Z-force Genesis is a tabletop role-playing game initiated by TREATS and designed by Press Start Studios, to introduce them to important social topics such as social inclusion and diversity. The game is designed to develop children’s collaboration skills, foster systematic thinking and problem solving skills.
Services: Tabletop Role-Playing Game Design, Facilitator Training, and Workshops
Target Audience: Children aged 8 to 11, some with Special Learning Needs
Timeline: 6 months
Keywords: Social Diversity and Inclusion, Special Learning Needs, Systematic Thinking, Problem Solving, Tabletop RPG, Collaboration
🎯 The Goal
The aim of this game was to enable primary children in Hong Kong, specially those children with special educational needs (SEN), to develop systematic thinking and problem solving skills, while learning about social inclusion and diversity through collaboration and teamwork.
🎲 The Outcome
We produced a Three Act Structure, that focused on the following three internal themes in order to create a progressive narrative:
Us Against The World
Us Against The Other
Us Against Ourselves
The game is set in a fantastical city like Hong Kong, where children can embark on their stories by roleplaying superheroes.
For all of our game design projects, we also provide comprehensive facilitator guides that will allow any facilitators to become game masters in the gameplay experience.
Round 1: Aligning with the goals
We recognized that this game was, first and foremost, to realize the social outcomes of TREATS; which are bringing educational experiences to children with all abilities and backgrounds in Hong Kong. Understanding TREATS’ scope was the first step of the process.
Round 2: Designing
We were designing for children aged 8 to 11, so we wanted to make the role-playing a seamless and fun experience as the children follow a story that is split up into three parts.
Round 3: Playtesting
Any game cannot be complete without playtests. We ran internal playtest sessions with TREATS’, as well as theater performers and our own team to ensure that the game allows for facilitation and participation while being a fun experience.
