Apologies for the delay, my schedule has returned to it’s normal psychotic pace. In the interim, I’ve started a little group project that might be of interest:
Tranquility: A game about not doing thingsTranquility: a mobile game designed to relax you as you play. It’s an experiment in game design which offers a unique challenge. How do you design a game that is compelling and excites the player, if the goal is to get them to relax and become less excitable?
I’ll be researching therapeutic relaxation techniques, similar game designs, and dipping my toe into procedurally generated landscapes and background music. I’ll post with updates as the project progresses.
The concept at the moment, is to select a timed session of gameplay (1 – 15 minutes), start at a somewhat frantic pace, and progress towards a more relaxed state. As you unlock each stage, the music becomes more soothing and ambient, the colors change from warm to cool schemes, and the gameplay attempts to get your physical breathing rate to slow down.
It’ll be an aventure.
Murkily,
-Machination
Why did I read this post 30 minutes after I wrote my own about pacing in some games I play at the moment?
I vote all games should get such a relaxation mode! It would’ve helped me last weekend after my Rift marathon, and I would’ve _so_ enjoyed something like this after come of the more high-adrenaline raids I used to have.
Do tell us what came out of it.
😀 That’s just the irony of blogging. There’s always another post out there that would have been helpful beforehand.
Actually, we’re currently having a hard time working with the concept of a relaxation game — keeping people engaged and objective-driven (as games should be), while at the same time disengaging and facilitating relaxation. Strange stuff, this is.