A Serious Game

⛰️ Pain points

• Lack of engagement when learning Feng Shui principles.

• Lack of motivation to read or watch videos.

• Lack of low-stakes opportunities to practice Feng Shui.

• Lack of collaborative opportunities to learn Feng Shui.

🔬 Research findings

An effective educational game should have the following aspects:

• • Authenticity: A game should be translatable to real-world tasks.

  • Competition/collaboration: A game should engage players.

  • Meaningful context: A game should be relatable to players.

  • Accessible play: A game should be playable for most players meaning that it the components shouldn’t interfere with gameplay.

🎨 Game Platform Design

• Authentic Gameplay: The game mirrors real-life furniture placement, allowing players to move pieces as they would in their own space. Players can strategically arrange furniture to their advantage or disrupt others, mimicking real-world dynamics.

• "Collapetitive" Design: The game blends competition and collaboration, much like real-life shared living spaces. Players must optimize their own rooms' Feng Shui while considering and adapting to others’ furniture arrangements.

• Meaningful Context: The game’s story, centred around roommates moving into an apartment, provides an authentic context to practice Feng Shui. With multiple furniture placement options, the game offers varied scenarios, making it replayable and engaging.

• Accessible Play: The game strikes a balance between being easy to understand and challenging enough for replay-ability. Its board game format is accessible, as most players are familiar with handling cards, drawing, and interacting with physical game pieces.

A board game was created to simulate the physicality properties of moving and placing furniture.

📝 User Testing Findings

• Gameplay Feedback: To prevent overloading one player with knowledge, a peer-review mechanic could be added. Players would inspect each other’s rooms, offering guidance and checking accuracy. Incorrect inspections could result in penalties, while correct ones yield rewards, encouraging learning through risk-taking.

• Emotional Engagement: The game successfully evokes emotions, from joy when disrupting another’s arrangement to playful reactions from affected players. Observers often laugh at the exchanges, confirming players' understanding of Feng Shui manipulation. The interactive furniture pieces and card descriptions also enhanced player engagement and motivation.

• Better productivity and quality of life for users when they apply Feng Shui principles to their own spaces.