Game Exploration

EXPLORATION ONE

The story of each child recorded was filled with pain, confusion and a penchant for a happier life. 

Each situation needed addressal in various steps. After listing all the possible key problem cycles, ten problems were listed down separately as they were most commonly occurring and their solution was mapped down. For instance in the case of sexual abuse of Radha by her tutor,  four steps are given as depicted in the following picture-

1. Radha understands that tutor takes advantage of her innocence.
2. She should immediately report the incident to her  mother or any adult she trusts.
3. She should in no circumstance feel guilty and know that no one can touch her.
4. She should alert her friends and stop going to that tutor.

 

The game consists of ten situations that have been placed twice across respectively on the board. Alongside this there are two sets of cards. 10 situation cards and 8 colored cards (2 of the same color). Each situation card is numbered. Four different colors were selected for each panel. Two teams would compete to solve the same situation. Each team gets four colored cards of the same color.  The facilitator has the situation cards turned upside down with the numbers facing the players. Turn by turn a player from each team selects a number and the situation respective of that number is solved.

So for instance a player from Team A picks number 3 card, the facilitator will read out the situation and then both teams gear to solve it. They have to arrange the colored cards in the same order ( top to bottom)and memorise the successive points for each color and call it out. The team who is able to solve the arrangement first and call out wins.

The challenges are:
1. In certain situation two out of the four cards, are of the same color. So for
eg. Team A gets situation 6 where there is two yellow, one orange and one green colored panel and for Team B it is two blue, one orange and one green panel. So this requires that the two competing teams try to exchange their cards for the purpose of mutual benefit and also remember that in order to achieve anything the teams need to co-operate as well.
2. The other important role is that after receiving their cards and arranging it, four players from each team memorises the card and then each player has to share the information with the other team.  Only when they are able to speak it correctly they are declared as winners. The opponent team will also get the chance to share the information with the other team, once the winning team finishes talking about the steps.


The game playing was then demonstrated to Himalini and Santayan. The strategy was considered workable and also enjoyable.


1.MAKE IT GENERIC: However, firstly each issue called the presenting problem had to be rephrased. The set of issues were too specific and would cover only a limited range of situations. The actions for each had to be the ones prescribed by the UN convention on child rights as they are applicable to diverse situations and have been tried and tested.


2.MAKE IT SIMPLE: The actions were too complicated to memorize, so they had to be refined and shortened into small catchy phrases.


 3.FOCUS ON PREVENTIVE MEASURES: The game was intended to be played amongst children who could come across these situations themselves or whose friends or the neighbourhood children they know are facing it. Hence it would be helpful to have it as a preventive one and thereby create awareness regarding the shortcomings of each presenting problem.


4.HELP A FRIEND STRATEGY: Many a times, the child in question may not realise what is happening to her/ him and therefore it is recommended that someone whom he trusts and looks upto guides him/ her. Therefore it was felt that children can look upto this game not for self help but for helping their friends. Moreover when the player is himself/ herself put as a child in question, they might feel why do I need to impersonate that character—they might feel they are being judged.


5.ELEMENT OF WIT AND HUMOR: To enhance the recall value of the game, humor could be included so that the game does not feel emotionally veryheavy and the children enjoy to play it as they learn of the preventive measures.

EXPLORATION TWO

 After considering the following, it was realized that the game had strategic play but there was no reinforcement of the problem and their solutions. A list of requisites were further added:

1. Recall value
2. Impact value
3. Find it helpful
4. Feel empowered
5. Comprehensive

9 key areas were identified based on child protection and a spreadsheet was created that would facilitate the content to be categorized more comprehensively.

Each key area was grouped into:

1. Feeling
2. Thinking
3. Short Term Preventive Plan
4. Long Term Preventive Plan

Game Parts:
1. A board with the steps of long term and short term preventions for each issue mentioned on either sides.
2. PROBLEM  CARDS: A set of cards having the presenting problems such as The presenting problem cards were of two kinds-one which spoke out the problem

for eg: A girl is speaking " Why does baba give brother three sets of clothes and to me only one set for the festival?"This is a clear example of gender discrimination, the other kind of cards mentions an emotion. For example the word-upset.This meant the team were free to interpret the word and put it in any of the nine key situations and thereafter play the game.
3. ACTION CARDS: Another set of cards with the preventive actions for each issue, where half the set informs about long term and half the set informs about short term.

About the game: It was a game where four players could play. Each team picks a card from the set of presenting problem cards. They also get five cards from the pack of action cards.

