Game Log 2 - Play Phase

Roles and how we understand them: 

Game Master: Strengthens the project by maintaining an overview and enhancing collaboration between different roles. Strengthens the game by ensuring that the vision is upheld throughout the process. (Mikkel)

Storyteller: Contributes to the story of the simulation collapse – the uncovering of reality. (Nadia, Simon)

Artist: Chooses colors and forms. Depicts what was before and what comes after. Strengthens the storyteller’s before → after narrative. (Naja, Simon)

Crafter: Can help determine what is possible, enhancing the impact of the game. (Mikkel)

Design: Works closely with the storyteller. Translates the storyteller’s vision into something the crafter can create. Focuses on user experience. Collaborates with the crafter to translate the storyteller’s vision into a world that is unbearable to exist in. (Isabella)

The values are what we aim to approach. We will comment on them through cultural heritage and gameplay. We support the values through gameplay, while cultural heritage works against them.

Cultural heritage becomes the second voice in our game and builds on our semi-critical perspective of its role in dividing people. (Or rather, how cultural heritage is used as a tool for alienation/conformity.)

Concept development 

• We based our method development on the concept storm method from the EPIC-WE phase documentation. We decided to perform this condensed method to emphasise the convergence of our previous ideas into a central concept, that could be the foundation of new ideas.
• We noted shared attributes of our ideas forming a central idea, that we related the different aspects of the game-jam ideation wheel to this central idea.

Games through Culture concept

In the following pitch, we present the concept for our game and the values we wish to incorporate

Pitch for the Expert Council

Hello, we are RAVA-GE, and we want to create a VR-based game with puzzle elements, exploring the perspective that culture can be a manipulation of reality; we will focus on the idea of propaganda and the disconnect between narratives and reality. 

We aim to create a game where the player conflicts with the game UI, which acts as an ‘other’ and functions as an unreliable narrator. Our intention is to express our concept of culture through the UI, making it an advocate for established reality.

Additionally, we aim to create an experience that highlights the player’s freedom to make decisions. We also want to demonstrate that everyone has, or should have, the power to choose, regardless of how objective a narrative seems. 

As of right now, we are working with the EU-values freedom and human dignity. We wish to support the player through gameplay, by implementing puzzle elements that feel confusing but at the same time strengthens the player's confidence when overcoming them.

We wish to make a critique of cultural heritage. The EU-values are supported by the gameplay but will be opposed by our framing of cultural heritage.

The UI’s role in all of this is to be an opponent of these values, representing our interpretation of Romanticism’s beautification of reality and its manipulation of facts to support a narrative.

We frame culture as being subjective takes on reality, as we see these themes repeated in current social media and in movements that use cultural heritage to exclude ‘others’.

The game will therefore become a metaphor for how easily a person can become part of propaganda. And with this game, we will try to empower the player to understand that propaganda is hard to detect and very much derivative of historical narratives and cultural heritage.

Pitch moodboard

Expert Council Feedback

Morthworks Game Designer - Amalie Kjær:

• love the antagonist as the UI
• Struggling to understand what the player is doing and figure out the exact gameplay
• Make 3 minutes of experience that is very nice
• Google worst audio controller ever - that’s a good example of bad UI
• Nail down what the player is doing

Aros leader - Kasper M. Nørmark:

• Challenge us to choose one painting, dig deep into the specific artwork, choose one, and really work with it, go to the exhibit, and choose an artwork

• Choose a specific artwork today!

Prior GameJam participant and youth representative - Rikke G. Jensen:

• Very strong narrative around propaganda, to bring in the youth aspect with social media, figure out how to make it explicit, don't let them take too long to figure out, make the smallest MVP (minimum viable product), small tweeps to highlight the points, how is the player and the narrator - what is the relationship between these
• Youth perspective → social media narrative
• simplify the problem.
• Explicit for the user to understand
• Minimize, e.g. chess game. What are the smallest tweaks we can do to emphasize our point
• Take into consideration who the player or the narrator is. 

