Ok so I am a game designer now

The initial idea was to write a monthly blog exploring the psychology behind decision-making, using fun designs to bridge my two passions: psychology and design. However, what started as a small design component evolved into a card game. Designing this game was enjoyable, but the process was also marked by impostor syndrome and procrastination. This project turned out to be more than just a case study; it became a personal journey to help people in a fun way.

This project turned out to be more than just a case study; it became a personal journey to help people in a fun way.

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‍A quick glance into the theory

The initial blog focused more on psychological theory than on game mechanics. It drew on the research conducted by Prof. Hamilton, who compares decision-making to a factory: information is the raw material, the brain functions as the cognitive machine, and motivations serve as the control panel, filled with many switches and buttons. Research shows we make trade-offs in our minds. For example, those with a €400 TV budget often spend closer to their limit compared to those without a set budget, because they have spending limits already in mind. As a result, they are more likely to buy a €399 TV than a €350 TV.

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How can we make this theory into a fun design that also helps people?

The essence of the theory is that we make trade-offs during decision-making, processing one piece of information before moving on to the next. This raised the question: How can we use this knowledge to help people? The answer was simple: by showing it! Just as a mind map reveals the trade-offs already made in the brain, the game would allow users to visualize the decision-making process, helping them make more informed choices.

How can we use this knowledge to help people? The answer was simple: by showing it!

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I initially struggled to incorporate the fun element, as I was focused on the theory. Normally, this stage would involve interviewing users to identify problems and solutions, but since I was still in blog-writing mode, I opted for introspection instead. This led me to reflect on my youth.

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An ode to my 'boring' 90s' youth

In my early twenties, I often found myself bored with an abundance of spare time. Without phones, steady jobs, or much money, my friends and I had to come up with ways to make our lives interesting. I remember a day when we were so bored that we rolled a die to determine our next activity. Unexpectedly, this led to one of the most action-packed days of my life. If we rolled a 1 or 2, we would drink a beer; 3 or 4, we would go to the park; 5 or 6, we would walk to another part of town. If we rolled a 6, we’d go barefoot. We rolled a 6…

How could boredom create such an impactful day? Bored individuals seek engagement to escape their state of mind. In conclusion: They want to have fun. This was going to be an ode to my youth.

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How could boredom create such an impactful day? Bored individuals seek engagement to escape their state of mind. In conclusion: They want to have fun. This was going to be an ode to my youth.

Bored individuals seek engagement to escape their state of mind. In conclusion: They want to have fun.

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‍The game setup

I chose a card game format because of its inherent versatility, allowing it to feature all the information one processes when making decisions. To organize this information effectively, I created four main categories: Time, Place, Quality, and Quantity. Each category includes sub-themes, providing specific subjects for inspiration. Players can also create their own sub-themes, given the vast amount of information available in the world. The choice is theirs.

The second layer contains questions: Open-ended questions if you need more depth in your reasoning, since not every decision is easy, orin case you want to add some reasoning behind your arguments.

The third layer is for either big decisions or for when you are stuck in a process. I called them the follow-ups, because they will give an extra dimension to your reasoning.

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The story

After finishing the setup and rules, the game quacked like a duck; it walked like a duck, but it did not look like a duck. I just had some icons and words. ‘How do we create a duck?’ You might ask. By giving it feathers and a beak? In order to make them more appealing, the cards could display images and text and different colors. Since I was establishing an ode to my teenage years, let us go on that route. We were board game aficionado’s and roleplay connoisseurs (Nerds without girlfriends). Exploring worlds where we could be anything we wanted was a great pastime.

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The game quacked like a duck; it walked like a duck, but it did not look like a duck. I just had some icons and words. ‘How do we create a duck?’ You might ask.

I started with some random illustrations suitable for the specific card. But the cards needed structure to create a story. So I matched each category with an element.

The quality cards got the hero, a character you can select. It also helped with writing some story for the accompanying text.

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For the quantity cards, there needed to be an object symbolizing the subcategory. Every hero needs a weapon!

The theme for place cards was clear. Finding the right theme for time cards proved challenging. How do you illustrate timing and make it part of a story? In the end, I picked illustrations connected to journeys. Time is a journey, right?

For the open-ended questions, I picked philosophers for their mystique and question asking ways. I picked distinctive characters from different periods and schools to create more variety in story and illustrations (I refuse to select 5 bearded white men). Use them as strangers or companions on your journey.

I have to admit, for the follow-ups I combined my drug experience with the memory of adventure games. Fantasy games always have a lot of potions if you required more strength or health. Because this section is for more deep dive decisions, it should be a combination of temporary, mystic and mental power that will give you a clear perspective.

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Examples

Let's look at some examples of how to use the cards. Just like in a real card game, there are naturally many more possibilities.

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Feel free to use the random component of the game.

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Learnings

My first conclusion: There's no way I can commit to writing a blog post every month!  My second conclusion: But I can't imagine stopping now! This experience has been incredibly valuable. I've discovered a niche in design where you can help people while making the process enjoyable. I also learned that it's okay to diverge from your initial plan. If you are honest with yourself and use a clear set of guidelines, you can be both creative and effective. By deconstructing a straightforward psychological theory and blending it with personal experience, I've created a game that is both entertaining and useful. I know N=1, but that is ok. It is a thought experiment that has gotten out of hand, which made this a hybrid form between a blog and a case study.

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Next Steps

Because there is a desire in me to find out if people like this, the next step is to engage users. If you want to participate, let me know via the contact form! I would love to receive your feedback and to make it a more fun, more useful and better experience overall. The illustrations are from DALL-E, and having a partner who is an illustrator, this is something I want to change if people really like it. But I'm not going to ask artists to work for free.