Playtest 1: #Feminism

Introduction to Transformative Game Design

Playtest 1: #Feminism

Organize a video meeting with your playtest group.

Choose one (1) of the five (5) scenarios from #Feminism and playtest it together with your group by the due date at 11:59 in your time zone.

Boss, Emily Care. 2017. “Ma, Can I Help You With That.”

Bowman, Sarah Lynne. 2017. “Curtain Call.”

Beltrán, Strix. 2017. “Möbius.”

Kemper, Jonaya. “Slumber Party.”

Wei, Eva. 2017. “How to Be Ava White.”

Watch Safety Video 3 before the game. Select at least one (1) safety mechanic to integrate into the playtest. Try to use the other ideas and guidelines presented in the video in your playtest.
If your game only features 3 characters and your group has a different number, rotate characters or decide that one player facilitates and/or watches. When possible, give everyone a chance to play.
If your game has rules or guidance for touch or physical proximity, find an alternative technique that will be effective through video conferencing. Alternatively, you can verbalize, e.g. “I touch your shoulder. I move closer to you.”
If the game requires you to use physical objects, either hold them up to the camera, or find a digital way to represent them, e.g., slips of paper can become a shared Google Doc.
For scenes requiring music, instead of playing through Zoom, which can be difficult sound-wise, we recommend everyone loading the songs on their own computer.

- For key songs that frame scenes, have everyone mute or use headphones until the song is complete. When everyone is done listening, resume the scene.
- For background songs, one option is to have one headphone speaker in one ear with the music on low for ambiance, then listen to co-players with the other.
- If music is not possible for accessibility reasons, consider it optional. We recommend players listen to the songs at another time if possible to get a sense of the fully designed experience.

Note: We recommend using Gallery view in Zoom to make sure you can see all the players, especially if you plan on using in-game safety mechanics. You can also use Zoom’s built-in features, such as the X button; thumbs up and down; and chat for off-game safety communication.