Global warming game proposal

Description and discussion of the overarching influence and thematic for the play experience:

We were inspired by the techniques used by Katie Salen in her games. We are using techniques from her Rules of Play to inform children of the effects of climate change, as requested by KCC. We want to use narrative to explain what happens to New Zealand’s flightless species when the sea level rises in a distant future. There will be risks and consequences in our game, reinforcing the “meaningful play” rule.

We are combining both paidia and ludus into our game design. While we have specific rules, these rules can be modified to suit the player.


Framework for the methods of interaction:

We want to create an immersive board game to show the effects of climate change on a Kakapo’s little island.

To help with this immersion, there are two phases. Phase one we starts the game with children designing their own kakapo. We will do this by designing “blank” kakapo children can customise with pencils, markers, stickers, etc. Our output has yet to be decided, but we can use cardboard, resin, etc. Parents can help their children design their own kakapo too!

(IMAGE – 2D KAKAPO, MAYBE EXAMPLES?)

We will introduce the story of their kakapo once the children are ready to play with them. The model kakapo, and the big game board are central to the magic circle.

(IMAGE – BOARD GAME LEVELS)

In phase 2, they play the game on a multi-levelled board resembling an island. Using their kakapo, they move around the game space gathering resources as the water level rises. Children can choose to take risks by adventuring into more dangerous areas of the island. While the dangerous levels offer better rewards, then can lose everything if they’re unlucky!


Rules and guidelines for the play experience:

Players engage with our playspace by using an avatar: their designed Kakapo. This was inspired by many roleplaying games where players design their in-game character that moves in the game world. Based on how our experience is contained within the kakapo and the game board, we believe our game is a closed system.

The object of this game is to survive the impact of the rising sea levels. Your island slowly floods as you try and stock up on resources. There are various levels of interactivity that affect the outcome of the game.

There are two ways to win the game:

1. Have the most resources when all of the levels have flooded

2. Have the most resources when the resources run out.

Players roll a dice (1-6) and this determines how many spaces they can travel on the game board. They can travel between levels where designated by a red line, and they can only travel one level per turn. The player will either land on an orange or purple space, and must draw a card from the corresponding pile.

1. Orange space: Event/wild cards. These affect the playspace and the players within them. Players can take control over other players, their resources, etc. (SAMPLE EVENT HERE)

2. Purple space: Resources (points). (SAMPLE RESOURCE HERE)

Both piles have the chance to draw global warming cards.

Global warming: This happens when a player draws a global warming card. The lowest available level is flooded. This level is removed from the game and can no longer be accessed. Any players sitting on the flooded level loses ALL of their resources, is sent back to the starting point, and misses a turn as they’re “swimming back to safety.” This way, no one is removed from the game until someone wins.

Players use tactics, in the way they move their kakapo, to decide whether they want to land on an orange space or a purple space.