, we embarked this journey with these key concepts.

Months of exploring, ideating, brainstorming, prototyping and testing lead us to our final solution; Empyria.
This strategic and collaborative fantasy game is designed for 3 to 6 players. In a fantasy world which mirrors the
political, cultural, environmental, economic and social structures of Earth, players assume the roles of
stakeholders assigned to unique characters that hold certain characteristics and goals. The objective is to solve
crises through debates, dialogues, and strategy. These crises will vary in difficulty, and the final goal is to
accumulate a specific number of points by successfully resolving them by the end of the game. Furthermore, we
used the concept of emergent gameplay to define the structure and the game flow. In this way, players have the
opportunity to choose the direction and path of the game.

The game is composed of both digital and physical aspects, where an online interface was created to display all
the Information for online players and a map of the fantasy world was included for in-person players as well.

We have chosen 14–18-year-old teens as our target group as we believe that during these ages, it is extremely
important to develop skills such as collaboration, stakeholder thinking, debating and time management which
are constantly overlooked amongst many education systems nowadays. As well, Empyria can be applicable even
in a high school environment, implemented in courses such as Theory of Knowledge (TOK) from the
International Baccalaureate (IB).

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 Introduction

We initiated this project with an unstable vision that suffered continuous and drastic modifications. Over the
course of several months, our project experienced intense iterations, however, we can confidently say that we
navigated the right path, and we feel proud of the overall result. This first project in the Bachelor program for
Industrial Design at TU/e gave us the opportunity as first year students to develop a strong sense of teamwork,
learn from each other and improve our communication skills. As well, it gave us the confidence to start actively
thinking as designers and to get a better grip of how iterative design processes are meant to be.

Our project is based on two crucial concepts. The first one involves our approach to work using the Reflective
Transformative Design Process (RTDP). The second revolves around the main educational factor of our game;
stakeholder thinking.

But why did we choose stakeholder thinking as the starting point for our game? Our diverse backgrounds and
educational experiences made us reflect on what we personally found engaging and valuable during our high
school years. In this discussion, we pinpointed the effectiveness of courses like Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in fostering this type of learning. Upon further investigation,
we discovered that incorporating stakeholder thinking, along with role-playing proves to be an outstanding
approach for facilitating effective learning.

Moreover, this method has demonstrated benefits for students with attention deficits. “It allows them to use
their imagination and creativity to explore different scenarios and ideas, making learning more engaging and
memorable (Wirahandayani et al., 2023)”.

The RTDP is a methodological approach applicable in the context of project development that encourages
designers to engage in thoughtful reflection on their work, considering both the process and the outcomes. It
involves revisiting and revising initial concepts, incorporating new ideas, or adapting the design to better align
with evolving project requirements. Through this introspective examination, designers can identify areas for
improvement, refinement, and innovation ensuring the best quality for the final product.

The 5 key components of RTDP [see figure 1] are envisioning (how do we want to transform society and why?
Visualize ideas and thoughts), thinking (analyze how are we going to work accordingly to our vision and goals
and structure our work), exploring and validating (using prototypes and insights we gain from user testing to
justify decisions about our product) making (prototype low and high fidelity), finally the central circle- decisions
(based on the information gathered and integrated from the external circles.

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 Figure 1. Reflective Transformative Design Process (Hummels, 2011).

Further research made us identify with the concept of “emergent gameplay” [see figure 2]. Here, players' actions,
viewpoints and goals shape the outcome of the gameplay creating a unique and special experience every time. No
game is going to be the same as the last, and that's what makes playing so exciting.

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 Figure 2. Architecture of Game Design (Victoria D, 2020).

Project Goal

Our goal is to create an immersive game that seamlessly blends physical and digital elements. It aims to grab the
interest of three or more players, no matter where they are. We purposely focus on one important aspect as part
of our strategic approach, which is ensuring the game will be useful in an educational context. It is essential,
therefore, to develop an appealing concept that will provide students with a memorable and fulfilling learning
experience such that even educators would use it in their classrooms.

Our primary target group consists of all 14–18-year-olds who want to improve their interpersonal
communication skills, debate and collaboration. As a result, our design philosophy emphasizes meeting the
needs of high school students, especially those who struggle with focus. Due to our understanding of how
important role-playing activities are to these students' mental health and education, we've included components
that meet their unique needs.

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In the end, we want to provide a user experience that appeals to all 14-18 year olds and promotes a stronger
connection to learning through a fun game that can also be played at home. The way we see it, we want to
influence education, putting more emphasis on life skills, like flexibility, diplomacy, that aren't found in
conventional academic disciplines.

Process

When comparing the starting point to the end point for

this project, there is a very noticeable difference with the
path taken. There was a lot of reflecting, ideating and
discussions towards the end of the first quartile and the
beginning of the second with a complete idea change at
the end of it. Initially, the idea was to incorporate physical
movement into the classroom targeting students between
the ages 4-12 with learning difficulties (i.e; ADHD). It
was then changed to a collaborative game about strategy,
diplomacy and politics with a target group of teenagers
between the ages 14-18, with students with learning
difficulties being the secondary audience. Due to this,
there were a lot of stressful times with some confusing
planning, hence a very cluttered process. However
everything worked out and a lot was learnt, challenged
and improved.

Having learnt from the mistake of losing sight of the design brief, the Reflective Transformative Design Process as
well as the design brief itself were kept close. At every stage, we would revert back to this and compare to ensure
we were on the right track.

The Beginning: The Creation Wobble

To know more about the initial design concept ‘Wobble’, was a
movement-based learning game. Teachers would put on the board or on
a large screen in the middle of the room a question with 4 possible
answers. In order to select an answer, the students must complete a series
of movements. By incorporating physical movements into the classroom,
their attention would increase and restlessness decrease. In addition to
this, research concerning the best color schemes were research as it could

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cause distractions or influence emotion. This information was used and applied to the design of the game as seen
in figure 4.
Looking back, it can be observed that the reflective transformative design
process was still used, even if we never related to it. We Envisioned what
our problem was, explored different aspects of it and held discussions. We
proceeded to analyze the direction we wanted to go in and started to
abstract ideas. We made a large variety of designs, however, as we reached
the validating quality phase, we realized that although the concept was
good, the execution was not, in addition to it no longer matching the
design brief.

