When I was able to visit MIT in 2018, I attended an interactive media seminar which is delivered by Mr. Jesse Schell. He is the author of The Art of Game Design, founder of Schell Game, and Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
In the seminar, several foundations were discussed to be able to present a good game concept. The cool term is games that matter. One of the interesting discussions is about the Challenge – Challenging, Solve-Solving approach. Let’s keep it cool so it’s C 2 S 2. This approach became one of the inspirations for me to teach the concept of game design to many people. This approach also enriches the design and development process for serious games, game-based learning programs, and gamification at kummara.com.
The C 2 S 2 approach is simple. We only need to ask the following 4 questions:
| C 2 S 2 Question | Sample Answer |
| What is the main challenge (Challenge)? | To make the opponent’s king pawn have no choice of moves |
| Why is it challenging (Challenging)? | Because the king’s pawn is protected by many other pawns |
| How can players complete the challenge (Solve)? | By using the pawns he has to defeat the opponent’s pawn and trap the king’s pawn. |
| Why is completing the challenge (Solving) fun? | Because there are many combinations of strategies that can be developed. Because each strategy also depends on the strategies of other players. |
The four questions above can be a starting point for developing game concepts as well as gamification. But its function is more than that. We can use the 4 questions above also for modification and further development of existing concepts. For example, we already have a game or gamification program, but we want to target different players. Just try to use the 4 questions above as a guide.
The question above can also be a kind of checkpoint, to ensure that the challenges presented are always relevant to the player’s abilities. This is important so that the players don’t get bored or stressed easily. You can enjoy the whole process. Become better. The cool term is to enter the flow area as Mr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said (this is a 3-min video about flow: Youtube).
So if one time your company intends to create a game concept or gamification, you can start with the 4 questions above. Or if you are trying to find a gamification consultant, you can try asking the 4 questions above when they explain the concept. From the answer, you may be able to select who is suitable to help with your gamification implementation intentions.
But if I happen to be the one presenting, don’t ask the 4 questions above. Ask for a coffee shop instead.
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Original article: https://ekonugroho.id/4-pertanyaan-untuk-seleksi-konsultan-gamifikasi/
Photo by private collection (Eko Nugroho)
