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Gaslighting

2021. 07-2021.09 | Individual work 

Game Design

A role-playing game with underlying message about psychological mind control and manipulation for player to seek 

Overview

Check out final video!

Background

Controlling behaviors such as Pick-up Artists (PUA) came to a popular attention in the past year. It is damaging when a person tries to control elements of someone else’s life. High-pressure control cause mental traumas which is more difficult to recover than physical scars. When the behavioral strategy fails to achieve the expected control effect, physical abuse follows.

Types of Control

Research

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Background
Research
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Evolution of manipulation

Social Hierarchy

Power and wealth gives the ability to impose one’s will on others. A person who abuses power to control over others impacts the victims’  psychological, physical, sexual or economic state

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Data Surveilliance

Big data development is forging us to rely on it completely, to listen its analysis and choices.

Present

Past

Future

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Linguistic skills 

Words are demonized to achieve the result of the manipulator. These "processed" words leave emotional scars deep down in mind. 

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3 Stages of Control

3 Personalities of Control

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Statistics

Overcontrolling parenting behavior is detrimental affecting their children in invisible but long-lasting ways, as a result children grow up are more likely to control others and be in a controlling relationship. Below is a survey of adults raised with unhealthy control.
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Interview

The interview elaborated my research, asking people’s experience with any type of manipulation 

Q1: What circumstances does manipulation or being manipulated things happen?
Q2: How does your behaviors and actions react to parental control?
Q3: How does parent or partner relationship dominance impact your personality? 
Q4: What would you like to underline when others’ impose their thoughts on you and say “it’s for your own good”?

Game Genre Analysis

After landed on the idea of using game interaction to reveal the focus of control, I analyzed pros and cons of 4 main game categories and decided to use role play method to bring awareness to players about their subconscious controlling actions through hidden missions.

Ideation & Design

Brainstorm

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Robo is the primary character that has ability to attract its favourite objects. This trait hints players about Robo’s true mind. This cartoony style is to create a satirical reveal of real life tragedy. 

Element Design

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Game Mechanics

There are two line of flow in this game. One on surface one is hidden for player to pay attention. when player realizes they are not controlling and following character’s choice that’s when they truly succecced in this game 

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Summary

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Design Goal


The purpose of the design is to simulate different control methods and process of others, mainly relationship of 2 people through an interactive game.

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Plot

Plot of the game evolves around Robo’s growth. In this role playing game, player experiences their life as ROBO from childhood to adult on a foreign planet. Player faces series of tasks, where every decision affects their next stage in life and their ending.  The underlying mission are different types of control which requires the player to pay attention for detail in order to realize. Will Robo’s ife controlled by the player or can he live upon his own thought and personality?

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Game Flow

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Interview
Design Goal
Game Genre Analysis
Ideation & Design
Game Flow
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UI Design

Storyboard

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Programming

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Outcome

The central theme identifies psychological control as a problematic behavior. As result, players will be more aware of how one’s attemptation to control can actually stunt their progress and distort their personality.  

Programming
Outcome
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