Tentative Game Title: Tax Zero
Team: Noor, Ore, Ting, Anthony
Concept Map for System:
Concept Map(s) for Game:
Writeup:
Our concept map for our system focuses on explaining how the tax system functions and highlights the area of the system that our game exploits. In this map, specific income types, capital gain types as well as deduction types are all abstracted away into broad categories, and the focal point of our game, the possible tax evasion techniques applied to reduce projected taxable income and increase deductions, is also unspecified.
Our concept map for the game zeroes in on the techniques that can be applied, mapping them by both in-game difficulty and in-game risk factor. We also break down the game loop for each fiscal year, including making investment decisions, learning and applying tax evasion techniques, paying the taxed amount and finally potentially being audited, depending on the risk factors associated with the techniques applied. Each loop begins and ends with the value of the player’s portfolio, which is something that is iteratively adjusted throughout the course of the game. While depicting the same system, our game concept map selects “representatives” from each component of the tax system to turn into game bits. We also introduce a narrative arc that spans the character’s lifetime, but abstracts away all elements unrelated to wealth gain, investment decisions & passing down assets to children before death.