Although the idea change did leave us a little short on time, it taught us a
lot. In the first half semester we learnt to mostly communicate as a team
(we would lose it at times, but we always managed to get back on track),
what the research process needs to look like and the effects of losing sight
of a design brief. We took all this new information and skills and applied it
to our next idea which we are all a lot more proud of.
Figure 5. Wobble Hand Remote

The In Between: The Start of Empyria

Envisioning / Transforming
With all the research done for the previous idea, the same information was used, just a little different. The target
group increased to 14-18 after realizing the difficulties of designing a game for 4-12 year olds. Between that 8 year
time frame, there is a large mental gap as well as very different interests. After the idea of role play was brought
up, further research was done and was later backed by interviews with highschool teachers. Additionally,
classroom ambience was well known by everyone so we could also relate to the game.

Analyzing/ Abstracting

By narrowing the target group we started to idealize again. We

worked hard on generating ideas for the digital user interface and
physical prototyping and with every new idea, opinion or input
from a group member, the game started to refine itself.
Furthermore, as a method of communication, we individually put
together a pinterest board with concepts we liked. As a group, we
selected the ones we liked the most and moved them to Adobe
Illustrator artboard. Using a combination of illustrator and AI
image generator software, we came up with a final design language
for our game, also using Jennifer Aakers model for inspiration.
From then on tasks were divided within the group with 3 of our

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members, Marion, Camila and Emma working on the final UI prototyping and the 2 others, Yesse and Neel,
working on the physical prototype. Figure 6 shows the progression of the digital interface. Follow the arrow to
see the order.

This same process was used to design the

character cards, action cards and token chips. On
the left is the development of the ‘Tech Giant’
character card which was then applied to the rest.
In order to read more about this ideation process
please refer back to: Ideation on the next page.

Figure 7. Character Cards

The End: The Final Outcomes

Validating Quality + Sensing, Perceiving and Doing

In order to test the interface, we used the Wizard of Oz technique. We used fellow classmates to conduct our
experiment and receive feedback.

Figure 8 shows how our prototype works. By clicking on certain buttons/options, the player will be brought to
the according page. The home page contains all 4 options of creating, joining or continuing a game as well as the
game rules for new players. Feedback received about this feature and layout is that it is concise and straight to the
point. It uses common sense and a layout that is easy to understand.

Furthermore, to make sure everything was clear, when the tester managed to create a game, we would ask them
question such as:
- Pause the game
- Check your action card
- Go back to home
- Open the token counter

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When asked with these questions, testis for the
most part, found them after a bit of searching.
By the end of it, we received the same feedback as
for the first part (figure 8).

In conclusion, the result was that it is easy for

users to navigate and is nicely placed. There is no
risk of accidentally opening the wrong function
when they are side by side and using the 3 lines
for the menu is self explanatory. In other words,
most of the usability goals have been extensively
met, among which are safety, learnability and as
a consequence memorability. Additionally,
using the token logo for the token counter
makes it easy for players to remember what it is
for. Overall, the interface design was well
accepted and everyone seemed to like it.

Figure 8. Interface Home Page Interface

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 Iterations

General Iterations
Because we had changed our idea quite drastically in the second quartile, we made a lot of iterations in a short
period of time. This also meant that we spent a lot more time together trying to refine the idea in such a way that
everyone was happy with it. In fact, in this period, we learnt a lot when it came to the importance of
communication.

Many of us had conflicting ideas of how the game should operate. For instance, some of us thought that the
game should be about historical events like the cold war while others thought that it would be easier and more
interesting for it to be solely based on historical events and set in a fantasy world. It was only after an interview
with an English teacher that we were able to decide on this aspect. We think that this is because explaining the
game to a person outside our project group allowed us to listen more carefully to each other and get their
opinion on the decisions that we had to make.

Another notable decision that we had to make was whether to have stakeholders of one nation attempting to
solve each domestic crisis or stakeholders of two nations separately (and potentially collectively) tackling global
crises. For the latter, we had thought of two games based on the Cold War (see Figures 10 and 12) and the French
Revolution (see Figure 11). This also included a nuke button, which some of us had doubts about. After having
talked to the English teacher, we decided to choose the former as the nuke button could trivialize violence and
players may not be able to fully grasp what it means to press it in the context that they are playing in. We also
decided to make the players all one team as it was less complex and more doable based on the time that we had
left.

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Figure 10. Cold War Version. Figure 11. French Revolution Version.

Figure 12. Cold War Version.

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 Brand Personality

Before starting to generate designs for the elements of the game, we decided to determine its brand personality.
We thought that this would make it easier for all of us to work in a consistent style.

Goal: To define our brand personality in a few words and images.

We decided to use Jennifer Aaker's dimensions of brand personality (see Figure 13). Our coach had shown us
how these dimensions could be used to define a brand personality with the game that the other team we were
paired up with was developing, so we had an idea of how to do this.

We first went through each dimension together and noted down whether we thought they represented our game
or not. We then placed them in a diagram so that we had a quick overview of what dimensions were (more)
representative of our game (see Figure 14).

Figure 13. Jennifer Aaker's Dimensions of Brand Personality.

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 Figure 14. Brand Personality Diagram.

To explore this more visually, we each made a mood board and arranged the images that we all liked into one
board by color and styles like minimalism (see Figure 15). Although, this was still not enough because our coach
told us that we had to continue filtering through the images as their personalities were greatly different, with
minimalistic images on one end and more communistic ones on the other.

Figure 15. Board.