Rules: After distributing five cards to each team the rest of the cards are kept in a pile. The teams then pick a card from PROBLEM CARD and identify their issue and also identify the list of actions related to that particular issue on the board. The team that can collect all the action cards related to that issue first wins it. The game is similar to playing cards, where the not required card is dropped and instead a card from the action pile is picked. Turn by turn each player drops a card and picks another till they have all the action cards ready.

After  it was game tested with people at Thoughtshop Foundation,

• The game lacked interpersonal interaction.
• With the exception of making people learn the points on the card, it did not engage them as such.
• Moreover the teams felt restless as they had to wait a long time to get their card.
• The only activity they did was picking a card and dropping another-this made the game feel silent.

EXPLORATION THREE

Questions started surfacing as content was analyzed further. As a game designer for this project-questions for my target audience began to emerge-

"What do they expect to see in a game?"

"If I were in their place, what would I want to see in a game?"

"What would the players like or dislike in the game created for them?"

Moreover clarity in the message was not there completely. In the midst of chaos and deep thinking, Brenda Romera came as a big source of inspiration. A game designer by practice she aspires to teach people of their community through games. As games give you a chance to roleplay and virtually be a part of an experience, she took this as an opportunity to spread awareness and realise the importance of some historical movements. Jesse Schell's words started echoing when her TedTalk was being watched —"A game designer should be an advocate for the player."

https://www.ted.com/talks/brenda_brathwaite_gaming_for_understanding

And then the thought popped in...

LETS FREE THE CHILD!

LET'S FREE THE TRAPPED CHILD!

LET'S FREE THE TRAPPED CHILD FROM JAIL!

LET'S FREE THE TRAPPED CHILD FROM JAIL WITH THE HELP OF KEYS BY WHICH IT IS LOCKED!

About the game:

The game challenges two teams to rescue their  friends who have been trapped in a jail. The team who is able to collect all the five keys and reach across the board wins!

Game parts:

A board

10 pawns (two colored, with 5 of one color)
9 RISK CARDS that talk of the various risks associated with each issue.
2 jails

45 KEY CARDS: Each issue has five short term preventive actions that are called the key cards and are given one at a time to the team whenever a pawn lands on them.

PROBLEM CARDS:  A set of cards having the presenting problems such as The presenting problem cards were of two kinds-one which spoke out the problem for eg: A girl is speaking " Why does baba give brother three sets of clothes and to me only one set for the festival?"This is a clear example of gender discrimination, the other kind of cards mentions an emotion. For example the word-upset.This meant the team were free to interpret the word and put it in any of the nine key situations and thereafter play the game.

Rules:

Each team has five pawns and they pick up a PROBLEM CARD from the set. Once they receive it and identify the issue, they place it in the jail across the board. The game sets to roll once both the players have identified their issue and they place their problem cards in the jail. 

Based on the principle of checkers, the pawns move either diagonally front or back.

However they cannot move over a pawn and they cannot move horizontally or vertically. It is necessary for pawns to land on the risk and key card to free their friends in the jail. Once the team collects the cards, and all the pawns of that team reach the other side first they win. The game enables players to role play a scenario where their friend is faced by some threat. It is in being aware of the risks that that threat imposes and the necessary actions to prevent it which can free their friend. Once they reach the other side they can pull out the problem card from the jail and this  gives the players a sense of achievement and liberation. It also reaffirms their individual faith to bring about a change and act upon it in a prescribed formula.

The game was then played with Himalini and TF colleagues and then what could be reflected from the game play and observations were noted down.

1. STRATEGY GETTING MORE IMPORTANCE: The game was enjoyable even if the players got the key cards and could skip reading the message in that. Although it had an engaging value, it still needed the task of making the key cards and risk cards necessary to read and remember. So another plan was drawn out where possibly this game could be the last step and the keys of each issue could be held with the opponent. So when a team's pawn lands on that key card, the team has to speak out the action step one at a time for each time the team lands there. Only that will give the team a key and thereby allow him to access the other side of board where their friend is trapped.

2. CLARIFY THE PRESENTING PROBLEMS: The content still looked unresolved and had to be structured. 

3. VISUAL ANALYSIS: Since for many issues the preventive steps and risks were the same, it would be better to use the same language and it was suggested that parallely  research could be started on various illustration styles and visual icons.

EXPLORATION FOUR

What really needed was a rationale behind the movement of pawns. And instead of merely collecting the keys and risk cards was there any way by which the action sequence could be memorized or selected by the players rationale. So another strategy was tried where it questions what are the possible qualities that enable a friend to help another and move forward and the qualities that prevent them from stepping forward. This would build a sense of confidence in what they have and bring awareness of what they lack and thereby work upon it.

