Game Log 2 - Play

Game Name: Perception

Team name: The Clovns

Team members and their roles:
Gamemaster: Demet Temel
Crafter: Demet Temel & Sebastian Poulsen
Designer: Sebastian Poulsen & Yasmina Chami
Storyteller & Artist: Yasmina Chami & Emilia Nordtømme

Game Description
Our game challenges the interpretation of freedom through provocation and frustration. We explore how choices are not always free but influenced by cultural norms and expectations. The game influences players’ senses through images, sound, and feedback that invites you to think what is “right” or “wrong” - and hopefully invites you to seek for a discussion about perception.

Cultural Values & Societal Themes 
The game examines perception, cultural norms, and the human urge to find a correct answer. By making all choices wrong, players are forced to reflect on how society constructs normality and creativity. 

Gameplay & Player Experience 
Through an interactive experience, players face meaningless choices, contradictory feedback, and glitch effects. We aim to create a sense of confusion and doubt, prompting players to question their own choices and society’s definitions. 

Cultural Gameworld
We create a cultural gameworld by making the player an active participant in an artistic experience, where they become the subject of investigation. Empowerment does not come from control but from awareness of how choices are constructed. 

Uniqueness
Our game differs from traditional games by removing reward structures and progression. Instead, the player is met with frustration and manipulation, creating a unique reflection on culture and perception. 

Chosen methods
We successfully applied three out of four methods in our process and will now elaborate on our reasoning behind these choices.

We found "Concept Convergence" particularly relevant, as it involved eliminating ideas—a crucial step for us. However, we adapted the method slightly from its original description in the booklet. While we already had a foundational idea for our final product, we all agreed on the importance of continuing to generate ideas. To implement "Concept Convergence," we set a five-minute timer and individually wrote down as many related ideas as possible on post-its. After the timer expired, each person presented their post-its. We then took a break before conducting an expectation vote, where we raised our hands to determine which ideas should be included in our final product. To further organize our thoughts, we categorized the selected ideas into groups, making it easier to assign responsibilities. This entire process is documented with images as seen on the page.

Given this approach, we found that the "6-8-5 Game Sketching" method was not relevant to our process. Since we already had a clear vision, we decided to explore unconventional thinking in a different manner, prioritizing our time accordingly.

Following "Concept Convergence," we moved on to the "Culture + Value + Game Collage" method. The most valuable aspect of this method for us was the reflection phase, which allowed us to articulate and refine the cultural context and value of our game. We focused particularly on the player's perception of the game, as well as its broader cultural and political implications. However, we found the collage aspect unnecessary, as we already had a well-defined vision for the game's design and aesthetic. Additionally, we did not engage with the "How" section questions, as we had already addressed them earlier in our process.

The final method we utilized was the "Storyboard." This method provided us with a comprehensive visual overview of our ideas and reflections throughout the game's development. It was particularly useful for structuring our thoughts in a different format and became an essential tool for our pitch to the "Expert Council," helping us clearly communicate our chosen values and their significance.