Keynote at the Annual Conference of the Association of Adaptation Studies 2022 Abstract. Games have still a long way to become fully inclusive. But, the topic of inclusive play is, nevertheless, widely discussed and researched. Inclusiveness is addressed both in terms of the characters and situations that the game depicts (e.g., its content) and in terms of the way players’ accessibility to play the game and enjoy the experience is supported. This presentation shows some efforts to raise awareness for the inclusion of diverse content in games that avoids shallow stereotypes and tropes, and some efforts to make games available to a diverse audience that includes people with disabilities. Another perspective of inclusiveness in games is the use of games as tools to improve the life of players that need support for inclusion. Some projects that follow this idea are presented. For example, the Invisible Island game developed for collaborative play between sighted and unsighted players, and the ID Gaming project that is developing games to support people with intellectual disability. The discussion is extended by presenting games that can mitigate the problems of inclusion in society by addressing cultural training and promoting empathy in cyberbullying situations. A final note on how models of social identity can be used in games, in particular, in the behaviour of game characters is raised. Building on that, we can create gameplay situations involving social interactions that are grounded on the dynamics of social groups, which can support social inclusion challenges as a gameplay element.

1. Games for inclusive play
Rui Prada
Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa
INESC-ID
AAS Annual Conference, Lisbon - June 24, 2022

2. Inclusion and Diversity in Games
Inclusiveness is addressed both in terms of
The content
The characters and situations that the game depicts
Accessibility
To make it possible for non-typical players (e.g., disable) to play the
game and enjoy the experience
Games for inclusion
Tools to improve the life of players that need support for inclusion

3. Characters and Situations
Ethnicity
Gender
Sex orientation
Divergent/non-typical people
Diversity and the roles played

4. Stereotypes and Tropes
Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, Anita Sarkeesian
https://feministfrequency.com/series/tropes-vs-women-in-video-
games/
Queer Tropes vs Video Games
https://feministfrequency.com/video/queer-tropes-vs-video-games-
are-you-gay-or-just-coded-that-way/

5. The Walking Dead, 2012-2019 (Telltale Games)
Diverse set of playable characters
Image from: https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/twd_michonne_large.jpg.webp

6. This War of Mine, 2014 (11 bit studios)
Diversity of capabilities and limitations
Images from: https://store.steampowered.com/app/282070/This_War_of_Mine/?l=latam&ref=dtf.ru

7. Characters with Physical Disability
Lester Crest, wheelchair-bound
Grand Theft Auto V, 2013
(Rockstar Games)
Image from: https://i.redd.it/4u9zxxgbaa601.jpg
Jeff “Joker” Moreau, Vrolik
Syndrome (brittle bone disease)
Mass Effect, 2007 (BioWare)
Image from: https://i.redd.it/4u9zxxgbaa601.jpg

8. To the Moon, 2011 (Freebird Games)
Sigmund Corporation uses a technology that can create
artificial memories. They offer this as a “wish fulfillment”
service to people on their death beds.
Jonny with Memory loss
River with Autism
Image from: https://luduslila.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/to-the-moon-promo.jpg

9. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, 2017 (Ninja
Theory)
Senua, a warrior struggling with psychosis
Hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t really there
Advised by a Professor Cambridge
Stepping in the shoes of someone that has psychotic mental
illness
Image from: https://pt.ign.com/hellblade/46916/review/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-analise

10. Celeste, 2018 (Matt Makes Games)
Help Madeline survive her inner demons
(self-blame and self-doubt)
Her projections are constantly trying to
stop her from achieving success
Madeline must learn to accept and
ultimately overcome her internal barriers
Image from: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Celeste_capa.jpg

11. Celeste, 2018 (Matt Makes Games)
https://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com/celeste-assist-mode/

12. Accessibility in Games
4 types: mobility, visual, auditory, cognitive
http://ablegamers.org
http://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com/
http://game-accessibility.com/
http://www.includification.com/
https://igda-gasig.org/
Image from: https://ablegamers.org/

