Values
My P3 group is designing a game that focuses on teaching players about the credit score system. Players must make decisions and adapt to changing circumstances as they aim to gain assets while maintaining a good credit score. Some values that we are trying to promote are financial literacy, decision-making, responsibility, and adaptability. We teach players about credit scores, loans, debt, and other financial concepts to help them learn about personal finance. We encourage players to make smart decisions by presenting them with various financial scenarios (through the Opportunity and Event Cards) and consequences. We instill a sense of responsibility in the players by requiring them to manage their in-game financial obligations, e.g. paying bills on time, repaying loans, gaining assets. We also encourage adaptability by introducing unexpected events (e.g. you get hit by a car) and challenges that test the players to adjust their financial strategies.
Loops
The most obvious loop in our game is represented by the game board, which functions as an infinite loop similar to a Monopoly board. Players loop around the board, encountering events and opportunities that can impact their credit score. The “Pay Bill” square at the end of each loop reinforces the cyclic nature of managing finances, where people pay off their monthly credit card debts.
Arcs
There are a couple of arcs we can explore, with two examples being asset ownership arcs (buying asset using cash/credit → paying monthly asset costs related to maintenance/insurance → and selling assets) and loan management arcs (getting a loan which impacts credit score and debt levels → monthly loan payments which is good if on time but bad if missed → loan payoff). There’s also the unexpected opportunity → decision-making arc introduced by our Opportunity and Event Cards, which contains unexpected positive and negative events that impact their financial stability, such as windfalls and emergencies.
