OBJECTIVE

My team and I set out to design a game that was an ode to the real life dynamics that currently exist in the coral preservation space. This meant that players needed to set out with the intention to compete, pursuing their individual goals, but realize they can only win - and save the theoretical global coral reefs - by collaborating and sharing resources.

OUTCOME

Our final game incorporates tangible elements so players can literally see as they earn healthy coral and “build a reef”. As they move through levels it becomes clear that all players are punished when they don’t share resources. Additionally, the final level cannot be completed without all the pieces of the reef in place - something that can only happen when all stakeholders work together.

• Timeframe: 6 months | 2018

• Team Size: 5 members

Realworld stakeholders

We designed the game mechanics to mimic the real life coral preservation system. The players assume the role of a real-world stakeholder - a government leader, a foundation manager or a marine biologist. Accordingly, each player must achieve their individual goals - for customers, publishing or brand recognition (all players need money).

The “reef”

We wanted to incorporate an element to help the players connect their actions in the game to building a coral reef. We opted for a material that was malleable and created interesting shapes. We also went for a material that provided some negative feedback when removing coral from the reef. We chose pieces that used a suction to connect, intern making a loud popping sound when pulled apart.

The “chance” deck

We incorporated a “chance” deck where players receive either a free level-up (to gift to themselves or a fellow player), or a disaster card. Disasters are labeled as carbon emissions, poachers, hurricanes and more- real threats that exist for coral reefs. If a player is hit with a disaster card, all players are forced to meet the lowest level player in the game. This also means removing any healthy corals from the “reef” that were earned in levels beyond the lowest player’s.