Edit profile

By:We still love up the river card game

Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2450933198

Team

Team member names:

Ally Woroniuk

Created the initial design idea
Contributed to mechanism design

Asiya Zhang:

brainstorming the game idea and mechanism
focus on the prototype and revise game rule

Corina Chen

Helping develop the game idea
Focus on visual art design

Adrian Soliman

Creating game elements in tabletop simulator
Focusing on transformative aspect of board game

GDD-Transformative Fun project

GDD

1: Title

Edit profile

2: Razor

Create characters with interesting and unique traits and persuade others why your character is the best!

3: Slogan

Accepting yourself for who you are and what you are

4:Vision Statement & Top level summary of your game idea

Edit Profile is a social causal card game where people create fictional characters using unique and interesting traits arguing why their character is better than others. Each round every player must persuade the judge why their character's traits make the character better and impressive to get chosen and get a point. Players continue playing until one person reaches most coins to win the game.

5: Player experience goal(s) + atmosphere users should experience

Items from Lazarro’s 4 Keys 2 Fun (2014):

Hard Fun: mastery, achievement, “fiero: not at all |-------X-0-----------------------------------| highly so

Easy Fun: Exploring, Imagination, Curiosity, Absorption: not at all |---------------------------------X---0-------| highly so

Altered States (Purposeful/Serious Fun): Values & Meaning not at all |----------------------X-----0----------------| highly so

People Fun: Relationships, social bonding etc. not at all |---------------------------X----0--------------| highly so

Items from Yee’s Player Motivation taxonomy (2006):

Achievement component

Advancement — The desire to gain power, progress rapidly, accumulate in-game symbols of wealth or status

not at all |--------------------------0---X---------------| highly so

Mechanics —analyzing the underlying rules and system in order to optimize character performance

not at all |----------0-X--------------------------------| highly so

Competition — The desire to challenge and compete with others

not at all |--------------------------X---0--------------| highly so

Social component

Socializing — Having an interest in helping and chatting with other players

not at all |-------------------------X---------0--------| highly so

Relationship — The desire to form long-term meaningful relationships with others

not at all |-------------------X-------0------------------| highly so

Teamwork — Deriving satisfaction from being part of a group effort.

not at all |---------------------X-0----------------------| highly so

Immersion component

Discovery — Finding and knowing things that most other players don’t know about

not at all |----------------------------------X----0------| highly so

Role-Playing — Creating a persona with a background story and interacting with other players to create an improvised story

not at all |---------------------------------X----0-----| highly so

Customization — Having an interest in customizing the appearance of their character

not at all |-------------X-----0--------------------------| highly so

Escapism — Using the online environment to avoid thinking about real life problems

not at all |-----------------X---0----------------------| highly so

8 items from Hunicke et al’s taxonomy of “fun”:

1. Sensation: Game as sense-pleasure

not at all |-------------------------X---0--------------| highly so

2. Fantasy: Game as make-believe

not at all |-----------------------------------X----0-----| highly so

3. Narrative: Game as drama

not at all |---------X-----------0---------------------| highly so

4. Challenge: Game as obstacle course

not at all |------------0---X-----------------------------| highly so

5. Fellowship: Game as social framework

not at all |------------------X---0-----------------------| highly so

6. Discovery: Game as uncharted territory

not at all |-----------0---------X------------------------| highly so

7. Expression: Game as self-discovery

not at all |-------------------------------X-------0------| highly so

8. Submission: Game as pastime/go-to leisure activity

not at all |---------------------X------------0------------| highly so

Summary

This transformative game is based on “People Fun”, “Easy Fun” and “Serious Fun” as allowing players to help fictional characters with a low self-esteem to become a better person.. In this game, our goal is to provide players a chance to persuade why the fictional character’s trait is better and help them to accept themselves, especially regarding the importance of self-esteem. The desired atmosphere users should experience is that they can help the character explore their traits, no matter if it is unique or natural and get in touch with their inner self. When the fictional character faces the real-life events and struggles in a challenge, players should persuade and come out with positive aspects to the fictional character’s traits and characteristics in order to help them better deal with and understand themselves. Overall, we want players to learn to help the people with low self-esteem to become a better person and accept themselves for who they are.

