Coming Out, Coming Home

SERIOUS GAME DESIGN
COMMUNITY BUILDING
MARCH ‘22- APRIL ‘22

A conversational card game to help build community among queer chinese men.

As a part of our serious game design course, we were given the task to build a serious game on topics that matter to us the most- we chose the process of building trust and commmunity among chinese gay men.

I was a part of a group of three, with Yikun Wang & Effy Tam- fellow designers in my course. one of them who identifies as part of the community we were designing the game for.

This course incorporates game theory and analysis with hands-on development of social impact games: interactive experiences that integrate socio-political events, values and messages into their design and game mechanics. Working in teams, students take on game projects from concept to a functional prototype, and refine their projects through several iterations, ending with a game festival with a jury of experts.

The Challenge:

In the complex landscape of queer identities within Asian communities, finding a sense of belonging can be a daunting challenge. Legal restrictions and societal stigmatization exacerbate the struggle for queer individuals, particularly in regions like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Recognizing the profound impact of these challenges, our team embarked on a mission to cultivate a nurturing space where queer Asian men could authentically connect, share their stories, and foster a sense of community.

At the heart of our endeavor lay the principles of design thinking and rapid prototyping, infused with a deep sense of empathy and compassion. We understood that each individual carries a unique narrative, shaped by personal experiences, cultural influences, and societal pressures. Our goal was to ensure that these stories were not only heard but celebrated within the fabric of our creation.

With a meticulous approach, we identified the foundational elements essential for crafting a compelling experience: characters, plot, and events. For our game, we honed in on the intrinsic metrics crucial to the lived experiences of queer Asian men—attributes such as independence, education level, mental health, familial relationships, and intimacy.

Through character cards, players were empowered to allocate points, crafting personas that mirrored their authentic selves, with a total sum of 15 points distributed among these traits.

Beyond mere gameplay mechanics, we delved into the realm of meaningful engagement and introspection.

Question cards became our conduit for self-discovery, meticulously curated to traverse the progressive stages of embracing one's identity. From questioning selfhood to navigating the intricacies of coming out and beyond, each question card served as a beacon of empathy, drawing from real-life experiences shared through interviews and community outreach efforts.
Questioning your identity, understanding your attitude towards coming out, questions about the coming out process, and life after coming out. Each question card answered would add to the qualities of the character. We collected these questions through interviews with members of the community and online forms.

Through this process, we aimed to create a game that not only builds community but also helps individuals embrace their authentic selves by understanding and accepting their unique stories.

Our commitment to authenticity extended beyond individual narratives; it encompassed the broader societal context that shapes queer identities. Event cards, reflective of real-world occurrences like social media bans and website shutdowns targeting the community, added a layer of realism, challenging players to navigate adversity while bolstering resilience and solidarity within the game.

The gameplay is centered around building meaningful connections and embracing one's authentic self. There is no winner or loser in this game; instead, each player draws a character card with four stats that they must fill in. The goal is to bring your true self into the character you create and acquire additional points to help your character live the life you think is ideal.

To gain points, players must move past small talk and engage in deeper conversations. In each round, a player chooses a card from one of the question stacks and asks the group the question.

Everyone gives their answer, but the card is awarded to the person who gave the "best" answer. The player who receives the card increases their ability stats by one point. The first person to reach a total of 15 points wins.

Overall, the gameplay is designed to encourage players to explore their true selves and build connections with others in the queer Asian community. The game provides a safe and supportive environment to have meaningful conversations and gain valuable insights

Final Prototype:

We decided to structure the conversation by introducing roles into the conversation. Each round had a mover, an advocate, an explorer that offers a different perspective, and an observer that notices themes and emotions.
The Mover picks up and answers the question.
After the round, people award their point to their player of choice.

We added Opportunity cards thay involved tasks that went beyond the game as a way of sustaining the community being formed- like introducing them to their favourite inclusive hangout spot.
Opportunity cards can only be picked up after you have reached your desired goal in atleast one character trait.

Thank you for visiting and being curious about my work, I greatly appreciate it ︎