I’ve often played the game Taboo with my family. The game has many mechanics. Players are grouped into two teams. Each turn, a member receives a card with a target word and taboo words. The objective is to get your team to guess as many target words as possible within a time period without saying any of the taboo words. Time is tracked using a physical hourglass. If a taboo word is said, the buzzer mechanic allows opposing teams to press a buzzer button, producing a sound and a loss of points.
The team mechanic creates a cooperative dynamic between teammates while allowing for a competitive dynamic between teams. The card mechanic creates a talking dynamic, where the speaker has to carefully choose their words while also being thoughtful about making the target word clear. This creates a stressful dynamic with the time mechanic, which can cause the speaker to be flustered, stressed, and thus mess up and say a taboo word. The buzzer mechanic creates more stressful dynamics and a dynamic where opposing teams stay engaged due to their responsibilities. The game’s physical objects (cards, buzzer, and hourglass) can also be manipulated by the other team (my dad did this, which I called cheating) or can be dropped/messed up, adding further challenge.
These dynamics produce different aesthetics. Cooperative behavior produces the fellowship aesthetic, the social frameworks from working together towards a shared objective. The physical dynamics result in a sensation aesthetic, as touching the cards or moving and hearing the hourglass and buzzer produces pleasurable touch and sound sensations. The stressful and competitive dynamics produce a challenge aesthetic, where each card becomes an obstacle course to beat. This particular combination (fellowship, sensation, and challenge) is my favorite type of fun, where I can be competitive with my family.
