Games reflection

Game 1 : the voter suppression

While playing, I realized how little I had considered the differences in people’s voting experiences. I genuinely assumed that everyone went through the same process and circumstances when voting. One moment that particularly affected me was when I played as a Latina woman living in Wisconsin. While waiting in line to vote, I had to make the difficult decision of leaving my mother during an emergency and leaving my child at school. Honestly, I felt broken when I had to make these decisions since I was forced to choose between responsibilities.

I would like to compliment the game’s design. I though it was visually appealing and engaging. Additionally, I appreciated how it broadened my perspective. Since I had never considered how someone’s personal circumstances could make something as simple as voting much more complicated, this game helped me understand the struggle.

One thing I disliked was the limited character customization, especially regarding gender. I initially wanted to play as a white female programmer, but the only option available was a white man programmer. Although I understand that gender does not affect the game’s intended message, I felt that restricting certain professions to specific genders might unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. Allowing players to choose their gender independently of their professions would make the game more inclusive.

Game 2 : Orphans and society

Orphans and society is a student-created game that explores the experiences of orphans and the difficulties they encounter in society.

What stood out to me when playing this game was that it made using PowerPoint which I had not previously considered as a tool for creating games. Moreover, I found it interesting how we sometimes make orphans’ lives harder without even realizing it. For example, the game showed how someone might bring up the fact that another person is an orphan during an argument simply to hurt them even when it has nothing to do with the disagreement. This example made me think how easily people can use someone’s personal circumstances against them.

We often hear that orphans face difficulties, but these statements are often very general. I liked that the game presented specific situations that explained why their lives can be difficult. It demonstrated how orphans experience discrimination and emotional challenges. I also learned that certain words or actions that people might not think twice about can have a much greater impact than they realize.

However, I did not like how the game showed the consequences of every available option. I would have preferred to see only the consequences of the decision I personally made. I would like to also mention that I was a bit confused when reading the introduction. The creator presented images representing orphans and explained that these portrayals contribute to the difficulties they experience. But, even after completing the game, I was still unsure about what was problematic about those representations.

Personally, I would improve the game by making more interactive by allowing players the ability to select one option and follow its consequences rather than revealing every possible outcome. I would also clarify the message behind the images represented at the beginning and explain how these representations influence society’s perception.

Game 3 : Building blocks activity

I enjoyed playing this game especially for its complexity and challenge of having to construct a shape using building blocks we are not allowed to see. Despite the difficulty, I found that the activity became relatively easy when I had a partner who was able to provide clear instructions.

One small challenge was the keywords my partner used. At first, he referred to the wooden sticks as “planks”, which confused me at the start since I was expecting different keywords. Eventually, I understood what he meant and was able to follow his instructions. This made me realize how important word choice is when communicating, especially when other person cannot rely on visual information to understand what is being described.

If I could change one aspect of the activity, I would allow the surrounding participants to provide instructions after one person creates the shape. Since they could provide more accurate guidance and correct misunderstandings more accurately.

Game comparison

Although the three games addressed very different subjects, I noticed that they all demonstrated how much our experiences depend on the information and circumstances available to us.

One similarity I noticed was that all three games encouraged me to consider perspectives beyond my own but in different manners. The Voter Suppression Game used characters and difficult decisions to demonstrate inequality, while Orphans and Society used everyday social interactions to highlight behaviors that can hurt others and the building blocks activity did not even rely on a social narrative. Instead, it created a situation in which I personally experienced the importance of communication and cooperation.

I also noticed an interesting difference in how much control each game gave me. In the Voter Suppression Game, I sometimes had to make decisions where none of the available options felt right. This made the experience emotionally challenging because I could not simply choose an outcome that satisfied all my responsibilities. In Orphans and Society, the peaceful options were easier to identify even though they were not the most pleasent. In the building blocks activity, my success depended less on choosing between predetermined options and more on how effectively my partner and I communicated.

This difference made me realize that the way a game presents choices can influence how players understand its message. When the correct answer is immediately recognizable, players may focus on selecting it rather than questioning why the other choices are harmful and when a game presents difficult decisions without an obvious solution,  it encourages players to think more deeply about the circumstances surrounding those decisions.

Designing my own game

If I were to create my own game, I would focus on regional discrimination within Tunisia especially the experiences of a child who moves from one region of the country to another. I feel that this is a form of discrimination that is rarely discussed, even though it can have a significant impact on those who experience it.

In Tunisia, people from regions outside the capital sometimes face prejudice when they move to there, particularly for university. However, I would like my game to explore what happens when someone experiences this discrimination at a much younger age when they might not fully understand why they are being treated differently or how to respond. The player would take on the role of a child who has recently moved to the capital and is trying to adapt to a different school and social environment. Throughout the game, players would encounter situations where they have to decide what to say, how to react, whom to approach, or where to go. inside the game, I want to focus on subtle forms of bullying and discrimination that are difficult for schools to detect and that society might not even recognize as harmful. I would make the game digital and interactive, allowing players to make decisions and experience their consequences where I would also take inspiration from Orphans and Society by presenting specific everyday interactions rather than simply explaining that discrimination exists.

My goal would be to raise awareness of a form of regional prejudice that I believe deserves more attention, especially when it affects children who may not yet have the confidence or ability to speak up for themselves.