WEEK 02 — Poetic Play & Emotional Design
Emotion: Loneliness
For Week 2, I created a game poem concept based on the emotion loneliness. I wanted to express a quiet, empty, and slightly overwhelming form of solitude — not sadness, but a feeling of being isolated within a vast space.
Metaphor — Night-time F1 Race Track
Instead of using a typical metaphor, I chose a night-time F1 racetrack.
This environment naturally carries powerful qualities of movement and emotional distance:
Only one direction: forward
Cold artificial lights
Empty surroundings
A sense of speed but also isolation
The image of a racetrack at night translates loneliness into direction darkness and emptiness.
Bitsy Creation Process
Step 1: Choose Emotion
I selected loneliness.
Step 2: Choose Metaphor
The metaphor is a night F1 racetrack.
Step 3: Write Three Rules
Only forward movement, lights fade, no finish line.
Step 4: Visual Planning
I designed a minimal dark track surrounded by subtle fading lights.
Lecture Notes — Poetic Play
Our Week 2 session explored how games can function like poems, using emotion, metaphor, and minimal interaction instead of traditional goals or challenges.
Key ideas from the lecture:
A game poem focuses on mood, rhythm, and metaphor
Mechanics can be symbolic, not literal
Minimalism can strengthen emotional expression
Interaction should feel like a moment, not a mission
Reflection
Week 2 helped me rethink interaction as something emotional rather than mechanical. I realised that a game does not need missions or goals to express meaning — sometimes a single metaphor is enough. My F1 racetrack concept allowed me to explore loneliness through movement, space, and light.