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We ended up going with a fantasy theme in line with our decision to set the game in a fantasy world. This theme
developed while prototyping and wasn't based on the board at all. Although, we did learn that mood boards are
hard to create and synchronize when everyone has different perceptions of what should be in it and what each
picture represents. For instance, some of us felt that the picture on the top right fell under the brand personality
dimension sophistication, but our coach told us that it fell more under ruggedness. The board also triggered our
idea of allocating each character a specific color range (see labels in Figure 15). We thought that this would make
it easier for the player to distinguish between the characters as it emphasizes their differences. It was a bit difficult
to do this as we all had different opinions: some of us thought that red suited big business more than the leader
in terms of personality, whereas others thought the opposite as red also represents power. Nonetheless, these are
the character-color associations that we ended up settling on:

Eco – Warrior: Green

Leader: Red
Traditionalist: Orange
Economic: Blue
Humanitarian: Yellow

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 Physical Aspects

Figure 16. Physical Aspects of the Game.

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 Manual (Physical)
In order to understand how to play and install the game, the ruleset/manual provides a comprehensive means for
players to access this information.

Goal: For players to have a means by which they can install the digital interface and understand how to navigate
it. In addition to a detailed and visual depiction of the rules to aid in comprehension.

An overview of the ruleset will be found in the Final Design section as it includes a description of how the game
is played. The means by which the ruleset was created included a cyclic pattern of writing and receiving feedback.
To ensure that the final ruleset could be understood. The visual of the rulebook is similar to the cover of the box,
and instead of using purple or gray consistently for the background, we decided on utilizing each of the colors of
the characters for individual pages to match the style of the art on the character cards and box as well.

The crisis visuals are using the already existing iteration process for the rest of the aesthetics in order to provide a
similar look and feel. An example of the outcome of this can be found in fig 17 below.

Figure 17. example of the game manual style and information

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 Crises (Digital)
As a part of the game, players need to resolve a set of crises to progress further.

Goal: To create a set of comprehensible yet challenging crises that pushes players to negotiate with one another.

The concept of crises as a means of progressing the game further originated in an earlier concept of this version
of the game that occurred after the Wobble concept. The original concept included multiple crises occurring
simultaneously and requiring players on two separate teams to rush to deal with these crises to prevent the other
team from winning within that crisis.

After conducting some interviews and progressing the idea further, we realized that the minimum player count
for two teams wouldn’t be very useful in a class setting. The creation of two teams also added a layer of
competitiveness and stress which when considering our approach to inclusive design for students with ADHD
led us to discount the idea in favor of a more collective approach.

Still, we wanted players to remain involved, and were advised through interviews that players are far more
involved when they have something that they as an individual can focus on.

During the interviews we were also pointed to potentially creating crises in which 2 or more players have a
greater stake in the outcome. As it could encourage certain players to take action and get more involved in the
game.

We also heavily discussed the use of historical and geographical cases when creating these crises. After discussing
this in interviews with educators, we found that utilizing historical cases in a fantasy setting with different names
would not aid nor diminish the application of the game in a lesson regarding history. Which led to a transition in
our game from less of a basis on teaching historical events and the systems surrounding them to a game solely
focused on the concept of stakeholder interaction and systems.

We were advised to utilize historical or geographic cases where necessary to ensure the information presented
within the crisis is accurate in its depiction of potential resolutions and outcomes.

To ensure players also held a greater stake in the crises, we decided on making a two-point system. The way this
system would work is that all players would work toward a collective goal by having them be required to surpass
a minimum value of points that they would gain by deciding on the correct crisis resolution. Note that not all
crises have an incorrect solution, as in many of the geographical and historical cases used the options considered
by real world stakeholders did not always have an incorrect answer. The second part of the point system is that
each individual character would earn a certain amount of points depending on the crisis resolution.

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I.e. Players can win collectively, and they can also win with a separate set of points individually. The latter
requiring the former to succeed.

This way, players are representing their own individual interests as a stakeholder, and also receive a general
implication of which resolution would be most in line with their character. Which we were heavily advised to
include during the interviews as players may require further direction and framing to understand and play as
their character.

Finally, we were also advised to include a visual representation of the information within each crisis to aid in the
comprehension of the player when reading information regarding a crisis. An example of this visualization can
be found in fig 18 below.

Figure 18. A depiction of the digital interface presenting the information of a crisis.

A list of 4 distinct crises can be found in appendices A.

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Influence Chips (Physical)
[intro]
Goal: To create a method by which a crisis can be resolved.
To determine how a crisis would be resolved we initially thought of using majority vote or by a moderator
reviewing all their points. But in order to not lean too heavily into favoring those with greater debating skills and
instead establish an equal way for players to express their support for a resolution, we settled on the concept of
influence chips.
Influence chips are meant to represent power in whatever form of influence each role might yield. For example,
economic oriented roles may wield monetary power while environmental oriented roles may wield power
through activism. Therefore the influence chip must be universal in its symbol of power.

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 Influence Chips (Physical)
Goal: To create a method by which a crisis can be resolved.

To determine how a crisis would be resolved we initially thought of using majority vote or by a moderator
reviewing all their points. But in order to not lean too heavily into favoring those with greater debating skills and
instead establish an equal way for players to express their support for a resolution, we settled on the concept of
influence chips.

Influence chips are meant to represent power in whatever form of influence each role might yield. For example,
economic oriented roles may wield monetary power while environmental oriented roles may wield power
through activism. Therefore the influence chip must be universal in its symbol of power.

Figure 19. Influence chip concepts

In the end, we decided on doing concept 1 with the fist in fig 19 which is linked to the fist often used to signal
power, revolt, change; which matches the theme of our game.

To further this design, we wanted to include a geometric pattern in the empty space of the chip, and encase the
chip with a casing on the outer rim to make the chip feel more three-dimensional. In doing so, players may assign
more value to the chips due to an increased textual complexity. The goal of this is to reduce amount of chips
expended by a player in a round to simulate a realistic use of influence to further goals.

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To this end, we decided on using two materials, plywood for the base chip and PLA for the casing. The base chip
was designed to be laser cut as making a geometric pattern will require immense precision. Seeing as we are using
batch production for 40 chips, laser cutting is a very efficient process that requires little active effort to produce
these complex chips. For the casing we opted to use 3d printing as it was also a process that required less active
effort to produce in a batch, and could achieve the level of complexity required for the design. Fig 20 & 21 shows
the lasercut design used, and fig 22 shows the different versions of the design made.