6: How does it address the design challenge of a Transformative Game?

a) What’s the underlying challenge/problem your game aims to tackle, and how could addressing this help make this world a better place to live?

Lots of people deal with self-esteem issues without anyone knowing. Certain people with low self-esteem tend to criticize themselves a lot and always look at the negatives about themselves. Addressing this problem can help those who need to build confidence in themselves and can impact anyone who has dealt with self-esteem issues

b) Background research on underlying problem/challenge that your game aims to tackle

Self-esteem is internal and cannot be gauged by the external factors in our lives. People with a low self-esteem can reduce the quality of a person’s life in many different ways, including Negative feelings - the constant self-criticism can lead to persistent feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, shame or guilt. It is important to accept yourself and what you are. People cannot build your self esteem without first understanding the importance of self acceptance. Self-esteem is important because if you are honest with yourself, you will be able to live a more authentic life. Accepting yourself means less negative self criticism and an awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, values and needs. This awareness will build your confidence. Accepting the things about yourself that you cannot change, such as your personality and character, is extremely important as a starting in self improvement. Not accepting yourself creates inner conflicts. The importance of self acceptance is such that if you don't practice it, people may have the problem of low self-esteem which denies who they are or being blind to what they really want. The factors that contribute to low self-confidence combine and interact differently for each person. Your genes, cultural background, childhood experiences, and other life circumstances all play a role. Even though we can’t change the experiences in our past that shaped and affected us, there is plenty we can do to alter our thoughts and expectation to gain more confidence and accept self.

Another background research is about the relationship between judgment and self-esteem, and according to the research, the low-confidence( self esteem) derives in large part from anxieties about whether one will be liked, accepted, and respected by one's peers and significant others. so how to improve your self esteem, according to the research, people should focus more on positive feedback and stop being negative. In addition, there are some therapeutic games about self -esteem. In the activity, people can hear positive descriptive words about themself. People who could benefit from hearing positive comments about themselves in order to improve their own self-esteem. Our game will use similar rules to encourage people to use positive words to describe others

link:

https://www.more-selfesteem.com/the-significance-of-self-acceptance.htm

https://www.talkspace.com/blog/why-your-self-esteem-is-fake-and-what-to-do-about-it/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/shyness-is-nice/201812/5-reasons-people-have-low-self-confidence\

https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/the-feeling-self-self-esteem/

c) Team motivation

We wanted to work on mental health and focus on self-esteem and self confidence. In the past we have dealt with having low self-esteem, always criticizing ourselves, always being negative how we could’ve been better in different aspects. We would like to help others as well as ourselves deal with this topic as it's a topic that isn’t casually talked about.

d) Desired “transformation” and impact of game on players

A game would be more suitable because talking about self-esteem/confidence issues with someone or watching a presentation about it may feel awkward or uninteresting for people. Being a personal topic that many people are faced with having a board game is a causal inviting way to deal with the topic. Being a social game with people thinking of the positives of others can help transform how people think about their own traits.A game would be more suitable because talking about self-esteem/confidence issues with someone or watching a presentation about it may feel awkward or uninteresting for people. Being a personal topic that many people are faced with having a board game is a causal inviting way to deal with the topic. Being a social game with people thinking of the positives of others can help transform how people think about their own traits.

e) Desired “transformation” and impact of game on players

We would like players to reflect on what people said about certain traits during the game and compare them to what they personally have. For example a person might be characterized as loud and obnoxious, but in reality people think the person is confident and a leader. Instead of having that negative thought of the person being too loud, they can change their mentality and not criticize themselves and instead look positive about how they are outgoing.

f) How would you assess the game’s impact?