The game consists of:

1.  Board
2.  9 Risk Cards
3. 45 Key Cards( 5 per issue)
4. 10 Pawns ( 5 for each team)
5. 2 jails
6. 12 Presenting Problem Cards

   GAME ONE

1. Each team picks a presenting problem and tries to identify it with an issue.
2. Once the issue is decided they place a pawn and the pawn can only move a step at a time in any given direction.
3. With a toss of a coin it is decided which team will begin and then the pawns are moved in direction of the footsteps beginning with violation of right to survival and finally finishing at violation of right to protection.
4. The green places enable the pawn to jump over the pawn in front of it. 
5. Landing on each violation of right, a violation pertaining to that issue will be discussed also a step of action will be read out to the team by the opponent.
6. The team reaching the violation of right to protection will win it.

  GAME TWO
Once the players have gone through the risks and plan of action they need to memorise and speak it out when they reach the next level. Here each team needs to send across their pawns to the other side in order to save their friend and free him/ her from the prison.

The pawns cannot move ahead if they land on the scared position. They can only move ahead when they land on the positive qualities, thus adding a rationale to the movement and positions.


Game One was still very unclear as it would be difficult to link presenting problem with an issue. A child if given a presenting problem say "Absent from the group," may find it difficult to point out an issue unless there is a given list from which he could select. Also it would be difficult to memorise the risks and action steps. So another method had to be drawn out. What was suggested that the presenting problems and issues be jotted down together and the player moves turn by turn and discusses how a given presenting problem can relate to the issues.

Game Two could be further refined with focus on issue and action steps. With too many elements and guidelines the children could get confused and be misled from playing the game and the purpose of communication lost.

EXPLORATION FIVE

Simplification of the content was necessary for the game planning. The content structure was divided into categories and each category was places with its possible parallel category. The interaction between these two could be devised as a game. So after the analysis three situations emerged:

1. Presenting Problems-Issues

Many a times the groups and counsellors do not get to know first handedly the exact problem. They are usually confronted with situations where the group gets to learn that a neighborhood child is often found wandering on the road. The child appears lost and the group then tries to involve the child and try to understand his situation. Only after sufficient evidence they conclude that it is a case of child abuse or school drop out or any other issue.

2. Issues-Preventive Actions
This happens when a group is aware of the issue and needs to then act upon it. There are a series of steps prescribed by the UN and along with that certain other basic steps were included based on TF's interaction and experience.
3. Issues-Risks Involved
Each issue has some risks which are violation to child rights. The child in question should be made to understand the crisis he/ she is going through and what impact it could have on him/ her unless acted upon.

The game consists of:
1. A board
2. Key Cards (31)
3. Friends in need card (9)
4. Pawns (5 each of two colors)
5. 2 Lock-ups
6. A die

(Each of the games require a certain degree of facilitation)

GAME ONE

The two teams place a pawn each before presenting problem 1. After a high die, say the Team A wins, so team A rolls the die whichever number they land on they need to identify the possible issues mentioned in the inner circle. For example A lands on sixth presenting problem i.e a child wearing a sling because it has been injured. The Team A needs to attribute issues, it could suggest that:

• it is a case of child labour where it was engaged in harmful activity and thereby hurt itself, 
• child physical abuse where the father came drunk and beat up the child, 
• it could also be a case of child sexual abuse, where the child tried to free himself from the abuser and in process hurt his arm.

So team A gets 3 points for three issues, then team B gets a chance to reason out the same presenting problem and sight out other issues that can be responsible for child's injury. They suggest:

the child has been rescued from being trafficked and while he was trafficked he was subjected to violent treatment leading to his injured arm.

This gives team B a point and takes away a point from team A. Now it is team B's turn to roll the die and the process again happens in the same way. If they land on the same presenting problem, the die needs to be rolled again till they land on a different problem. The team with highest points wins!

GAME TWO

The two teams place each of their pawn just before issue 1. Turn by turn they roll a die, whichever issue they land on distinctively, the key cards corresponding to that issue is handed to both the teams. 

The key cards have steps that need to be arranged sequentially as they pronounce the basic steps to prevent the corresponding issue. The team needs to discuss and place it in order and the team who does it first wins and gets to begin the third game. 

GAME THREE

Team A had won the GAME TWO so it begins. The teams after sequentially arranging the key cards flip it over again and interchange places. So team A has team B's key cards and team B has team A's. 