13. Designing for Disability
Game Makers Toolkit (4 Episodes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NGe4dzlukc

14. Inclusion and Diversity in Games
Yet a long way to go
But there are many discussions and efforts
Games can be a good media to discuss and portray diversity
and inclusion
Games can be tools to train and raise awareness

15. In-visible Island
Inclusive storytelling platform for visually impaired children
Foster participation in collaborative creative tasks
Children build together a story based on individual choices
Players (one at the time) place characters in the island: in the
forest, in the river, in the mountain
A robot tells the story based on Malaysian folklore
Ruhiyati Idayu Abu Talib, Predrag K Nikolic, Mohd Shahrizal Sunar, Rui Prada: “In-visible island: inclusive storytelling
platform for visually impaired children” Mobile Networks and Applications, 25(3):913-924, 2020. Springer.

16. In-visible Island
Characters have preferences and
relations to each other
The Island elements have audio
and haptic feedback
Characters disks tremble and
rumble if they approach places
and characters they dislike
Ruhiyati Idayu Abu Talib, Predrag K Nikolic, Mohd Shahrizal Sunar, Rui Prada: “In-visible island: inclusive storytelling
platform for visually impaired children” Mobile Networks and Applications, 25(3):913-924, 2020. Springer.

17. In-visible Island
Ruhiyati Idayu Abu Talib, Predrag K Nikolic, Mohd Shahrizal Sunar, Rui Prada: “In-visible island: inclusive storytelling
platform for visually impaired children” Mobile Networks and Applications, 25(3):913-924, 2020. Springer.

18. Games for People with Intellectual Disability
ID Gaming objective is to increase the competences of Persons with
Intellectual Disabilities
Educate related Professionals and Relatives on the use of games
15 million people with intellectual
disability in the European Union
https://id-gaming-project.eu

19. ID Gaming
https://id-gaming-project.eu/toolkit

20. QooL City Game: Quality of Life Training Game
Cognitive functions: calculus and problem solving, memory, spatial
orientation, language
Quality of Life dimensions: interpersonal relationships, social inclusion,
self-determination, physical and emotional well-being,

21. QooL City Game: Challenge Cards

22. QooL City Game: Participatory (co-)Design

23. QooL City Digital Game
https://id-gaming-project.eu/toolkit/qool-city-digital-game/

24. Traveller: a game for Cultural Training
Game for increasing intercultural sensitivity and awareness
Players play several scenes, which may be misinterpreted due to
differences in culture
AI agents with different cultural behaviour (e.g., individualist vs
collectivist, importance of authority)
Based on a model of Social Importance Dynamics
Samuel Mascarenhas, João Dias, Rui Prada, Ana Paiva “A Dimensional Model for Cultural Behaviour in Virtual Agents” in Applied
Artificial Intelligence, vol. 24 (6), pp. 552-574, July 2010. Taylor & Francis.
Samuel Mascarenhas, Nick Degens, Ana Paiva, Rui Prada, Gert Jan Hofstede, Adrie Beulens, Ruth Aylett: “Modeling culture in intelligent
virtual agents: From theory to implementation” in Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. pp. 1-32, 2015. Springer.

25. Traveller: Beach Bar scene

26. Traveller: Study
Cross-cultural study 2x2
Participants: Portugal (collectivistic) vs The Netherlands
(individualistic)
Culture parameterization: collectivistic agents vs
individualistic agents
Samuel Mascarenhas, João Dias, Rui Prada, Ana Paiva “A Dimensional Model for Cultural Behaviour in Virtual Agents” in Applied Artificial Intelligence,
vol. 24 (6), pp. 552-574, July 2010. Taylor & Francis.
Samuel Mascarenhas, Nick Degens, Ana Paiva, Rui Prada, Gert Jan Hofstede, Adrie Beulens, Ruth Aylett: “Modeling culture in intelligent virtual agents:
From theory to implementation” in Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. pp. 1-32, 2015. Springer.

