Publication

Abstract : This paper presents research on a tabletop game design for enhancing focused discussion strategy creation, engagement motivation, planning and resource allocation, and service leadership through collaborative gameplay. Background: Although the field of serious games has developed over the last three decades, the potential of games to be used as civic engagement and educational tools still lay unrealized. People in rural communities in India experience a range of barriers for constructive engagement. Serious games have been used to address the issue of civic engagement effectively. In this paper, we present a case study of Aadarsh Gaon, build your ideal village, a tabletop game where participants work together to discuss strategies to solve social issues in their community, in order to win the game. The paper discusses the concepts in the game, evolution of the game during playtesting and aspects of collaborative gameplay. Results: Three phases of playtesting with diverse participants suggest that the game could trigger focused discussions on strategy creation to solve social problems, but do not indicate significant progress in attitude towards service leadership, and planning and resource allocation. We conclude that serious games with purposeful game design elements could lead to constructive civic engagement.