They now collect a friend in need card relating to the issue and that goes inside the lock up position in the opponent's place. Turn by turn they move each of their five pawns and whenever they land on a key, the team needs to speak out an action specified on a key card sequentially. Once they do so they get that key card from the opponent. 

The moment they get all the key cards and reach all the five pawns across they free their friend in need from the lock up! The team first to free their friend wins.

Synthesis of Available Information

After discussing the situation with Tarun Deep Girdher, faculty guide for the  project it was realized that interpretation of the information collected is important. Stories and observations made based on the field trips and meetings with the youth resource members and their groups should now be holistically integrated with reading on various issues and the area and medium that TF has already been working on.  This meant creating a mind map that works at two levels.

1. The personal interpretation of the issue-their understandings-the possible roots and manifestations (a perspective building)
2. Analysis of the existing games and methods prevalent by which the issues have been dealt with at TF.

This mind map will pave the way for the key concern or the main idea based on which a game would be constructed. It would help in finding a focal point for the game and thereby also address the cause.

Since the issues are massively interlinked, the analysis points at lack of education and existence of patriarchal society playing a dominant role in birth and sustenance of these issues. Also when one looks closely in each of the cases there has been violation of child rights. Children need to be made aware that what they are denied could possibly be their right and they can demand it. However they can only demand once there is awareness of the situation in which they are living. With each generation the awareness increases and also benefits the community at large.  

The four essential rights as stated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are:
1. Right to Survival.
2. Right to Development.
3. Right to Protection.
4. Right to Participation.

When each issue was closely examined, it was found that certain degree of child right violation is happening in each case. Therefore as per the understanding, the challenge that needs to be addressed is ensuring that vulnerable children are safe. Environment that makes him/her vulnerable, include whether she is brought up by her own parents, the kind of care she gets or the neglect she is subjected to at home, whether she is burdened with work with no time for her childhood/studies, whether she has to worry about food or shelter, whether she is a witness and/or victim of domestic violence and if she faces other kinds of physical/mental/sexual violence at home, how repressive or liberated her upbringing is etc. Also there are certain children whose behavioral tendency is there to runaway or elope. All these children must be protected.

The target audience would be adolescents of the age group 10-14, who currently live in slums and also villages of West Bengal, since they will be playing the game.

Reflecting on this, the game explorations began and eventually the objective for the game and the project became more pronounced.

Game Analysis

Four games were selected that could be effectively studied and from which some insights into developing games could be understood.

Analysis_1

After the two field visits, two more were taken and eventually a large meeting was held where all the youth groups involved with Thoughtshop Foundation( TF) were called. The purpose of the meeting was to make them understand the purpose of fund raising and further investing it to sustain themselves. Alongside that, discussions were also held where each group was asked to look at the difficulties prevailing in their respective community. 

After a detailed discussion where each group was allotted about ten minutes the key problems that emerged were:

1. Child marriage
2. Lack of amenities
3. School dropouts
4. Lack of support from group members
5. Addiction
6. Child labor
7. Movement restriction on girls
8. Gender discrimination
9. Domestic violence
10. Economic problems
11. Lack of opportunities
12. Religious superstitions

From amidst these, the analysis done at TF states the five main vulnerable areas which need to be addressed:

            

I was suggested to extract the content from the above write up. I individually took each of the issues and examined the causes and consequences. So far have worked on child marriage, child labor, school dropout and child missing.

After writing down all the causes and consequences, I felt that for a child it is important to understand the following:

1. The stake holders involved in these situation such as parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, siblings, etc.

2. Existing social beliefs and practices for example with regard to dowry, to maintain the chastity of girl child,

3. Aspect of understanding the biological development of one’s body, creating awareness regarding the harmful effects of early marriage and child-bearing.

4. The incidence of abuse being higher in all these situations and the child is likely to be trapped in a viscous circle of poverty, illiteracy and social deprivation.

Field Trip_Youth Voice

At around 3 pm I reached  Dhalai bridge in VIP area, Kolkata. The bridge leads to a huge slum where I was greeted by Papiyan one of the youth group members. Their group is called Youth Voice and they work with the slum community in VIP area. By 3.30-4 all the members started stepping in.

Fourteen members were present including Papiyan.

 Every Sunday their group meets in the afternoon, in the small empty hut that is also used as a primary school in the mornings. Mats were spread out and everyone took a place and introduced themselves.

We started playing various games. After a while Papiyan asked Soumya, a 16 year old girl if she could share her thoughts with me. We both left the hut and took a walk outside in the nearby fields. I decided to properly introduce myself and explain her why I wanted to meet them and speak to them. 