27. Traveller: Some Results
Dutch participants complained that the collectivistic agents were too
distant
Dutch participants offered more often a drink to the individualistic
agents. Portuguese offered more to the collectivistic
Portuguese participants had a significantly higher opinion of the
collectivistic agents than the Dutch
Both countries had a similarly opinion of the individualistic agents
Samuel Mascarenhas, João Dias, Rui Prada, Ana Paiva “A Dimensional Model for Cultural Behaviour in Virtual Agents” in Applied Artificial Intelligence,
vol. 24 (6), pp. 552-574, July 2010. Taylor & Francis.
Samuel Mascarenhas, Nick Degens, Ana Paiva, Rui Prada, Gert Jan Hofstede, Adrie Beulens, Ruth Aylett: “Modeling culture in intelligent virtual agents:
From theory to implementation” in Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. pp. 1-32, 2015. Springer.

28. Com@Viver
A game to promote bystanders’ empathy in cyberbullying
situations
Paula C Ferreira, Ana Margarida Veiga Simão, Ana Paiva, Carlos Martinho, Rui Prada, Aristides Ferreira, Francisco
Santos “Exploring empathy in cyberbullying with serious games” Computers & Education, 166:104155, 2021. Elsevier

29. Com@Viver
Simulated Social Network
Social agents as colleagues
Fictional cyberbullying
posts, based on real data
Paula C Ferreira, Ana Margarida Veiga Simão, Ana Paiva, Carlos Martinho, Rui Prada, Aristides Ferreira, Francisco
Santos “Exploring empathy in cyberbullying with serious games” Computers & Education, 166:104155, 2021. Elsevier

30. Com@Viver
Players’ goal is to be able to join
the field trip
Social agents favour the bully or
the victim
Players respond through
likes/dislikes and predefined
comments
Triggered self-reflection on their
choices
Paula C Ferreira, Ana Margarida Veiga Simão, Ana Paiva, Carlos Martinho, Rui Prada, Aristides Ferreira, Francisco
Santos “Exploring empathy in cyberbullying with serious games” Computers & Education, 166:104155, 2021. Elsevier

31. Com@Viver: Results
Longitudinal study (5 sessions) with 221, 7th and 8th grade students (in
3 schools)
3 groups: play the game (G), read a paper version (P), did not play (N)
Positive difference in terms of cognitive empathy
More empathic concerns towards the cyberbullying situations
Higher levels of empathic reactions towards victims
Paula C Ferreira, Ana Margarida Veiga Simão, Ana Paiva, Carlos Martinho, Rui Prada, Aristides Ferreira, Francisco
Santos “Exploring empathy in cyberbullying with serious games” Computers & Education, 166:104155, 2021. Elsevier

32. Inclusive play with Robots
Inclusive classroom play with robots and neurodivergent children
Image from: https://www.robotshop.com/ca/fr/ensemble-costumes-diy-
pour-ozobot-evo.html
Image from: https://www.generationrobots.com/blog/en/what-
are-the-differences-between-ozobot-bit-and-ozobot-evo/

33. Socially Situated Cognition and Social Identity
in AI Agents
Social meaning of objects
E.g., An apple can be food, a gift, a toy, a weapon, …
Social categorization and social identity
The agents and their social groups in a given context
Social affordances
What you can do with the agents and objects in the context
Socially affordable
What is acceptable

34. Social AI agents in Minecraft
Context
Time, location, agents
Social practices
Activated by context
Social roles
Locations have social properties
Expected activity
Ownership
Agents have categories/identities
Define relevant social practices

35. Conclusions
Games are prominent media
Games portray social reality
There are concerns of inclusiveness: accessibility and
representativeness
Games are powerful means for change
Can be used to promote awareness, to train and foster
change
Combined with AI and novel elements (e.g., robots)