1. Highlighting 6D Playbook
Define the Problem
The primary reason why the elderly are a prime target for scams is due to their vulnerability to three emotions: Fear, Greed, and Loneliness. Emotions come into play when they are consuming information. This can be in the form of media or even physical conversations that they have with strangers. Scammers use this weakness to their advantage and go on to emotionally manipulate the elderly by initially gaining their trust and eventually causing them to fall victim to these scams. Thus, the elderly require the skill of critical thinking when consuming information to protect themselves from being emotionally manipulated by scammers. Current anti-scam initiatives such as help centers and informational posters are ineffective as they are only made as a secondary barrier.
While the government can provide guidance, the unpredictability and complexity of scams pose a challenge for the authorities in preventing scams as they are always playing catch-up to the scammers. Furthermore, such initiatives tend to be highly informative and educational, which does not pique the interest of the elderly. Thus, there is a lack of initiatives that solve the root cause of the problem, which is the vulnerability of the elderly. We see a need to develop a game that does not educate the elderly directly but instead motivates them to practice critical thinking and protect themselves against mass information and scams.
Determine Goals
The primary objective of “SimplyGone” is to educate and empower seniors aged 65-75 to recognize and combat scams targeting fear, greed, and loneliness. Through immersive gameplay, players will develop critical thinking skills and gain insights into the tactics used by scammers. By the end of the game, seniors will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence needed to protect themselves against fraudulent schemes.
- Increase confidence in discriminating against scam information by 30% We aim to create challenges that are simple yet effective in challenging the elderly in terms of their critical thinking. Through this game, they should be able to differentiate between useful information and information that is most likely to be used in scams.
- Decrease the vulnerability of the elderly to scams through the three emotions (greed, fear, loneliness) With the improvement of critical thinking, we hope to better prepare the elderly for real-life situations where they can make a judgment and protect themselves against scammers.
- Retain 72 % user engagement throughout the game A primary survey we conducted revealed that 48% of the respondents are interested in using games as a learning tool. We aim to create an immersive and engaging game that is able to retain the player’s interest throughout the game.
- Achieve an attendance rate of 60% for the post-game luncheon Attract players to attend the organized luncheon which is meant to show appreciation to those who played our game and recognize the top players. A high attendance rate will help to foster a sense of community amongst the players as they bond over the game.
Decide Target Behaviours and Emotions
Target Behaviours
- Users think in the perspective of the scammer to understand and analyze the scammer’s actions
- Users develop habits of verifying information and sources before sharing any sensitive information
- Users can answer quizzes regarding the scams to learn more
- Users are having conversations about scam prevention offline
- Users are thinking if the scenario has happened to them before
Target Emotions
- “I never knew these types of scams”
- “I now know much more about preventing scams”
- “I should share what I learned with my friends and family”
- “I hope I can catch the criminals”
- “What do I not know about scams?”
- “This game makes me feel empowered”
Describe and Profile Players
Tech-Savvy Senior
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Cautious Retiree
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Non-techie Senior
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Design Gamification Strategy
Setting:
The game is set in Simple City, where 3 of the most wanted scam criminals have broken loose from prison and are slowly taking over their area of the city with their scam tactics. The 3 Main areas of Simple City are Chinatown, East Coast Park, and Old Airport Road. These areas are selected based on locations players are most likely to be familiar with.
How to capture the criminal:
Daily challenges are from the perspective of the Detective(player), they will have to use the clues and evidence given to capture the criminals. At the end of Days 3, 5, and 6, players have to fill in a respective passcode that will be released to the users after completing each of the challenges for the specific criminal (Day 3: Fear, Day 5: Greed, Day 6: Loneliness). Filling in the passcode correctly signifies that the players have successfully captured the criminal. Clues to the answers to these passcodes will be released from the daily challenges. The game has an unlimited amount of attempts, allowing players to redo challenges if they fail to put in the correct passcode.
Incentive:
At the end of the challenge, all players are invited to a lunch function. The purpose of the function is to build a community of like-minded individuals (people who completed the game) to make friends and discuss the game. Continuous learning happens during the function as people discuss the game. Developers can collect valuable information and feedback from the players who completed the challenge.
Diagnose and Analyse Content
Content:
- The game only lasts for 7 days which is a short amount of time to cover in-depth teaching the 3 root causes of scams
- Good coverage of different scams (Government, insurance, religious, love scam)
What did we get wrong (Areas we struggled with):
- It could be a little bit complex for some seniors who are not tech-savvy to understand in terms of language used in daily scenarios.
- It may be overly simplistic in terms of identifying only 3 root causes for seniors to fall victim to scams.
- Struggled to come up with our game’s hook for seniors to be attracted to play our game throughout the 7 days.
- It was difficult for us to come up with games that could be engaging using the features on Gametize
What did we get right: Better understanding and making use of gamification: From the feedback based on our previous game idea, we thought of ways to make our game more engaging to seniors without seeming too “educational”.
Understanding our target audience:
- Before creating the game: Before we started creating our game, we prioritized having empathy with and understanding seniors, the future players of our game. To do this, we researched the reasons why the elderly get scammed, as well as the most common types of scams they encounter. Furthermore, we conducted interviews and surveys with Singaporean elderly in real life to get deeper insights into the emotions they experience, as well as the way they deal with potential scams.
- During the creation of our game: When we started creating our game we were compelled to think from the perspective of future players, as well as victims’ feelings when facing scams. Furthermore, creating challenges and evidence from the point of view of both scammers and victims helped us better understand the process of creating scams and being scammed. This gave us insights on the necessary information that seniors must know to avoid being susceptible to scams, as well as overcoming the emotions of fear, greed, and loneliness.
2. Inspiration for this Project
From the inception of the idea to the development of the game mechanics, our team embarked on a journey fueled by passion and dedication. Through collaborative efforts and creative brainstorming sessions, we brought together diverse perspectives and transformed our vision into a tangible solution aimed at tackling the pressing issue of senior scams.
3. Our Learnings
While “SimplyGone” represents a significant step forward in senior scam prevention, we acknowledge that it is not without its limitations. Technical constraints, time constraints, and resource limitations posed challenges during the development process, necessitating careful prioritization and strategic decision-making.
Throughout this project on electronic waste, We have gained a profound awareness of the far-reaching implications of our electronic consumption habits, and learning about the staggering volumes of e-waste generated annually and the hazardous materials it contains has been eye-opening. The environmental repercussions, from soil and water contamination to air pollution, underscore the urgency of responsible e-waste management. Improper e-waste disposal is equally problematic due to the health and social consequences, particularly in communities affected by improper recycling practices.
We believe that innovative solutions such as the “SimplyGone” game have the potential to make a meaningful impact in addressing the scourge of scams targeting seniors. By leveraging the power of gaming, we can educate and empower individuals to recognize and combat these threats, ultimately fostering a safer and more resilient community. Together, let’s continue to innovate and collaborate towards a brighter future for all.
1. Play the game first.
2. Use the Template game for your own initiatives.
Credits: Tan Mu En Jenell (Leader), Anthea Chua Xinyi, Park Jiwon, Isaac Tan Yi Zhe, Tristan Chong Yuen Foong, Ong Zhiqian, Sabrina Gabrielle Guzman Alinea, Joanne Muljadi