The game Helicopter Parent simulates the college admission system from the parents’ perspectives. Acting as helicopter parents, players send their two children to various events and try to collect as many bragging points as possible. Since college admission and competitions are limited, players engage in competitive play as they compete for resources. Because of the somewhat randomness of the US college admission system, the game includes some chance and uncertainty play. For example, players would roll several dice to decide whether or not they succeed in a certain competition.
Although the game includes some chance and uncertainty play, it is not solely based on luck. The players, just like real-world parents, have the opportunity to buy their way into colleges or direct their children to various events, advancing their skill levels, which then increases the chance of them succeeding in different competitions.
Personally, it was interesting for me to see how a system game is designed and played. Due to their base in real-life systems, system games seem to be an easy way to learn about the real world and see how some personal choices can influence others. Because system games are still games, people seem to be less scared of potential consequences they may face. Hence, while we were playtesting Helicopter Parent, players seemed to enjoy a lot about the game.
While I am happy that the game is received with joy from the players, I wonder if the game may not be a full representation of the system. The game is a true portrayal of how the designers have viewed the college admission system, but this portrayal may be different from other’s views of the system or even be erroneous. Due to the complexity of a real-life system, certain elements were also looked over intentionally by the designers so that the game is still easy to play. I wonder if overlooking this element in game design can result in mistaken views about the real-life system that players may hold later. I also wonder, since the game offers the perspective of game designers, whether players can take on mistaken views that, while they may be true for other people, may negatively impact their decision-making. For example, would it be good if a student in a middle or lower socio-economic background believes that he or she can buy himself or herself into college? These questions are hard to answer, and I don’t know how our game may react with a broader audience.
