Game Log 1 – Experience

1. Ideation Wheel & Chosen Game Type

Chosen Settings on the Ideation Wheel

We began by positioning our ideas on the Ideation Wheel along several axes:

• CGJ Theme: Our central theme revolves around reimagining cultural narratives. Each game idea addresses elements of cultural heritage—from reinterpreting dystopian futures and historical remixing to contrasting idealized visions with reality.

• EU Value Cards: We integrated values such as freedom, equality, and human dignity. For instance:

  • Freedom is expressed in our painting gallery game where players create art free from constraints.

  • Equality fuels the narrative in our “Haunting Harold Giersing Wife” game, where historical figures are recontextualized through playful action.

  • Human dignity underpins the “Romantic Denmark vs. Real Denmark” concept, challenging players to navigate between an idealized landscape and a realistic simulation.

• Cultural Heritage as Material: Cultural heritage images, artifacts, and narratives were used as inspirational seeds to explore atmospheres, stories, and thematic contrasts. We asked questions like, “How can cultural heritage inform a gameworld that is both nostalgic and innovative?” and “What empowering gameplay mechanics can translate these insights into a meaningful experience?”

Brief Description of Our Chosen Game Types

Our team explored three game ideas, each leveraging cultural heritage in a unique way:

1. Painting Gallery Game:

   • Concept: Players create and curate minimalist artwork that collectively forms a gallery reflecting controlled yet expressive aesthetics.

   • Cultural Integration: Draws on historical art styles and heritage collections, reimagined in a dystopian future where art becomes a silent act of rebellion against over-regulation.

   • Ideation Wheel Terms: (opposite of freedom, art, cultural aesthetics, reimagining dystopian futures)

   • Opposite of Freedom:
     
     • The game’s rules and constraints (minimalistic drawing and controlled environment) highlight the tension between creative expression and a highly regulated setting. This opposition invites players to reflect on the concept of freedom in art.
   • Art & Cultural Aesthetics:
     • By encouraging players to create and curate artwork, the game taps into historical and cultural visual traditions, drawing inspiration from classic art movements and heritage aesthetics.
   • Reimagining Dystopian Futures:
     • The controlled, dictated environment where art is both a form of expression and rebellion provides a unique twist on dystopian narratives, reimagining how creativity can exist under oppression.

   
   

2. Haunting Harold Giersing Wife:

   • Concept: An action-packed game where the protagonist dodges a spectral presence that shifts between 2D and 3D realities.

   • Cultural Integration: Uses cultural heritage narratives to remix historical figures and events, prompting players to engage with past stories in a playful, dynamic manner.

   • Ideation Wheel Terms: (equality, action, cultural gameplay, remixing history)

   • Equality:
     
     • The narrative uses historical figures in a playful and balanced way, suggesting that cultural icons can be reinterpreted and experienced from multiple perspectives, leveling traditional power dynamics.
   • Action:
     • The gameplay centers on dynamic challenges (dodging a ghost) that inject energy and movement, ensuring that cultural heritage isn’t static but experienced through interactive, kinetic action.
   • Cultural Gameplay:
     • By shifting between 2D and 3D representations, the game actively weaves cultural heritage into its mechanics, allowing players to experience history in a fluid, game-driven context.
   • Remixing History:
     • The idea of the ghost materializing and moving back in time creates a playful remix of historical narratives, challenging players to see traditional stories in a new, innovative light.

   
   

3. Romantic Denmark vs. Real Denmark:

   • Concept: A simulation that contrasts a romanticized, idyllic Danish landscape with a more grounded, realistic countryside experience.

   • Cultural Integration: Blends cultural heritage imagery with simulation mechanics to spark reflection on national identity and the evolution of cultural aesthetics.

   • Ideation Wheel Terms: (human dignity, simulation/senses, cultural gameworlds, reimagining dystopian futures)

   • Human Dignity:
     
     • By contrasting an idealized (romantic) Denmark with a realistic portrayal, the game invites players to consider the value and respect of cultural identity and national heritage.
   • Simulation/Senses:
     • The simulation aspect of the game focuses on sensory details of the Danish landscape, inviting players to experience cultural heritage through immersive and realistic environmental interactions.
   • Cultural Gameworlds:
     • The duality of Denmark’s presentation forms a layered gameworld where players navigate between myth and reality, fostering a deeper connection with the culture’s multifaceted identity.
   • Reimagining Dystopian Futures:
     • Similar to the first idea, this game uses the contrast between romanticized and realistic depictions to challenge utopian/dystopian conventions, suggesting that the future of cultural heritage can be reinterpreted through reflective simulation.

   
   

2. Experience methods

• We engaged in several methods to ground our game design in cultural heritage. Through the Culture Safari, we captured inspiring images from heritage sites that sparked ideas for reinterpreting historical elements in gameplay. We reflected on Culture Change and Culturestorming leading to a cluster of key game ideas, while Empowered Participation clarified team roles and enhanced collaboration.
• Roles:
  • Peeter: Crafter, Artist
  • Hans: Crafter, Designer 
  • Johan: Crafter, Storyteller(has the phd wheel)

3. Games through Culture concept

Our game blends cultural heritage with engaging mechanics, creating an immersive gameworld that reimagines history and values. Through interactive storytelling and artistic expression, players explore and challenge cultural narratives in an empowering way.

4. Identification of possible technical limitations

• Idea 1
  • Making a robust drawing technique
  • Restricting painting could be challenging
• Idea 2
  • Tracking our interaction between the ghost and player
• Idea 3
  • Making the scenary
  • Getting the needed assets