Figure 20. 3D print and laser cutting process of the chips.

Figure 21. laser-cut image Figure 22. different coloring methods, sizes, and designs for
the chip

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 Figure 23. final 3d print design of the chip

The final 3d print is stuck together using a strong friction fit around the coin to get a consistent coin shape. The
PLA used is black while the wood is colored purple using acrylic ink. Acrylic ink was chosen because other
coloring methods such as paint and spray paint covered the engravings on the coin. A hot press coloring was also
considered for more detailed coloring on the wood, but when producing in batch the process would be too time
consuming.

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 Action Cards (Physical)

Figure 24. Sketch of the action card concepts in use

Goal: To create a means by which greater balance between players in the game can be facilitated so as to prevent
a single group from dominating and excluding other players.

Action cards allow players to prevent powerful exclusionary groups from forming by allowing losing players to
disrupt other players.

To determine different action cards, we iterated on different ideas and abilities each action card could grant and
tested their effect on gameplay by running through a crisis together. In the end the following action cards were
chosen to be developed further:

Lawsuit – Reduce a player’s influence by a set amount (depending on how much influence a player has, more
influence can be removed. This means the card is more impactful against players who are more powerful.)
Bad press – Prevent a player from earning points in the next crisis.
Ultimatum – Force a player to discard two action cards
Popularity boost - Player must be included in the next crisis resolution
Diplomatic immunity- Player is immune to any action cards played on them for a turn

Action cards were developed similarly to the character cards with a slight difference.
AI tools were used to generate images according to a continually modified prompt, this process requires around
30-45 minutes per image to find one that matches the prompt best.

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The images are then edited to fit the same sepia color palette. The goal was to bring the images down to a color
not favoring a specific character and to be consistent with other action cards implying a consistent purpose.
Sepia was chosen instead of grayscale as the hues were more vibrant and in line with the energetic yet
professional mood of the game. In addition to the shift in color slight modifications to the contrast, brightness,
and saturation are used to make the image pop out more.

The image is then vectorized to reduce the amount of sepia hues down to 12. This makes it easier to edit the
images and add details manually, allows the image to match style of the character cards, and reduces the “AI
look” of the image.

Finally, the image is edited in Krita(a drawing and image editing software) to change certain details and make
more human characters in the images hold more alien characteristics.

After that, a border is added around the image, the pattern used on the character cards is reused here to fit a
common style, and text as well as text boxes are added to give information on the cards.

In fig 25 the process is outlined in visual format.

Figure 25. The development process from producing an image with AI to modifying it to fit a card.

Methods for producing the cards physically were also researched. A couple examples of options were using card
sleeves, printing on thick card, ordering a custom card set online. Ultimately, we decided on printing the card
designs on sticker paper and then sticking those onto existing cards to match the sturdiness of playing cards.
This is a cost-effective method to produce cards that still feel high-quality.

We also used a similar pattern design of the two edges on the cards for the back. In fig 26 the back of the physical
card can be seen with the pattern

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 Figure 26. the back and front of the physical card.

The visuals of all the action cards can be found in Appendices D.

Interface (Digital)
Goal: To create a digital interface which displays information about the action cards, influence chips, and
characters for players joining digitally. As well as information on the crises they encounter in addition to a
depiction of the game progression and the time limits for all players.

Map (Digital)
As a part of the interface, players would be able to see a digital representation of the map of this fantasy world.
To make the geography of the map seem realistic, we first made an initial map on inkarnate(an online fantasy
map drawing tool). Using it to construct the general continent, major city locations(represented through
campfires), mountainous regions and deserts formed through the rain shadow effect. As well as considering
continental formation processes to create a realistic looking landscape.

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Figure 27. initial map with Inkarnate Figure 28. Detailed geography map with rivers and states

Fig 28. includes the addition of states and rivers as well as more detailed depictions of the previously made
geography. This map was used to define the potential crises that may occur as a result of geographic influences.

However the aesthetics of the map did not yet fit the pre-defined brand
personality. So based on Fig 28. a new map was created that matched the
brand personality better.

Fig 29. serves as the final version of the map to provide the players with a
greater visual representation and immersion of the nation of Empyria.

Figure 29. a more aesthetic map

Interface layout

The interface layout had to provide a means to display all the information and perform all the functions as
described in the goal. The process started by trying out different ways of representing the information required,
as well as different layout and color experimentations as can be seen in fig 30.

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 Figure 30. Initial digital interface prototypes with an earlier version of the map

After further defining our aesthetics, the layout of the digital interface was redesigned to match the colors and
patterns found throughout the game. This can be seen in fig 31.

Figure 31. developed game interface with an earlier version of the map

This is the interface that was later presented during the interviews with educators. The feedback we received was
as follows:

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1. It is better to include a clock that indicates the time limit through a visual means, like a decreasing bar.

2. It would be better to have a more detailed visual representation of the characters so that players can more
easily recognise which role is being represented.

3. The layout feels a bit cramped.

To address these issues the following digital interface was created as seen in Fig 32.

Figure 32. final digital interface aesthetic

Digital interface for digital players

The interface had to include a means through which digital players can utilize their influence tokens and action
cards. It was decided to use pop-out menus to not shift the layout too much and not make any of the existing
layout feel cramped. Information on tokens and action cards is also information only necessary when a player
wants to commit an action involving those. Hence making them pop-out menus instead of standing menus
functions better as a use of space when displaying only the necessary information.

In fig y.d an explanation of the layout with pop-out menus and how it can be utilized by digital players.

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 Figure 33. Digital interface explanation for digital users.

The aesthetic for both the action and chip counter is based on the existing designs and color schemes of the
game to provide a consistent feel throughout the game.

Character Cards (Physical)

To make sure that we were teaching players about stakeholder thinking, we created a set of characters through
which they can play. We tried to make these as understandable and aesthetic as possible so that the user's
experience can be maximized while playing the game, subsequently enhancing the players’ takeaways.

Goal: To make character cards that clearly convey the goals of the characters, conflict enough with each other so
that there is debate among the players and remind players who each player represents.