AU representative - Claus Toft-Nielsen: 

• See the freedom in the choices the player, human dignity still vague in the idea, what is the opposite of propaganda?, what is true and not true?, who can claim truth?
• Freedom makes sense, but what about human dignity? 
• We could boost the value of human dignity
• What is the opposite of propaganda? truth? Who decides what is true and not?

What are we missing now? – debrief: 

• How do we create something specific and possible to exhibit?

• Look at the games made last time - some are more experience-based, while others are more game-like - we might wanna go a more game-like way
• How do we make it clearer and stronger?
• How do we know if this is the right game to meet our goals?
• What should we observe about what the player feels, thinks, and does through our game?

Notes to ourselves:

• Easy way to reset the game.
• The narrative arc model (Berettermodellen).
• What is the user journey?
• How do we create something that the player understands?

Gameplay idea after feedback and making it more concrete:

• The user assembles a puzzle, and when completed, it reveals a painting.

Inscription-inspired: A card game where the opponent’s cards have strong Romanticism vibes, while you have real/history-based cards and try to tell the true story. When the true story is about to "win," the opponent interferes with the cards and changes everything—essentially altering the narrative, confusing, or disorienting the player.

We went through the exhibit and decided on a painting the painting Skagens jægerne by Krøyer. As we find it interesting as it very much has the same beautification elements (of representing an idyllic scene) while being from the modernism era. We also found that the work includes many interesting elements that are hidden, yet somewhat disturbing, when focused on. i.e. dead animals, littered bottles and weapons. 

New game design idea

Gameplay:

• A painting is fragmented into six pieces; the player must reassemble it.
• The puzzle pieces will be like a block that has six sides. Each side shows an alternative to the real painting - this way, the player can assemble six different types of painting, from the original to the altered version we create. 
• The game starts with a voice over: "Assemble this painting of the Skagens Hunters painting."
• If the puzzle is completed “incorrectly” (so not the original), the narrator intervenes.
  • What should happen if the player assembles the original on the first try?

Unreliable narrator mechanics:

• "You’re doing too well, let me mix it up."
• "This doesn’t depict reality, try again."
• Prompts the player to look behind them, revealing a hidden world or something only visible in the corner of their eye.
• "What are you trying to look at? The action is happening here."
• The voice starts friendly but becomes more sinister if the player resists.

Interactive elements ideation:

• Puzzle pieces behave unpredictably.
• Controls may reverse (e.g., scrolling backwards).
• Revisit puzzle game jam themes for stronger arguments.
• How does the game reinforce values?
• Research friction interfaces and games with hybrid/tangible interfaces.
• Explore the Cultural Game Jam theme and EU values.
• Avoid superficial “playfulness”; focus on deeper cultural and thematic goals.

Procedural rhetoric:

• Storytelling through game mechanics.
• Players’ actions shape their understanding of the narrative.

Alternate approach:

• Show the original painting first.
• Playtest by having players assemble puzzle pieces.
• The original painting is hidden beneath layers.
• Six different versions of the painting.
• Players might challenge historical depictions (e.g., replacing male figures with women).
• Art parable – peeling away layers to reveal truth.
• Six puzzle blocks representing different themes (e.g., women, pollution), allowing players to shape their version of reality.
  • Original
  • Pollution
  • Women
  • Realistic death
  • Mixed ethnicities
  • Emphasise that the painters aren’t locals
• The painting changes based on their choices—multiple possible outcomes.

Fail state mechanics:

• Pieces reset after each “incorrect” attempt.
• The player assembles a different image each time.
• One puzzle block starts glitching.
  • After three "failed" attempts, the narrator loses control over the player.

Reflection at the end of the week:

• We have come closer to a concrete idea, and have decided on a specific MVP for our playtest.
• We have divided the work for the coming week, where we will take on slightly different roles
• We have continuously reflected on our concept