We could tell that it was successful if people's reaction/feedback after the game resulted in a positive mindset that tries to think of the good within them. Potential indicators of success would be people reflecting on their own traits and having a more positive mindset about themselves. We would ask playtestors after their session to give us their thoughts about the game, and if it impacted how they thought about themselves in any aspect.

7: Inspiration Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vnlSXm81U0&t=299s&ab_channel=ImprovementPill

Videos that discuss self esteem and how to build on one's self esteem help make sure that we can use the right tactics to help build self esteem within the game. In the video it mentions that you should recognize your thoughts (I'm worthless, nobody likes me) and reframe those thoughts into positives. For our game we can bring up certain traits/characteristics people may think negatively of themselves and make people change those thoughts and argue why it's good. For example a person might be characterized as loud and obnoxious, but in reality people think the person is confident and a leader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFxbBd2rL7I

Focuses on self esteem activities for adults, which is something that isn't touched upon as often on social media. As quoted in the video, people who work on tapping into their true, authentic selves tend to be happier. Knowing this we can move our game in the direction of self exploration and/or self acceptance, and teach players to learn and accept who they are, rather than hiding or pushing aside their flaws.

https://youtu.be/ltun92DfnPY?t=176

To This Day speaks on how beauty can be on the inside, rather than the outside. We can use this to help strengthen the confidence of players, and reminding them that it's what's on the inside that counts. However we need to combine these two lessons without seeming contradictory, which may be a bit of a challenge

8: Why Your Project is Innovative?

(a) What’s new/interesting/cool/exciting/different about your project?

We wanted to take a different approach in creating a transformative game where we present the transformative aspect in the beginning and they go through it throughout the gameplay. We wanted a game where people could pick up and play for fun but also be transformative where it could help people with self esteem issues.

(b) Why is your project relevant? How does it provide a meaningful and/or desirable experience to the users?

Our project is relevant as people can relate to certain traits being talked in the game, helping them think of them differently and in a more positive light. It provides a meaningful experience to the users as certain made up characters in the game can really relate to other players. Hearing other players talk positively about traits that another person really relates to could help boost their self esteem and make them more proud of themselves.

(c) For your showcase and any potential players really: what would be your main “selling points”? Why should anyone care about it and want to play it?

Our main selling points would be that it is a very fun social card game to play with whoever and whenever. It is a positive experience to play and not only can it help with people with self esteem issues, it can be a fun way to bond together talking about traits that many people can relate to.

9: Introduction

Premise: Edit profile is a transformative card/board game that players try to use unique traits to argue why their character is better than others.

Setting: The setting is related to the society we live in where people have different traits of personality or physical no matter good or bad.

Goal: The goal of the players is to persuade the judge why their character's traits make the character better and impressive to get chosen and get a coin.

Core gameplay: This transformative social gameplay that players need to come up with the positive side of the unique traits. The strong viewpoints that come up with those traits as transformative opportunities would positively affect the judge’s and other people’s opinion on these traits. It would players face and rethink their own or other people’s unique traits in a more positive way.

10: Narrative/Story

No Strong narrative

11: Game mechanics

Number of Players:

- 4-5 players

Target audience:

- 9+

Game Setup:

- Shuffle desks (Good, Physical, Personality Traits)

- Randomly place character cards for each player

- Youngest Player is assigned judge for the round

Procedures:

- All players draw 2 Good traits, 2 Physical traits, and 2 Personality traits, except the judge.

- Players (excluding judge) play 1 Good trait to their own Character (START OF ROUND)

- Players then play 1 Physical trait to the character to their right, and 1 Personality trait to the character to their left faced down

- Once all the traits are played, flip to reveal the personality and physical traits.