There were two parts to realizing these cards: creating the descriptions and making the designs.

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Descriptions
As the descriptions of the six characters were split between three of us, the resulting descriptions were not very
consistent. Some included superpowers and were much more descriptive while others weren't (see Figures 34 to
35). For instance, the tech giant doesn't have any superpowers while the eco-warrior has two.

Figure 34. Description of the Tech Giant (at this stage we named this character Innovator).

Figure 35. Description of the Eco-Warrior.

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To fix this, we went through each character description again using the eco-warrior description as a reference
point. We did it this way as we really liked the layout of the description and decided to keep it that way. The final
descriptions can be seen in Figures 45, 47 and 49, on the back of each character card. Some of the descriptions
are also based on research. For example, two of the goals of the humanitarian are based on the humanitarian
principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

See Appendix C to see other character descriptions.

Design
For the character card design, we each brainstormed on possible layouts. Two major differences between the
layouts generated were whether the descriptions would be laid out on cards (see Figure 36) or pamphlets (see
Figures 37, 38, 39). We also briefly looked into how they would look like in the digital aspect of our game (see
Figure 40).

Figure 36. Character Card Layout. Figure 37. Character Pamphlet Layout.

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 Figure 38. Character Pamphlet Layout. Figure 39. Another Character Pamphlet Layout.

Figure 40. Character Software Layout.

In the end, we decided to make character pamphlets instead of character cards as they provided more structure
and could conveniently be placed in front of each player with the description of their character facing them (see
Figure 41). Our coach gave us this suggestion when we showed her what we had done so far. This was a hard
choice to make as we had just over a week left to get everything done and choosing this option also meant
choosing the most stressful one. In the end, we decided to use a similar layout to Figure 42, with the
characteristics of the character on the left, their profile picture in the middle and their goals on the right. We also
decided to portray each character in their natural setting on the back of the pamphlet to provide more
contextual information. As that would be the side of the pamphlet facing other players (see Figure 42), we
thought that this would also make it easier for them to remember who the player is playing as.

33
 Figure 41. and Figure 42. Character Pamphlet placed in front of Player.

We also explored what style would be best to depict each character. Some of them were goofier (see Figure 40)
and others were more detailed (see Figure 36). For the goofier drawings, we thought that we could incorporate
symbolism in some of its features. For instance, the eyes of the eco-warrior in Figure 40 are protruding outwards
while the eye of big business is not. This could emphasize how big business is more self-centered and focused on
the profit their business is making while the eco-warrior is more focused on what is happening to the planet
around them. However, we decided to go with the more detailed style as it seemed more sophisticated, and
sophistication was one of the brand personality dimensions which we had determined was representative of our
game.

For the creation of the character pamphlets, we used Adobe Illustrator. One of the primary tools that we used
was image trace which can vectorize pixel-based images. This became particularly useful as we didn't have to
make our own designs from scratch but could repurpose images online. As a matter of fact, the profile pictures
were taken from Google while the characters in their natural setting were taken from an AI Character
Generator.

The board in Figure 15 was also helpful in directing the style for the back of the character pamphlets. The
circled images gave us the idea to overlay certain elements of the images on top of the others. This had an effect
that we really liked. As for the color, we played around with different shades of the colors that we decided would
be associated to each character and recolored the images we took with the decided ones. Figure 43 shows how
our whole process looked like for this step.

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 Figure 43. All Further Iterations of the Character Pamphlets.
Figures 44 to 49 show some of the finalized character pamphlets.

Figure 44. Front of the Eco-Warrior Pamphlet. Figure 45. Back of the Eco-Warrior Pamphlet.

Figure 46. Front of the Tech Giant Pamphlet Figure 47. Back of the Tech Giant Pamphlet.

35
 Figure 48. Front of the Humanitarian Pamphlet. Figure 49. Back of the Humanitarian Pamphlet.

See the other character pamphlets in Appendix C.

Once we printed these out, we decided to laminate them to make them more resistant to frequent use and any
disturbances that could occur in the setting that the game is played, like someone breathing or the table not
being entirely stable). Figures 50 to 52 show the final result.

Figure 50. Finalized Character Pamphlets.

36
 Figure 51. Back of Character Pamphlet. Figure 52. Front of Character Pamphlet.

If we had more time, we could have extensively investigated what other methods could have been implemented
to make the character cards more durable. This is because the sides spring back up after being folded and when it
has been folded for a long time the sides need to be stretched in the opposite direction for them to be placed as
such. This may be a bit annoying although it can be considered negligible since they are still usable.

Logo
Goal: To create a logo which is representative of our overall game.

As influence chips are needed for every player to earn points, we decided to incorporate the hand of its design in
our logo.

Figure 53 shows the first attempts at creating the hand. These were also the first few experiments using the image
trace tool in Adobe Illustrator. Initially, the hand was formed based on the design for the influence chips.
Though, because this wasn't as neat as we hoped, we took black and white images of hands on The Noun
Project Website and adapted them. This led to a neater result.

We also looked at sans serif fonts that Illustrator had available. This can be seen near the bottom of Figure 53.
We chose Berlin Sans FB as it was the most futuristic and fitted the fantasy aesthetic that we decided to stick to.
We looked at sans serif fonts specifically because two teachers of the care department told us that they were more
inclusive as children with ADHD would be more likely to focus on the words themselves and not on the
unnecessary curly bits. In general, they told us to be as minimal and concise as possible when it came to
providing information and that this would not only make the game more accessible for children with ADHD
but for everybody.

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 Figure 53. Initial Logo Exploration.

As the character cards and the interface are quite colorful, we also experimented a bit with color. These
experiments can be seen in Figure 54.

38
 Figure 54. Further Logo Exploration.

In the end, we settled for the logo on the bottom right of Figure 54.

However, after our demo demo day we obtained a few insights that changed this decision. Two of the coaches
said that the hand gave a communistic vibe and that it didn't fit with the fantasy aesthetic of the rest of the game
(the character cards and the interface) especially as it lacked vibrant colors. A few of our classmates also
mentioned that it looked like we were portraying the middle finger, however a lot of people also did not notice
this. This emphasized what we learnt while attempting to make the mood board: there are usually multiple ways
to interpret something, and we should try our best to take those into account.

