1. ArtWalk

2. Game Ideas

🌀 IDEATION WHEEL REFLECTION

We used the Ideation Wheel at ARoS to explore and combine different values, cultural themes, and game types. The combination we landed on was:

• EU Value: Equality
• Game Type: Rhythm / Art
• Cultural Heritage Element: Cultural Aesthetics
• Cultural/Societal Theme: Reimagining Utopian/Dystopian Futures

This combination inspired us to think about how rhythmic interaction and visual expression could be used to explore issues of equality in a futuristic gameworld where different cultural heritages have blended or clashed.

🖼️ CULTURE SAFARI: ARTWALK

We did a Culture Safari through [insert location, e.g. ARoS Museum or a specific exhibit]. During this exploration, we captured images that evoked emotion, heritage, and symbolism. These images were used as design prompts.

These visuals helped guide our brainstorming later, especially in terms of creating the mood and tone of our gameworld.

🌍 CULTURE CHANGE REFLECTION

We reflected on how cultural heritage can create meaningful game design and asked:

How might we use cultural heritage to explore and challenge ideas of equality in a future society?

From this, we developed key design questions:

• How might we use visual rhythm and movement to represent social barriers and breakthroughs?
• How might we remix historical aesthetics from different cultures into a unified future style?
• How might we create empathy through player actions tied to cultural rituals?

💥 CULTURESTORMING

1. Game Title: "Echoes of Equality" A rhythm-based game where players align music and visuals from different cultures to restore harmony in a fragmented future society. The gameplay is about listening, synchronizing, and remixing cultural elements.
2. Game Title: "Pulse of the Past" A first-person art exploration game where you walk through reimagined historical murals that come to life with motion and story. The game teaches players about forgotten cultural histories through interactive rhythm-based puzzles.
3. Game Title: "Utopian Shuffle" Set in a future city governed by rhythm, players must complete challenges that involve mixing ancient dances and modern beats to progress in society and break class barriers.

3. Team members and Roles

Idea: Ethical Dilemma Game - Saving Life vs. Saving Culture

In this philosophical puzzle game, players confront intense ethical dilemmas emphasizing core European values—Human Dignity, Freedom, Democracy, Equality, Rule of Law, and Respect for Human Rights. Players must repeatedly choose between saving a living being (e.g., a cat) or a culturally invaluable artifact (e.g., a national treasure painting).

Gameplay Mechanics:

• Scenario Setup: Each scenario places the player in a critical situation—such as a burning museum—where they must quickly decide between rescuing an innocent life or preserving irreplaceable cultural heritage.

• Decision-Making: Players evaluate scenarios based on ethical values:

  • Human Dignity: Emphasizing intrinsic value in every life, including animals, players inclined toward compassion and empathy would save the cat, underscoring individual life's sanctity.

  • Freedom: Players face internal tension between rational decisions (protecting cultural heritage) and emotional empathy (saving a life). The game respects the player's freedom to choose, highlighting personal conscience.

  • Equality: Questions the assumption of hierarchical value—do life forms and cultural objects deserve equal consideration?

Consequences and Outcomes:

• Multiple Endings: Decisions cumulatively shape distinct endings, illustrating the ethical, societal, and personal impacts of choices.

• Feedback Mechanism: Ambient elements (music, colors, lighting) shift based on choices, visually and emotionally emphasizing the ethical weight and repercussions.

Deep Philosophical Exploration:

• Players explore nuanced definitions of human dignity—debating life's intrinsic worth versus cultural continuity.

• Ethical freedom lets players make "irrational" yet compassionate choices, embodying the essence of freedom.

• European values presented as rational (institutional, cultural continuity) versus empathetic (universal compassion, humane action), framing players' experiences and decisions.

Inspirational Gameplay Similarities:

• Mechanics similar to "Papers, Please," balancing rigid ethical rules and personal morality, while integrating emotionally engaging decision-making.