Bibblomon & Bokdrakar

Digital card game for motivating kids to engange with library website

Objective:	Design, prototype and playtest a serious game based on an external client’s problem.
Problem statement:	Swedish children between 7-12 years shall be motivated to engage (more) with barnensbibliotek.se (a website dedicated to foster kids’ interest in reading and books).
Solution approach:	Firstly, after gathering detailed requirements and considering technical limitations, we narrowed down the design scope around the lack of (active) users. While the choice was between a board game to improve reading interest, or to get new or inactive users to the website and a digital game to increase involvement on and with the website, we opted for the latter. According to our gamification approach, different activities done across the website (such as writing a book review) foster RPG-like progress in a JavaScript-based card game integrated into the website. Likewise, users get motivated to do more on the platform in order to unlock rewards and challenges for the game, which makes use of already existing assets of the client. Set in a narrative, where the player needs to defend the library from book-stealing dragons with Pokémon-inspired creatures called Bibblomon, the goal of the game is to obliterate your opponent’s life points by strategically playing simple offensive and defensive cards turnwise. While also incorporating elemental and probalistic effects, every character comes with an own deck of cards and playstyle based on their personality. In addition to the digital PvE game, this concept also allows for PvP implementation with physical cards.
Teammates:	Emma K. (Game Writing), David L. (Web Development)

see final presentation slides for details on our development process and concluding remarks
(This project was carried out as a part of the course Project Serious Games at the University of Skövde in autumn term 2018.)

cover, featured image — Gameplay situation

Balanced elemental attributes and level design

Overview

Client:

Barnens Bibliotek

Review:

Date:

January 11, 2019

Site Link:

https://dav.li/barnensbibliotekfight/

Services:

Student Project

My contribution

General Conception & Coordination:
- Project management, using Hacknplan.com + moderation in team meetings + preparation of presentation slides
- Requirements engineering upon semi-structured client interviews
- Analysis of given website, client's set of playing cards and inspirational research on RPGs, card games, similar gamified systems
- Ideation using Stormboard.com + consolidated detailed system concept via mindmapping

Game Design:
- Incremental iteration of game design around initial set core gameplay
- Derived game design decisions from the narrative background of the client's set of playing cards to create meaningful matches between characters and the game feel when playing with them
- Adjusted game design improvements to technical restrictions as implementation proceeds while considering both a self-contained prototype (MVP) as project goal and a possible future integration with the target system
- Conducted user research regarding affordances / metaphorical representation on what characteristics people associate with elements of nature, providing them just with the basic game idea
- Level design for self-contained prototype (MVP) regarding computer opponents and rewards for duels won
- Balanced parameters in the game design using the recent prototype status

Prototyping / UI Design:
- Created sketches, low-fi digital + paper prototypes for basic interaction concept to inform implementation
- Conceptual prototyping to evaluate dynamic effects and game feel of ideas for game mechanics, using physical cards with sticky notes
- Created prototype to showcase envisioned gamification approach and interaction along the user's journey starting on the library website to the game's actual title screen and character selection to the core gameplay screen, switch of characters and rewards dialogue, using Axure RP 9
- Created visual design concept of cards, using GIMP, game-icons.net and Axure RP 9

UX- / Playtesting:
- Mock-up think aloud tests with paper prototype focusing on the need for and distribution of UI elements on the screen
- Designed, conducted and evaluated playtests at different development stages:
->1) Proof of concept tests (n=11) regarding game design using physical cards together with sticky notes, dice and tokens to assess the fun of the game concept, its weak spots and effect on the participant as well as to find potential for improvement, thereby also utilising think aloud and follow-up interviews
->2) Moderated proof of concept playtests (n=6) of the gamification approach and current version of the digital prototype with respect to UX matters (understandability, UI interaction) and the fun factor
->3) Unmoderated playtests (n=4) of final game prototype with players from the target audience (remotely using Zoom) and supervisors

Quality Assurance:
- Tested for bugs, using Hacknplan.com as ticketing system
- Uncovered usability / UX issues
- Checked implementation against game design

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