DIGITAL NARRATIVE GAME: PHASE 5

Digital Narrative Game:

Zeina Nawara, Amr Saad and I – Hoda Hisham- did the game together; however, each one of us took a pathway and developed it independently. Our game is about abusive relationships. I developed romantic relationships. Zeina developed friendships, while Amr developed parental relationships.

How you modified it since first draft based on feedback?

We had two major milestones for the game modification: a prototype and a first draft. For the prototyping, it was supposed to be a rough outline for the game scenarios, decisions, and the possible consequences. One of the main comments I received was to breakdown the scenarios into smaller ones, so that people can get into the story sequentially and don’t feel overwhelmed with the details. Also, this was better for the user experience, as they get to take more decisions. In addition, there are some terms, where I needed to elaborate more on them with giving an example in a form of a new scenario like the “anger issues” part. The consequences needed to be modified too, as some of them would’ve ended the game immediately. Taking into consideration all of the comments, I fixed them for the first draft.

Regarding the first draft, my colleagues’ comments were so helpful. First, our game was on Google Forms, which many perceived boring. That was the push why we shifted to Google Slides. The game became more interactive and visually appealing, as others asked for – thanks to them. One thing that liked some of the class was that the game was like a storyline the player is going through, so that they feel that they are actually part of the story not just playing a game. This is what I aimed for because the main goal for this game is that people should feel each other and start acting upon toxic and abusive relationships. Again, I broke down some of the scenarios into small ones for players to decide and stay entertained.

What you would have done differently if you had more time?

If I had more time, I would’ve finished all the scenarios. Unfortunately, I was not able to because of some inconveniences like changing the game platform and doing other reflections too. The game is playable but incomplete. Also, I may have added some videos or sound effects for people to be interacted with the game even more. Maybe in the future I could do so and do it on another platform like Spent game. Finally, even though the game fits both genders because of the name choice, which is “Nour”, I prefer to construct different scenarios of each gender to be able to play with the details more, so that they are more efficient and relatable.

What you learned while making this game?

The first thing I learned is about the tools. I discussed this thoroughly in the final reflection. Personally, this game gave me the space to grow emotionally, as the scenarios I wrote were real life experiences I witnessed. I grew in terms of actually spotting an abusive partner and how to deal with them because as we’ve seen in the game, every action you take leads to an unexpected reaction for this partner. Knowing one’s worth and learning that love itself is not enough is vital for future life. Moreover, criticizing comments are never personal. When one of us gives the others some advice on how to enhance their work, it is because they want to see this thing much better. There is no need to get into a defensive mode, as no one is attacking the other. We are all one class, yet the choice of words while giving feedback matters.

References:

Huizen, J. (2021, July 13). What is gaslighting? examples and how to respond. Medical News Today. Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gaslighting

McCord, J. (1983). A forty year perspective on effects of child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 7(3), 265–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(83)90003-0

Jeffries, V. (2022, July 20). Emotionally abusive friendships | Mindsum. Mindsum. Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.mindsum.app/blog/emotionally-abusive-friendships

Power and control. The Hotline. (2021, November 29). Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/power-and-control/

The Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness & Action. Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness & Action. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2022, from http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/educated/what-is-relationship-abuse/

Team, R. (2021, August 24). 6 different types of abuse. Reach. Retrieved November 2022, from https://reachma.org/blog/6-different-types-of-abuse/

Wolfe, D. A. (1985). Child-abusive parents: An empirical review and analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 97(3), 462–482. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.97.3.462

CORE 2096 Reflect

DIGITAL NARRATIVE GAME: PHASE 5