We decided to implement this feedback by taking the hand away completely and using the border design of the
character cards that was inspired by the background of the influence chips as the background. Since purple was a
color that we didn't allocate to any of the characters we decided to make the logo that color. We also tried to
make a gradient between all the colors that we had associated with each character but after trying it out we
agreed that it was too much (see the iteration on the right side of Figure 55).

39
 Figure 55. Final Logo Exploration.

After experimenting a bit with font sizes and seeing how each logo version would look like on the packaging (see
Figures 59 to 65), we settled on the logo in Figure 56 as our final one.

Figure 56. Final Logo.

40
Envelopes
Because we decided to randomize what character each player would play as, we decided to make envelopes.
These envelopes include each character card and will be randomly passed out at the beginning of each game.

Goal: To create professional envelopes that are not see through.

To make these letters professional, we decided to print the logo of our game on their back. Before printing, we
explored the size of the logo by placing various sizes of it on the opaque envelopes we decided to use (see Figure
57). This allowed us to determine which size we wanted to use. Figure 58 shows a selection of our final
envelopes.

Figure 57. Logo Size Exploration. Figure 58. Final Envelopes.

Packaging
For the packaging, we decided to use the backsides of the character cards and center them around the logo (see
Figure 59). We think that it highlights the communication and collaboration skills that our game aims to
enhance as it resembles a round table with all the characters positioned around it. Iterations of the packaging can
be seen in Figures 59 to 65 below.

41
 Figures 59 to 65. Packaging Iterations.

Figure 65 shows how the top of the final packaging would look like. Note that we have finalized the design
although we haven't been able to assemble it yet.

42
 Final Design
Our final design is one that has undergone rapid and radical transformations throughout the design process.
Having changed significantly from the initial concept, yet still maintaining the best qualities of each iteration. In
the end, our final design is one that allows for an interactive and entertaining exploration of stakeholder
thinking. Encompassing the varieties of systems, scales, and impacts that individuals may face within different
environments where stakeholder thinking is applicable.

Setting up the game

When players read the guide they are directed to the game’s website to install the software for the game. Once
installed by both the host player and any players joining digitally, they can play the game. A visualization of the
digital interface software for setting up and reading about the game can be seen in fig 66.

Figure 66. a visual depiction of the available functions of the digital interface before the game starts.

43
 Playing the game
When the game starts, players are assigned a random role in person. The remaining roles are then distributed at
random amongst the digital players.

The roles are separated into 5 categories, each representing a stakeholder aspect.

Social – Humanitarian
Political – Leader
Interaction with Environment - Eco-warrior
Cultural – Traditionalist
Economic - Big business - Tech giant

After this the game begins and progresses in a gameplay loop of 4 stages.

Stage 1

When a crisis de appears, players are given 2 minutes to read and understand the crisis. During this period
ACTION cards may be played against any players. After this, each player will be called on automatically to give a
30 second proposal on the resolution they support and why their interpretation of the resolution is best. (Note:
Keep in mind even though two players may support the same resolution, they may still have different ideas as to
what that entails)

Stage 2

After each player has spoken, a common discussion begins, the length of which depends on the difficulty of the
crisis (A timer will automatically be displayed, in the last minute a sound will play)

During this time players must find which interpretation of the resolution they support, this can be done
through the use of INFLUENCE and by forming coalitions. If an interpretation of a resolution has a higher
number of INFLUENCE supporting it, it passes.

A coalition describes a group of 2 or more players who support an interpretation of the resolution. Coalitions
can use their INFLUENCE together to support their common resolution. Players who are left out of the
coalition but still support the same resolution do not receive character points, they also do not lose any
INFLUENCE.
(Special case: there may be a case where two coalitions offer the same amount of chips. In this case, the coalition
with the most amount of players wins the resolution)

Influence may also be exchanged freely between players during this stage.

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Stage 3

If the players have completed the crisis in time, they can press the spacebar to stop the crisis timer and input
which players supported which resolution. Character points for those players are displayed and players will write
them down on the given character point sheets. If the players fail to complete the crisis in time, the crisis is
considered failed which will have negative effects on the players. Once a crisis fails no players earn character
points and the intermediary section will begin.

Stage 4 (Intermediary section)

Players will receive action cards if they were not involved with the crisis resolution. (If it was a failed crisis, no
players receive action cards). Every crisis players will also receive influence tokens according to their role and
whether the game has modified the player income based on resolutions passed. The software will inform players
how much they receive and when. (Note: Sometimes players may receive negative influence, at which point they
must give influence to the “bank”)

If during this section half or more(Ex: with 5 players, 3 or more) players have 0 influence. The game ends as a
global failure, there are no character victors.

Action cards
Action cards are gained by players who are not involved in a crisis resolution(i.e. Players who have not lost chips
in resolving a crisis). Players cannot hold more than 3 action cards simultaneously. If the maximum is reached, a
player must discard an action card into the middle of the action card pile, digital players will be prompted to
remove an action card or discard the new one. Action cards can be played on any player, including the player
who plays the action card.

Influence
Each character receives a set amount of Influence at the start of the game. In addition to this, every two turns
each role will receive a certain amount of influence every two crises. Depending on player actions in crises, the
income they receive may increase, or become negative.

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Wrap-Up
In conclusion, this project has been one that has changed and developed radically throughout the process of the
semester. First starting with Wobble, we conducted many research processes to understand our target group.
This included the creation of personae, market analysis, target group research, interviews, and more. Later
developing physical prototypes and filming the midterm video with that concept.

With the feedback from that midterm video, we discarded the concept to find a better way of providing an
interactive learning experience. Along with that, moving from having ADHD students as our target group to
practicing inclusive design instead. We also moved our target group to an older audience. We then developed
Two Minutes to Midnight, a cold-war competitive team based game.

