For P1, Team Nighthawks will be prototyping Dealbreakers. The idea is a get-to-know-you card game about understanding people’s personal boundaries in relationships. Every round, one player receives a relationship context and a set of dealbreaker traits to privately rank. The rest of the group collaborates to guess that ranking. We hope for the game to create fun conversations while balancing humor with potentially sensitive judgments. Some questions to consider for our prototypes are:
1. Does adding a “defend your ranking” phase make the game more engaging or more uncomfortable?
This is important because discussion could deepen engagement but also introduce social pressure. We can prototype two versions: one with a defense phase and one without. We predict that optional defense will increase engagement, while required defense may make some players uncomfortable.
2. Do players feel judged when ranking dealbreakers, and does that affect how honestly they play?
This is important because the game depends on authentic responses. We can prototype private vs public ranking conditions. We predict players will adjust their answers in public settings to avoid judgment.
3. Which scoring system creates the most fun and engaging experience: exact matches or a flexible threshold system?
This is important because scoring shapes player motivation and satisfaction. We can prototype exact match vs threshold scoring systems. We predict threshold scoring will feel more rewarding and maintain higher energy.
