Think Again, Asian Parents: The Unexpected Learning Benefits of Gaming

Hi Friends 👋,

If you, like me, grew up in a traditional Asian family, I'm willing to bet that you've heard this line a time or two (or a hundred): "Playing games is a complete waste of time. You should be studying or attending extra-curricular activities." 📚🏸 I was one of those "good kids" who obediently followed this rule throughout my secondary school years. But as I've grown older, I've realized something shocking - our parents might have missed a beat! 😲 Gaming, far from being a mindless pastime, can offer a wealth of benefits and interesting perspectives that often go overlooked. It can be a treasure trove of practical, real-world skills, well beyond the immediate joy and entertainment it brings.

Card Game for creative brainstorming

I recently had the privilege of attending the Casual Tech Meetup event, hosted by my friends Timothy and Sebastian. Not your typical meet-and-greet, this time we dove straight into a board game they'd developed!

The game's concept was simple yet stimulating 🧠: we formed teams and brainstormed creative solutions for challenges, like boosting local tourism in Hong Kong 🏙️. We'd draw a card with a unique theme like "weekly digest", sparking ideas for weekly events. Each idea-pitch allowed the player to keep the card. The idea had to follow the constraints on the card, and whoever came up with a novel idea first would win the card 🥇 . The group then drew another card and the process repeated. The game's objective was to create ideas the quickest while dealing with new constraints every round. The first player to win 5 cards or the player with the most cards after 10 minutes would win the game. After an intense brainstorming session, we'd regroup to mix and match our thoughts into a final concept. Two rounds into the game, and voila, we crafted a Hong Kong-themed "Monopoly", complete with local landmarks as checkpoints! 🎲

This also made me connect to some of my previous experiences hosting brainstorming workshops for our clients. Most of the time, our clients would definitely be the domain expert in their own field. While the value of consulting includes providing some outside-in perspective, I gradually learnt that this perspective might not be something that we already have in mind to “educate” the client, but more of a co-creation process connecting their deep knowledge in the field with our framework and facilitation. And gaming cards like these could serve as a great facilitation tool to prompt our audience to think out of the box 💡.

Gamification to train up empathy in role playing games

The lives and stories of others are incredibly different from your own. As the famous saying from Lu Xun (魯迅) goes, "feelings just don't flow freely from one individual to another" (人類的悲歡並不相通).

Practicing empathy is really about "stepping into someone else's shoes", vividly imagining how you would behave in that alternative reality, how you would feel, what you would do, and what kind of help you would need.

While one of the best ways to practice empathy is by placing oneself in a challenging situation that another person has faced, this can often be difficult. Role-playing games, such as Lark (劇本殺) in mainland China, provide a novel solution to this enduring problem.

The game begins with Sam and Samson (yea, son of Sam), each playing roles representing the older and younger generation respectively. They are each given a set of information and challenges that only their role is privy to. For instance, Samson's challenge might be to dodge a meeting arranged by Sam with the daughter of one of his friends for a potential marriage match, a common practice known as 相親 in China.

The dialogue could unfold something like this:

Sam: "Samson, I arranged a meeting for you with Mr. Li's daughter this weekend. It's time you considered settling down. 👪"

Samson: "Dad, I can't go. I have a crucial work assignment due next week. I need to focus on my career right now. Why can't you understand that? 😣"

In the second round, the roles are reversed. Now, Samson steps into Sam's shoes, with a new scenario involving property transfer. The dialogue could go like this:

Samson (playing Sam's role): "I can't sell the house to pay your debts, Sam. You need to learn to handle your financial responsibilities. Plus, I've already transferred the title deed to your name." 🏠📝

Sam (playing Samson's role): "What? The house is already mine? But why didn't you tell me? 😮"

In each round, as they navigate their challenges, they gradually reveal their underlying reasons for their actions. This forces both Sam and Samson to see the other's perspective, fostering a new level of understanding and empathy. For instance, Samson, playing Sam's role, might realize how his dismissive attitude towards marriage might worry his father. Similarly, Sam, stepping into Samson's shoes, might understand the pressures and priorities of his son's life.