After conducting further interviews, researching our target audience, and testing our design, we scrapped it and
transferred our concept to a new idea. Empyria. While it has changed radically, each stage and each process has
provided new insights into each portion of the design process. Though time constraints have pushed the
development and ideation process during the last stages, it has created a product that can act as a fun and
engaging form through which our target group can learn about stakeholder thinking, and engage in an
interactive learning method.

Interviews proved to be the greatest source of information for our project. Giving both general information, and
heuristic feedback on our development thus far. It also provided each team member the opportunity to practice
question formatting, and proper interview practices as learned in the HCD course.

Overall. Despite the immense time constraints, we have managed to produce a final game which we are more
than proud of and excited to have developed. Having learned much, and having expended a tremendous amount
of time and effort, we are looking forward to presenting our final product in the demo-day in January.

46
 Appendices

Appendix A – Crises
Crisis 1
Importance: 2
Water rights in states 2, 3, and 10
Water rights in Lumora, Zephara, and Venetia
Description:
Venotia is constructing a hydro-electric dam on a river leading into Lumora and Zephara.
Venotia being at the source of the river would gain a major energy source which could fulfill all the energy
requirements for its state as well as providing excess energy to surrounding states
Zephara would gain better control over seasonal foods if Venotia collaborates with them, but so far Venotia has
refused any shared ownership in the dam in order to maintain total independence over its control.
Lumora, which contains a highly populated city, fears losing control over its culturally significant river. A major
concern for them is the possibility of a reduction in the river’s silt which provides rich soils for its lush touristic
riverscape.

Resolution 1:
The states should resolve it without outside influence.
S=0
P=2
I=0
C=1
E=2
Failed crisis, leads into crisis 1.2

Resolution 2:
Force Venotia to share ownership of the dam with Lumora and Zephara.
S=1
P=0
I=2
C=2
E=0
Venotia is incredibly displeased with the result, but with early action forcing a shared stake negotiations have
begun.
Ultimately negotiations have lead to the dam’s full functionality being delayed by 15 years to allow for a slower
buildup in the dam’s water reservoir to preserve

47
Resolution 3:
Force state ownership over 50% of the dam but provide half the costs to construct it (2 billion)
S=1
P=2
I=2
C=0
E=1

Crisis 1.2
Importance: 3
Given no outside intervention, Venotia has finalized construction of the dam without collaborating or
communicating with Lumora and Zephara. Outrage has been widespread in both Lumora and Zephara leading
to protests calling for a direct intervention.
Venotia has stated that they will not back down and following threats of direct intervention has mobilized the
national armed forces within their state.
This is an unprecedented action, and in response both Lumora and Zephara have mobilized their own national
armed forces as a means to put this conflict to rest once and for all.
Tensions are high, and any mistake made at this point could lead to a full inter-state conflict.

Resolution 1:
Arrest the state representatives of Venotia, Lumora, and Zephara for illegally mobilizing their state’s national
armed forces against another state.
S=1
P=0
I=1
C = -1
E = -1
Reduces income by 0.5

Resolution 2:
Mobilize the armed forces to step in and force negotiations between both sides.
S=0
P = -1
I=0
C = -1
E=1

Resolution 3:
Denounce Venotia and lead a collective strike against Venotia for treasonous actions.

48
S = -1
P=1
I = -1
C= 1
E=0

Crisis 2
Importance: 2
State 12 and 21 are requesting help against desertification
Novara, and Astralith are suffering from increasing desertification, which has reduced their productive land.
The situation is more concerning given the advance of the desert towards cities within Novara and even a major
city in Astralith.
Due to external circumstances the budget for handling climatic crises like this is limited, it is therefore
important to select which approach is more favorable.

Resolution 1:
Focus on equipping local communities with the knowledge and means to combat desertification independently.
S=2
P=2
I=1
C= 2
E=1

Resolution 2:
Adopt a comprehensive land and water management campaign to curb further erosion.
S=2
P=0
I=2
C= 1
E=2

Resolution 3:
Invest heavily in a land restoration approach to begin the reversal of desertification.
S=1
P=2
I=3
C= 1
E=0

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https://www.greenfacts.org/en/desertification/l-2/6-prevention-desertification.htm#2

Crisis 3
Importance: 2
An epidemic has broken out in state 5
An epidemic has broken out in the far reaches of Vortexa. The epidemic itself is proving fatal for many
inhabitants and the cause of the outbreak is not yet known.
Regardless of the cause, immediate action is of utmost priority to prevent further spread.
Each of the resolutions will be adopted, but it’s up to you to select which one receives the brunt of the backing.

Resolution 1:
Develop a vaccination(may take a long time)
S=0
P=2
I=1
C= 1
E=1
Long-term solution, adopting this strategy initially can prove fatal to the overall effort

Resolution 2:
Set up a mandatory quarantine in affected and surrounding regions
S=2
P=1
I=2
C= 0
E=0
This is the best action that can be taken to effectively prevent further spread

Resolution 3:
Informational campaigns to educate affected and surrounding regions on personal actions that can be taken
S=1
P=1
I=0
C= 2
E=2
This option is not bad, but it’s not as fast as quarantine measures

50
Crisis 4
Importance: 1
Economic vs. Political

(any roles of Economics) companies have grown extremely dominant in the market. Due to anti-competitive
practices the company is now in an antitrust lawsuit which threatens to disassemble the company into separate
smaller entities. Leading this lawsuit is the (Political) figure aiming to prevent stagnation in the marketspace.

If the suit is successful, it will lead to a temporary price increase for the goods and services the company provides.
In addition to a general disruption of the current market with job losses. It will however also create a more
competitive market and drive further innovation.

If the suit is unsuccessful, the company will continue to compete globally while making use of resources
efficiently. Of course this will also drive down domestic competitiveness in the market and ultimately be worse
for the consumer.

Resolution 1:
Disassemble the company into smaller constituents.
S=1
P=3
I=2
C= 1
E = -1
Increase income by 0.25

Resolution 2:
Let the company continue as a single entity
S=2
P = -1
I=1
C= 2
E=3
While both of these resolutions have pros and cons, deciding when to pursue an antitrust action to this extent
requires discussion on the specific case.

51
Appendix B – Character Descriptions

Figure 67. Description of the Humanitarian.

