{"id":47,"date":"2025-10-06T01:07:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T01:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/?p=47"},"modified":"2026-01-26T14:38:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:38:00","slug":"week-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/2025\/10\/06\/week-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week explored how video games can function as poetic and emotional experiences rather than purely challenge-, progression-, or reward-focused systems. Through lectures, a guest talk, and a practical studio exercise using Bitsy, the focus shifted toward <strong>metaphor, ambiguity, and emotional intention<\/strong> in game design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week was important for shaping my design thinking, as it encouraged me to consider how <strong>emotion can be communicated through mechanics, movement, and constraint<\/strong>, rather than relying on explicit narrative or dialogue. These ideas directly influence the direction of my overall game concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A central question raised during the guest lecture was whether video games can be considered a form of poetry. The idea presented was that games, much like poems, can communicate meaning through <strong>structure, rhythm, and implication<\/strong>, rather than direct explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key lessons discussed included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stripping away unnecessary elements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leveraging poetic devices such as repetition and silence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Embracing ambiguity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reimagining what &#8220;fun&#8221; means in gameplay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Respecting the poetic process rather than over-designing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This challenged my previous assumptions about game design and helped me understand that <strong>simplicity can often strengthen emotional impact<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A major theme of this week was the use of <strong>metaphor<\/strong> to express emotion. Rather than telling the player what to feel, metaphor allows emotions to emerge through <strong>interaction and experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explored how emotions could be translated into gameplay through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Movement and restriction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spatial design<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timing and pacing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repetition and rhythm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This strongly connects to my project, where movement and stealth are not just mechanics, but metaphors for <strong>control, vulnerability, tension, and adaptation<\/strong>. The idea of designing &#8220;feeling first&#8221; rather than &#8220;feature first&#8221; became central to my approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"218\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-576x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-768x1365.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-864x1536.jpeg 864w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-300x533.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06-850x1511.jpeg 850w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-300x400.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08-850x1133.jpeg 850w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-26-at-12.10.08.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We examined examples of experimental games often described as &#8220;game poems,&#8221; such as Jason Rohrer&#8217;s Passage. These games use minimal mechanics to convey complex emotional themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What stood out to me was how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Simple controls created emotional focus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Progression felt symbolic rather than rewarding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meaning was left open to player interpretation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This reinforced the idea that <strong>emotional depth does not require complex systems<\/strong> and that players can extract meaning from even the most minimal interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the studio session, we created a small &#8220;game poem&#8221; using Bitsy, following strict constraints:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One emotion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One metaphor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exactly three rules<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Playable in under two minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These limitations forced me to focus on <strong>intentional design choices<\/strong>, rather than scope or polish. Every interaction had to serve a clear emotional purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exercise showed how <strong>constraints can actually enhance creativity<\/strong>, encouraging clarity and emotional precision rather than overwhelming the player with mechanics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is my Bitsy idea for a game poem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image-1024x527.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image-1024x527.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image-850x438.png 850w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/image.png 1218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week significantly influenced how I think about my larger game project. It reinforced the idea that mechanics should support emotion rather than distract from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key takeaways I plan to apply include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Designing mechanics as metaphors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using limitation and restraint intentionally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allowing space for player interpretation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritising emotional experience over complexity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These principles directly inform my GDD, particularly in how movement, pacing, and atmosphere are used to create <strong>adrenaline, tension, and immersion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Week 2 helped solidify my understanding of emotional and poetic game design. It demonstrated that games do not always need clear objectives or traditional success states to be meaningful. Instead, <strong>clarity of intention and emotional focus<\/strong> can create powerful player experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week strengthened my confidence in pursuing a design approach that values <strong>emotion, metaphor, and immersion<\/strong>, which will continue to guide the development of my project moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"480\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 848 \/ 480;\" width=\"848\" controls src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Video-2026-01-26-at-12.10.06.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week explored how video games can function as poetic and emotional experiences rather than purely challenge-, progression-, or reward-focused systems. Through lectures, a guest talk, and a practical studio exercise using Bitsy, the focus shifted toward metaphor, ambiguity, and emotional intention in game design. This week was important for shaping my design thinking, as&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-semester-1","category-weekly-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sg1r23-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}