- Players get one minute to brainstorm and think of how they can use those traits in the best way possible

- Players then present their character trying to persuade the judge

- After the presentations the Judge chooses a winner for the round and the winner receives a coin

- Players (except judge) draws 1 Good trait, 1 physical trait, 1 personality trait to refill their hand

- The role of the Judge is passed to the person to the right (END OF ROUND)

- The round is repeated with a new judge, the game continues until everyone has played as a judge (CYCLE)

- The person who has the most coins after one cycle (everyone has played the role of the judge) wins

Basic Rules:

- Players

Draw 2 Good, Physical, Personality traits
Place a good trait onto your character
Place physical trait to the character to the right
Place personality trait on the character to the left
Brainstorm and Present your character and his traits
Draw and refill traits

- Judge

Choose which person’s use their characters unique traits in the best way possible
Give coin the the winner

12: Play matrix

The game is about 50/50 between skill and chance. There are two different procedures of distributing the traits cards. For the round of drawing good traits’s card, it is quite heavily weighted on chance,and whether it is helpful to combine with other traits that others give you. For the round of giving unique traits to other players, it requires strategy skill to decide which traits are hard to come up with a positive point or irrelevant with their good traits. However, the game also requires social skills of communication to argue why their characters are better than others based on the traits they have. No physical dexterity is needed to play, however mental calculation is required when players need to decide which traits cards should give to others and how their arguments can catch the judge’s eye. The main skill players would need is improvisation, as you only get a minute to come up with an argument for your own cards.

13: Rule Sheet

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ofgaziFSGhutkMSPrXE5JIGO35xLEDar/view?usp=sharing

14: Playtesting script including testing goals, questions, and assumptions/ hypotheses

In-Game observation

Do the players understand their roles?
Is the Judge choosing a deserved winner?
Are the players having a hard time describing their character?
Is the game moving smoothly?
Are they able to smoothly play through the game without instructions from the observer?

Postgame Questions

What did you most enjoy about the game?
Was the goal of this game clear?
Did you reflect on certain traits brought up in the game?
Did you relate to any characters described in the game? Why?
Was the game easy to understand and follow throughout the play session
Did the game make you feel more confident in yourself?
Were there any aspects of the game that aren’t fun?
Was there anything confusing about the game?
What was one aspect of the game you didn’t like? how can we improve it?
Did the gameplay take away from the transformative experience?

Revision ideas

Adding an action card for more choices

15: Insights and results from playtesting: Test for foundation/fun and structure, then later for functionality, completeness, loopholes, balance, and dominant strategies

Playtesting Direct Feedback:

What did you enjoy most about the game? Why?
- Weijing Dong
  - Some of the unique traits are interesting. It is fun to combine something like Teemo jungler and always carry in the video game. I like that players need to use their own imagination to make the game more fun.
- Qi Su
  - The card combination is funny. It conveys the idea that someone who has advantage also has disadvantage.
- Shizhao Yu
- There are some funny word on the unique card.
What were the major issues with the game? Why? Any suggestions on how the game could be improved?
- Weijing Dong
  - At present, the content of the good trait card is a bit lacking, and the content will be repeated before the player has received five coins. The use of repeated cards reduces the fun of playing. At the same time, there are some contents that require some background knowledge of other games to understand. For players who do not understand the contents, they cannot enjoy the fun of the game. This game requires communication between players to produce fun. If the players themselves cannot think of interesting combinations, it will also reduce the fun of the game.
  - We decided to use voting instead of judges, but many times we find it is difficult to distinguish which character has better characteristics. I feel that sometimes it is not necessary to distinguish the best characters. When everyone's transformations are good, all of them can get coins.

Qi Su
- The number of the card could be more. Some cards occur at high frequency. My suggestion is that give more unique traits at the beginning and when all run out of the unique cards, the player who has the most coins wins.
Shizhao Yu :There are too few combinations available, and it would be embarrassing to force unreasonable words together

16: Analyze your game in terms of decision types, dilemmas, rewards, surprise, and endings

(a) Decision Types

Analyze for hollow, obvious, or uninformed decisions

1: our game doesn’t have hollow decisions

Analyze for desirable decisions

1: Immediate Decision:

This decision comes from the judge choosing a winner for the round. The winner will receive a coin which immediately changes the rankings of the game. This is important as whoever has the most coins after a cycle wins.

