Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
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Fig. 46<br />
Left side: One of the groups is building a game world utilizing predesigned material (images<br />
<strong>and</strong> quotations from seniors’ interviews) <strong>and</strong> post-it notes. Right side: Part of the mind-map<br />
type of illustration of the imagined senior house, the game world.<br />
Peter, who facilitates one of the group’s role-play, sets the stage by<br />
describing a beautiful spring evening in 2012, a symbolic time for the<br />
play’s events. Then he introduces the alternative role characters, from<br />
which everyone should choose one. When he reads aloud the description<br />
about one of the role characters who thinks that it’s her responsibility<br />
to notify if rules in the senior house are ignored, Sirkka interrupts<br />
him <strong>and</strong> states that she could take that role. Everyone laughs while she<br />
takes the character template from Peter.<br />
Peter encourages others to pick a role <strong>as</strong> well, <strong>and</strong> once everyone<br />
have chosen an appropriate role, they complete the templates <strong>and</strong><br />
present them in turns. For instance, Henna’s role character is Pirkko-<br />
Liisa Silvennoinen who h<strong>as</strong> recently retired even though she didn’t want<br />
to leave work life yet, because she still felt energetic. Henna portrays<br />
Pirkko-Liisa’s history, hobbies <strong>and</strong> <strong>mindset</strong> followed by other players’<br />
introductions, after which the performance will start.<br />
Peter gives the first scenario about a fire accident at the senior house<br />
<strong>as</strong> an example of what is meant by framing a scene. After performing<br />
the first scenario, the game proceeds in turns. For example, Tapani<br />
utilizes the provided weekly timetable <strong>as</strong> a prompt for a storyline that<br />
starts <strong>as</strong> follows: “On Tuesdays the lunch is normally served at eleven<br />
o’clock, but today the food from the food supplier arrives at fifteen to<br />
twelve.” He continues describing how that will cause problems for the<br />
residents <strong>and</strong> ends the scenario by stating that “the situation is over<br />
when the food will be served”. Henna starts performing the scenario<br />
in accordance with the description given by Tapani by playing her rolecharacter<br />
followed by Sirkka, Reetta, Tapani <strong>and</strong> Pekka. Everyone is involved<br />
in the construction of the play. They go on for five minutes, after<br />
Setting<br />
the<br />
stage<br />
for<br />
the<br />
game<br />
Creating<br />
the<br />
scenario:<br />
from<br />
framing<br />
the<br />
scene<br />
to<br />
role–play<br />
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