Post playing 6 games 🙂

Spent

How you felt playing the game? I felt that I need to think thousands of times to take only one decision, where in my personal real life, it would’ve been easier for sure like choosing a job. Along the way of playing, it was hard to choose between health and money; both ways, you will have to pay. Also, choosing between your kids’ happiness and budget is a challenge and overwhelming more than I imagined. It is very hard to as someone for help or take their old clothes. It felt like people are filled with pity, which doesn’t feel so good. During the last rounds, I felt that this game is getting into my head and that this is a life, where I am not only playing. Somehow, it gave me anxiety and made me feel that this life is much bigger than my qualifications. It is so hard to keep up with everything.
What you learned playing the game? I learned that there are many decisions in life you should take where you have no options, so this means you don’t choose; you are FORCED!! Also, never start a family unless you have some capabilities as it is such a vital responsibility.
One suggestion for improving it? In my opinion, every decision may be backed up by a real story so that players actually empathize with others.

BBC Syrian Refugees

How you felt playing the game? While starting the game, I felt the gender choice may make it harder for some as a gender may carry more responsibilities than the other (this doesn’t mean the other doesn’t have any responsibilities, but it means that it may be easier if the same person experienced the other’s responsibilities). I was very indecisive between 2 choices: do what people actually do in real life or try and experiment the uncommon. I feel scared to choose a wrong button.
What you learned playing the game? I learned about a bias I have, where I chose to go to Egypt over Turkey as I personally know that most Syrians are living a very good life there. Sometimes people have to choose a risk over the other. Life is hard on many people.
One suggestion for improving it? I feel that it needed to be somehow longer to emphasize the difficulty of Syrians immigrations.

Depression Quest

How you felt playing the game? “You become more and more anxious.” Unfortunately, that is how I felt during the game. It is so relatable to the extent that I feel the same exact feelings when I experience the same situations. Sometimes people don’t know what to do and what matter at some points in life. Sadly, it felt like a never ending game and there were no buttons to track how much is left. This made me feel stuck and bored.
What you learned playing the game? There are things I feel that I never knew how to put into words, but the game explained it so well. There are some cycles that sink people into feeling depressed, where if awareness rise on how to break them, it should be helpful.
One suggestion for improving it? They should ask about age first, as the game should be tailored to the different phases of different players to relate to. In addition, there should be less text as it may overwhelm whoever is reading and make them feel burdened with the load they are trying to escape from.
A point for this game is the attached photo (contains a message before starting the same). I like their way of writing on depression and I appreciate the trigger message; however, they should put it in bold or highlight to focus on it.

This picture contains a message before starting the same. http://www.depressionquest.com/

September 7th, 2020

How you felt playing the game? This game is so relatable to students like us. I felt that the character in the game with their depression should’ve been dismissed from face to face classes and attend it online unless there is something urgent.
What you learned playing the game? “You and your neighbor are struggling: she doesn’t know that you stutter, so she keeps interrupting you”: in many times, people have personal issue we know nothing about and judge them even before listening to them.
One suggestion for improving it? There should be more answers to choose from.

Student game: Losing a Parent (2019) by Mai

How you felt playing the game? I feel that the events are somehow overlapping and this confuses me. Apart from this, I felt that there are many life decisions based on our parents that we might have not experienced (Thank God).
What you learned playing the game? There is no right situation that fits all. Everyone reacts differently as we are human beings. I learned that not letting our emotions out actually let them build up, but at the same time, it is hard to do so.
One suggestion for improving it? Need to use visuals to make it more engaging and grab attention! Mai should’ve let the participants to choose the closer parent to be able to experience the emotions fully.
I appreciate the trigger warning message in the beginning.

Student game: Know Yourself by Nermine and Yasmin (2018) –background here

How you felt playing the game? Usually, I tell my best-friends who are like my sisters if what they are wearing could be styled better out of love not judgement, so that they look better; however, during this game, I felt that by certain people (apart from my friends) could see it as a judgmental comment. Also, I felt that some of the situations may have been answered because of a certain societal dilemmas not just personality crisis or prejudging.
What you learned playing the game? I learned not to make assumptions or judge anyone, as nobody knows what is going on with this person like the friend who was wearing her grandmother’s clothes as she missed her. “At the end of the day you are to be a judgmental person even if you didn’t mean to.”
One suggestion for improving it? There should be an option like “other” so that players can add another solution that may do apart from what was listed. It would have been more interesting if it was written in a form of a storyline not separate questions.

A reflection comparing the 5 games with each other in whatever manner you like.

This is a watercolor picture that includes an upper part of a human with masculin body features. This body is filled with shades of blue and around the heart area, there are shades of pink. There is a rainbow colored bubble coming out of this body’s head. https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/3146/how-does-your-body-respond-to-feelings-of-moral-outrage-depends/

I feel that this picture is the best to sum up all the games I played. I have experienced many topics with different emotions and thoughts. I will list below each emotion I felt regarding each game.

Spent