A romantic approach to applied games: how and why a non reductionistic approach can be effective, with references to work done.

1. A romantic approach to
applied game design
Presented at IIDD 2015 Pietro Polsinelli @ppolsinelli

2. WHAT DO I DO?
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3. Take a problem, a message that
is complex.
You want to inform people
about it.
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4. To talk to people about it you
can use media.
Videogames are one pervasive
media.
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5. Contrast the idea that games
are “just” about “fun”.
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6. “fun” is a term that lacks
explicative capacity
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7. Game design is not a single
method.
My model is not
rewards / random
reinforcement
but …
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8. Understanding the complex
relationship between playing,
learning, fun, and simplicity.
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9. My work is navigating this
complexity
trying to respect its nature
while creating simple games.
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10. Romantic* approach to
game design. Non
reductionistic.
* As suggested by © Daniele Giardini
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11. My idea of game design is as the reign of Goethe, not
Newton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Colours 11

12. APPLIED GAMES:
WORK DONE / IN
PROGRESS
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13. Games are applied when their
subject matter is far from the
entertainment field.
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14. My method is:
Search (transform) a narrative and
turn it into gameplay of some kind.
Narrative, not (just) data or rules.
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15. Pull out the story from the field
specialist.
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16. Bringing out the narrative is
also creating the narrative.
In narrative details you can find
new game design solutions.
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17. Transformation
Games for
Health

18. Help people that are evolving
towards a chronic desease by
influencing behavior and
disrupting this evolution.
NDA 
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19. How can technology change my health?
By measuring? By competing?
Tending towards a chronic condition,
I’m already in a fight, just don’t need
more. But need, need there is.

20. How can I change the story of my way
of living? Medecine is aware of the
power of storytelling.
A game can move you, just like a good
book or movie.

21. Customer thinks (s)he knows what “game”
means.This is a problem.
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22. What is bizarre is that it is the
same doctor that explained me
that learning, being informed
about this disease influences
the cure.
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23. Applied game design elicits a
dialogue between designer and
customer, both evolving
knowledge
#noestimates
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24. Designing Games for Health
RE-DESIGN

25. Sunday, June 21, 2015
Category, competition,
avatar, war, reward, levels
Vs.
Inclusive, mentor, path,
story, transformation
A language change.
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26. Ian Bogost: gamification is
bullshit.
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28. Redesigned by including negative feedback,
turning avatar to mentor, building an AI.

29. Transformation
Games for
Social Impact

30. Sunday, June 21, 2015
… to develop and implement a
game infused e-learning tool
to promote early access to
services with neglect and
abuse for young people on the
move in Europe
Mission. 30

31. EU project: deal with these
matters harmonically and
effectively across EU.
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32. Pick a mod, just change the labels ...
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33. Collateral story gets in the way
of play.
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34. Designing Games for Social
Impact
RE-DESIGN

35. Kids becoming aware and
capable of dealing with
situations of neglect and
abuse.
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36. Build up of awareness defines
the game mechanics
Not just a secondary narrative
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37. Game loop: shit happens.

38. Deal with it and keep your
universe together.
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39. Your identity, your self is
complex stuff.
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41. Game mechanics:
1. Keep up with your daily routines
2. React to situations
3. Solve the secret
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42. 42

43. Sunday, June 21, 2015
Profile and story.

44. Sunday, June 21, 2015
Situation: sleeping out choices

45. Sunday, June 21, 2015
THE SECRET: A narrative tool.

46. Why this could work?
Not teaching through
secondary narrative. The
experience is the core of the
game play.
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47. Games for a
Sustainable
Future

48. UNESCO Gaming Challenge: selected with
We Are Muesli and Daniele Giardini
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49. So ...

50. Games are a mature and pervasive
media
Games can articulate a wide range of
non trivial ideas and emotions
Good games can’t be done taking
shortcuts
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51. My twitter stream is
mostly dedicated to
game design
@ppolsinelli
A blog on game design
designagame.eu
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