I was initially not very interested in designing a history-focused game. History was one of my least favorite subjects in school because it often felt information-heavy and required extensive background knowledge. I also had little experience playing historical games for the same reason. My assumption was that a teaching game would primarily focus on delivering information or testing players’ knowledge, which is a bit boring. I wanted to make a game that does not only provide information, but teach attitudes, perspectives, and ways of thinking. Luckily, I was able to do that through designing Cabinets of Curiosity.
I am most interested in how mechanics could create emotional and ethical experiences. The facts and photos of the real artifacts does not affect the core game play, but more as an optional information and aesthetic choice. Similarly, the historical events are real but only the one line game effect matters to play. Instead of simply talking about colonialism and unethical museum acquisitions, we placed them in the role of museums and incentivized them to collect artifacts, sometimes through questionable means. During playtests, I noticed players pausing, hesitating, or becoming silent before acquiring artifacts. These moments were especially rewarding to observe. I believe that learning goes beyond acquiring more knowledge but also through reflection.
Another important lesson was simplifying games. Our game involved substantial historical context. My teammates like providing more details to make it more educational. Initially we have five historical periods, which would give more detailed colonial history by region, and we also have other methods (donation, black market) that are more accurate. However, as mentioned before, I don’t think providing information is the focus of our game – it actually overwhelms players and distracts them from reflecting on the important ethical questions. We therefore reduced less essential information.
Similarly, we try to reduce information overload through information design. We added player mats and a center board – through placements of cards, players can quickly see artifacts divided by acquisition methods and events divided by time periods. Players can also track their progress. This reduces cognitive load to remember the information and leave space for players to think and reflect emotionally. Through playtesting and feedback, I learned to decide what information players need to have a meaningful experience.
Overall, this project helped me understand more of my preference on games – the thinking part rather than the information. At the same time, I become more open to different game topics / genres, especially both teaching games and history games. The topics /genre of a game only provide a basic outline and with design we can choose to focus on our interest. I also see that the information supports the experience rather than dominating it, and what matters more is how its mechanics create meaningful experiences.
