Game Changer : a (Game)Space for Intercultural Play?

The Game Changer Suite is a collection of multiplayer game prototypes developed to explore cooperative and competitive gameplay in a co-located setting. In particular, the game mechanics employed by each of the Game Changer prototypes utilize the respective proximity of players to encourage them either to work together or compete against each other in different scenarios. Preliminary observation and video analysis of gameplay during an international festival indicate that although the games effectively foster ad-hoc cooperation and coordinated efforts, preferences regarding comfortable levels of personal distance still play a vital role in how the games are played.