We Are Fine, We’ll Be Fine

Abstract

Loading... encourages submissions of all kinds in the game design space--especially those projects which seek to test the conventional limits of design, explore new forms of expression, and challenge the status quo with regard to between-player interaction. In this issue, we present 'We Are Fine, We'll Be Fine': an auditory and tactile experience played on a wooden game board exploring people's stories about marginalization, oppression and the navigating hope for the future. Participants unravel stories of struggle and hope by holding hands with each other while touching the board. As they progress towards the centre of the board, more stories emerge. One of the goals of our project was to provide an interactive experience amplifying the voices of "the unheard". We focus on the underrepresented members of society (touching upon stories of feeling like the "other" because of one's gender, sexuality or race among others). We wanted to create a space where players would actively listen by searching and unlocking these stories (though the wooden board and using each other as "interfaces"). We not only wanted to emphasize these stories but we also wanted to deliver them through meaningful interactions fitting the game's themes. Through countless iterations, we ended up with a wooden board and the act of holding hands - focusing on the senses (predominantly touch and hearing) to amplify the emotional response of the players. By rethinking how we tell these stories (i.e. by using games and alternative controllers like our bodies as "interfaces"), we believe that this can lead to unique player experiences offering an inward-looking moment of introspection and an intimate shared experience.