52
Figure 68. Description of Big Business.

Figure 69. Description of the Traditionalist.

53
 Figure 70. Description of the Leader.

Appendix C – Character Cards

Figure 71. Back of the Leader Card. Figure 72. Front of the Leader Card.

54
 Figure 73. Back of the Traditionalist Card. Figure 74. Front of the Traditionalist Card.

Figure 75. Back of the Big Business Card. Figure 76. Front of the Big Business Card.

Appendix D – Action cards:

55
 Figure 77-81. All the character card visualization.

Appendix E – Interview of a Psychologist with Experience

working with Children with ADHD
- Younger children require more support.

- Children with ADHD often have difficulty with working memory. Including multiplication tables for some
of the questions could support them and help train their concentration skills.

o Working Memory (Definition): “form of memory that allows a person to temporarily hold
a limited amount of information at the ready for immediate mental use”.

- The controller can remind the children of video game controllers, helping them associate the product with a
positive emotion. This will make the learning much quicker as it is linked to positive emotion. This means that
the child will be motivated to learn more and improve their performance.

- The controller (see Figure 4) would be more appropriate for children that play video games while the bracelet
(see Figure 5) would be more appropriate for children that play in groups.

- The bracelet would need to be worn and could create distraction. This could lead to the product being
damaged, especially with children that are very active. In these regards, the controller would last longer.

- Children with ADHD cannot keep attention for a long time. They can usually only keep it for 10-15
minutes. If external stimuli like vibrating or buzzing are generated, they will be attracted to these stimuli, but
this will last a short time.

56
- Children with ADHD are very impulsive. They try to give quick answers and do not respect whether it is
their turn or not. Being part of a competitive environment is more complicated for them, but it is part of the
learning process. The challenge lies not in learning but in being part of it.

- Children with ADHD are also very artistic. Think of role-playing games and activities which allow children
to draw or model. Incorporating plasticine (Figure 16) letters and numbers is an example of this. The game
could then be extended to younger subjects.

- The children need clear and simple instructions of how the game works and how to give their answers.

- Whether public movement makes children uncomfortable depends on the context and on the character of
the child.

57
 References
FarmerLenny. (2014, April 11). Laying Down the Law (a guide to rulebook writing). iSlaytheDragon.
Chavez, G. (2021, March 12). Top Six Rules for Rulebook Writing – Meeple Mountain. Meeple
Mountain. https://www.meeplemountain.com/top-six/top-six-rules-for-writing-rulebooks/
roolebook1. (n.d.). https://cdn.1j1ju.com/medias/d3/7f/61-sheriff-of-nottingham-rulebook.pdf
Edpmarriott. (2015, July 21). How to teach games. Boards and Barley.
https://boardsandbarley.com/2014/02/28/how-to-teach-games/
AI Character Generator (free, no sign-up, unlimited). (n.d.).
https://perchance.org/ai-character-generator
Mawilson. (2021, September 17). Emergent gameplay. Bumbling Through Dungeons.
https://bumblingthroughdungeons.com/emergent-gameplay/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEmergent
%20gameplay%20refers%20to%20complex,of%20relatively%20simple%20game%20mechanics.
%E2%80%9D
emergent gameplay definition. (n.d.).
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27043/emergent-gameplay
engagement learning. (n.d.).
Human Kinetics. (n.d.). All games have these four characteristics.
Nguyen, H. P. (2021, March 26). How to use gameplay to enhance classroom learning. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-gameplay-enhance-classroom-learning/

Physical games. (n.d.).

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/game_design/types_game/games_physical.htm#:~:text=Physical

%20games%20are%20played%20using,push%20or%20hit%20other%20people.

personage. (n.d.). https://uxpressia.com/w/nNSFS/p/7MSRR?tagId=noTag

AI Human Generator – Generate and modify people online. (n.d.).

https://generated.photos/human-generator/64fee3330c9113000b166ac9.

58
 Task distribution

Yesse Emma
- Brainstorming - Brainstorming
- Research & Processing - Research & Processing
- Personae wobble - Interviews: Translations +
- Market analysis Questions + Note Taking
- General - Communications
- Physical prototyping - Physical Prototyping
- Action cards - Wobble Controllers
- Influence chips - Character Cards
- Wobble wristband - Envelopes
- Digital work - Digital Prototyping
- Rules - Wobble Digital Interface
- Crises - Logo
- Map - Character Cards: Transferring
- Interviews Work to Digital Medium
- Directing, storyboarding & editing for - Filming the Midterm Video
midterm video - Report: Iterations Section
- Writing final design + iterations + warp - Sketching
up section
- Sketching

Camila Neel

​ - Brainstorming and research - Brainstorming

​ - Sketching - Research & Processing Interviews
​ - Detailed sketching - Detailed sketching
​ - Low-fidelity prototype(first visualizations of - High fidelity prototype:
the controllers and character cards, foam
- Influence chips
cutting machine)
- Action cards
​ - High fidelity prototype (laminating,
printing) - Directing, storyboarding & editing for
​ - Character creation midterm video
​ - Rulebook creation - Acting in midterm video
​ - Acting midterm video - Writing: Project goals + process
​ - Wobble Controllers (ideation, prototyping, - Rules
user testing) - Digital art
​ - Interviews questions - Wobble animation
​ - Wobble Controllers
​ - Personae (Wobble)
​ - map ideation

59
 ​ Writing: executive summary +introduction

Marion
- Brainstorming
- Research & Processing
- Interviews + Questions + Note taking
- Personae (Wobble)
- Detailed sketching
- Design sketches (Wobble & Empyria)
- Character card sketches
- Digital interface sketches (Wobble & Empyria)
- Medium Fidelity Prototype
- Digital interface interaction
- High Fidelity Prototype
- Hand Remotes (Wobble)
- Digital Work
- Map
- Interface
- Transferring work to digital medium
- Sketching (Wobble & Empyria)
- Physical Prototyping
- Wobble Controllers
- Character Cards
- Logo
- Game Packaging
- Acting in mid-term video
- Evaluation of interface
- Writing Process section of report

60