Games for Change
As part of my MFA coursework, I took a course on games for change. Throughout the semester, we learned about game mechanics and systems, designing for multiple users and how much work it takes to make a game both engaging and impactful.
I Speak NY is a street game that gets players to interact with fellow New Yorkers to better understand what languages are spoken in various neighborhoods in New York.
Known to be one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world, it’s no surprise that New York is also the world’s most linguistically diverse metropolis – home to an estimated 800 different languages, and counting.
This game looks to engage with people on the street and learn a little bit about the languages they speak, and their association with the city.
Each game lasts for 20 minutes, and the goal is to maximize the number of points you can get within that time.
On the Spot: A game that makes uncomfortable conversations around reproductive health hilarious.
It uses humor to surface uncomfortable subjects by putting people on the spot. The idea is to use a combination of fear and thrill as a prompt to engage the players to begin a conversation
How it started: We came across the fact that men steer away from conversations about fertility / reproductive health.
Insight- Men will be more receptive to humor that could bridge back to reproductive health. Therefore, we decided to mask fertility into broader awkward situations that we all face in daily life.