State consultation on Child Marriage

In my endeavor to understand the problems of child marriage prevalent in West Bengal, I came across State consultation on Child Marriage in West Bengal, a book recommended by Himalini.

It depicts the plight of girl child revealing the social norms prevalent in the society that have gone to the extent of making child marriage an unacceptable folk custom. With West Bengal ranking 7th highest in child marriage, and the decline rate less than most states, it seeks urgent redressal. The patriarchal society needs to be hindered from inflicting violence over girl child. Many illogical reasonings are associated with marrying the girl child at an early age. From the age old rigid social customs to socio-economic conditions, various issues govern the decision of marrying a girl who probably by then has not even attained puberty. What eventually leads to is a gruelling ordeal, where the little girl is no longer a girl, but an object left mercilessly at the whims of this crude society.

Key Findings:

1. 40% of the child marriages in the world take place in India.
2. 25.4% of girls are married by the age of 15.
3. Malda, Birbhum, Bankura, Murshidabad, South Dinajpur, Purulia, South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Cooch Behar are areas with the highest incidence of child marriage in the state.
4. Child Marriage is comparatively higher in those districts where even trafficking is predominant.
5. One-third of all teenage girls between 15-19  in West Bengal have begun child bearing.
6. More than 25% of girls are married to men who are ten or more years older to them.
7. According to the patriarchal society prevalent in West Bengal, families prefer to divest themselves of their daughters through an early marriage, by doing so funds and facilities can be diverted to male children as they are believed to have a much more important status in the family hierarchy.
8. The grooms from other states generally do not demand dowry. During such opportunities parents do not bother to investigate the origin of the bridegroom and his family and quickly marry them off.
9. Marriage is considered as a Safety and Security Solution for many. 
10. Percentage of child marriage is higher in minority communities.
11. Child marriage is higher in underdeveloped regions.
12. Children borne to girls of less than 18 years: 1 out of 21 die in the first year and 1 out of 17 die before reaching age five.
13. Fathers and other key adults should be targeted and discouraged from getting their daughters married at an early stage.
14. Potential victims of child marriage are all under 18.
15. Child Marriage has itself emerged as a tradition influenced by a combination of social, cultural and economic factors.

Study On Missing Children: West Bengal

Facilitated by : Department of Women & Child Development & Social Welfare.

Government of West Bengal and Save the Children

December 2007

"Over the past five years, Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas has reported hundreds of missing boys and girls………and the numbers only keep rising. Most affected families have not registered cases, as they feel the police will not be of much help. Many bank on the hope that their children will return someday and it is better not to involve the police……Every other household in the village has a similar story to narrate.”— India Express, March 11, 2007, New Delhi

Children comprise nearly 42 per cent of the country’s population. With poverty, discrimination and exploitation, children are forced to leave their home and bring  money. This leads to withdrawal from schools, exposure to life threatening risks and social abuse by parents or/and employers or agents.

Key Findings:

1. Out of the 3 districts surveyed, there are 7.9% children missing.
2. 11.69% were reported to have left home on pretext of marriage.
3. 83.82% of parents did not report the case to police and tried to get information themselves.
4. Migration of children to urban centers is a socially accepted phenomenon.
5. Migration in most cases takes place with the consent of parents.
6. West Bengal is a key source of transit and migration point of trafficking. 
7. Delhi is a major destination point for girls especially as domestic servants.
8. Two-third of the children missing are girls.
9. Befriending parents of vulnerable family is the key to this trafficking business.
10. Parents realise their child is missing when there is absence of communication and the flow of money from the place where child is, stops.
11. General National apathy and malaise in the administrative system compounds the problems further.

The project deals with the issues which adolescents face and since the issue of trafficking is at an alarming rise, adolescents need to be explained that working or marrying at such a tender age does not guarantee a better life than what they currently have. Through means of education they can become more aware and grasp the life skills necessary for their survival. The importance of education should not only be communicated to the adolescents but also to parents, as they are usually the key influencers of their children. The main reason as to why parents send their children or the children themselves get lured into working is because they want to have a BETTER life. Lack of opportunities and low levels of literacy force them to give up their childhood and move to cities where scope of work is much higher. This ranges from working at factories, working as domestic help, etc which is dangerous at their age.

While reading the report I felt there is a need to instill a strong sense of respect for education, the qualities that emerge from being educated should be demonstrated and how it could help in the long run. Just as the Life Game takes players through their entire course of life and as a result they learn what are the possible opportunities and threats one can face, similarly a game can be devised that takes one through the opportunities education brings and the threats for not pursuing education and instead getting employed or married.