The game ends with the participants discussing their learnings and reflecting on the impact of their words and actions on each other. They realize the importance of clear communication and considering the other's feelings and perspectives. This game, by simulating real-life scenarios, aids in fostering mutual respect, empathy, and understanding between generations, thereby improving their relationship. 🤝💬

Provide the possibility for scientific research to collect big data for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis

You might be thinking, "Board games? Sure, my folks could get behind that. But video games? The ones that seem to suck people in like a black hole? How on earth do they bring anything good to the table?" Well, prepare to be amazed, because video games can be more than teenage obsessions—they can be undercover superheroes in the world of scientific research.

Consider the problems that scientists face when conducting research. Limited resources, time constraints, and the pesky observer effect, where participants start acting like they're on reality TV once they know they're being watched. Enter gamification, our knight in pixelated armor.

Let me introduce you to "Sea Hero Quest," the brainchild of University College London and Glitchers. It's not just a video game; it's a scientific revolution disguised as a sea-faring adventure.

In the game, players navigate through stages using their memory alone, steering a boat through various checkpoints, and firing a flare back to their starting point once they reach the end. And just when you thought it was all smooth sailing, players also answer multiple-choice questions about their wellbeing.

But here's the real kicker: this game is actually a secret weapon in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Early symptoms of Alzheimer's include a loss of directional sense and navigational skills, which, coincidentally, are the very skills this game tests. The data collected from players' navigational abilities provides a large-scale dataset that would be near impossible to gather traditionally. This innovative approach offers a new way to establish a diagnostic standard for Alzheimer's.

Now, about the gameplay. When you start, you see a map outlining your journey. You must pass through each checkpoint in order, guided only by your memory. And for those thrill-seekers, there are bonus stages where you have to dodge icebergs at high speed and capture a clear picture of a sea monster. A sea monster, folks! Who said science can't be adventurous?

As you observe someone deeply engaged in video gaming, consider this: their play might be contributing to significant scientific breakthroughs. They could be refining their knack for evading icebergs and capturing sea monsters on camera. Essentially, they're not just gaming, they're acquiring a unique skill set that extends beyond the digital realm.

Wrap Up

So, after all these game nights, tournaments, and virtual adventures, I had a bit of an "aha!" moment. 🤔 You know, like when you suddenly solve a puzzle or find a hidden treasure in a game. 💡

We've been told that gaming is just a waste of time, right? A mindless distraction from the "real world." 🌍 But what if I told you that all those hours spent gaming might actually be...educational? 😮

Here's a quote from the legendary Paul Graham (co-founder of YC), which Sebastian and Timothy impressively printed on the cover of their Mutagen card box. It truly resonates with our topic:

"One way to tell whether you're wasting your time is to ask if you're producing or consuming... playing games where you create something is less likely to be a waste of time than playing games where you don’t." 🎮💡

So next time someone (likely your beloved parents) tells you to stop "wasting your time" gaming, you can tell them you're actually on a quest for knowledge. Who knows, you might even change their perspective! 😉 After all, who said learning can't be fun? 🤷‍♀️

Things I wanna recommend to you this week

Mutagen - Race to Create by Sebastian — Kickstarter. Hats off 🎩 to both Seb and Timothy for concocting this ingenious idea and dedicating their time and resources to make it a reality. I'm profoundly grateful for the custom “weekly digest” mutagen card they created for our newsletter 📰. For those who are intrigued, I assure you, the game is not only exhilarating to play 🎲, but it's also an excellent tool for brainstorming fresh ideas 💡. Additionally, they are currently fundraising on Kickstarter for this project. If you're interested, keep a close eye on their campaign!

Casual Tech Meetup. You've got to try this! 🎤 I've told all my friends about it. If you're looking for a fun time and cool people, this is it! Timothy's building a great group in the UI/UX, Marketing, Consulting, and Technology scene - come join us! 🚀

Sea Hero Quest - Alzheimer's Research UK (alzheimersresearchuk.org) - this article detailed out how the Sea Hero Quest is able to help with the Alzheimer research, highly recommend to give it a read!