2: Long-term decision:

This decision occurs whenever a player decides to save a card they want to play for another round. They would do this to either help them create an easier character to talk about by saving easier “good traits” for next round, or even saving any physical or personality trait cards to use against other players to make it harder for them. Instead of wasting a card during one round, players can hold onto cards to use them at its best potential. This decision affects the game long term as it changes the later stages of the round and in turn makes it harder for others to get coins.

(b) Dilemmas

Players (Other than the judge) must use their 3 traits (Good, Physical and Personality) to help describe their character and use them in the most positive outcome.They have a variety of choices on how to approach describing their character. They could focus on talking about the Good Trait, saying how important this one good trait is, that it outweighs any negatives that might occur from the physical and personality traits. Ex. “Even though my character gets no sleep, and is short, he wants the best for others which shows that he is a caring person which outweighs those traits.”. On the other hand another way to approach describing them would be intertwining each trait and using them together. Ex. “My character is a very caring person who always thinks about others first before himself. He barely gets any sleep sometimes because he tries his best to help out his friends whatever the case may be whether it’s helping their friends late at night with homework, or even picking up someone late night from a bar. Some people think because of his lack of sleep he lost a lot of growth which is why he is small. But its only to his benefit as he is a quick nimble athlete that excels in any sport.”

A player who gets chosen by the judge during a round receives a coin. This reward is needed to win the whole game as whoever has the most before a cycle wins the game. The reward is given after every round where a judge chooses a player’s character and gives them a coin.

(d) Surprise

One of the surprises players may come across is the different viewpoint they come up with their unique traits. Players have opportunities to make diversity and divergent thinking to their unique traits. Players need to make a short and interesting story through combining the good trait and unique trait to surprise others and catch the judge’s eye.

(e) Endings

The player with the most coins at the end of the cycle (Each player has played the role of judge once) wins. The game can have a satisfying ending if one player barely wins at the end by one coin. But in certain scenarios players can either easily win having 3+ coins to having a tie with 2 players having the same amount of coins.

We could make this better by having an overtime if there is a tie, having the two players who tied play for one more round with the other players who are out as judges. Whoever wins that overtime round wins the game.

17: Overall Reflection

The lengthy design process of our game included many iterations of the traits cards and mechanics. We drew inspiration from social transformative games and did research about the existing issues in our society that led us to our initial idea, which included mental health issues, communication, the ability of thinking and arguing, and more. In the first step of Brainstorming, our idea of mental health is quite general and broad, so we decided to narrow down the idea to Self-esteem and Self-acceptance. With the understanding of the transformative game, we wanted to address the mental issue of self-esteem and self acceptance that existed everywhere in our society through our team game. After brainstorming multiple types and content of traits cards, we decide to make a fictional character so that the players are not offended by these traits and could reflect the traits they have. Instead of voting, we add a role of judge to decide which fictional character is being transformative in the best way, we thought that the judge could objectively choose the character he likes most and avoid a draw in each round. When playtesting our game there were characters that were made that had relatable traits to certain players, and there was an impact the player felt when another player was talking positively about the players relatable traits. We found out that our game is effective and can impact players by having players relate to the fictional characters and thinking about them in a positive way

Our transformative game has gone through a few iterative design processes of the cards’ content and mechanics through prototyping, playtesting and evaluating the feedback. Through playtesting, we found some description of traits cards is unclear and misleading, so we revised the description of traits with more specific circumstance and tried to use the word “slow” to do something rather than “can’t”. In the future, we plan to improve the experience of gameplay through making more different types of traits cards, so it provides more opportunities and strategy for players to think about how to use them

18: Team Communication and Processes

1: discord

It’s necessary to hold meetings where team members can get together to discuss the current status of the project and work on the project together by sharing the screen.In addition, we can playtest our game together and discuss the game during playtesting.

2: google drive

Using google drive to manage our document and group file.

Appendix A: Ideation/Conceptualization Activity Report