Creating a card game to make pandemic safety protocols fun.
As part of a design challenge, we created Viral Spiral, a card game with mechanics inspired by UNO, and old maid to educate pandemic safety guidelines in an engaging multi-player game.
Overview
Can pandemic safety protocols like sanitizing, social-distancing be gamified?
Is the prompt we were handed in IIT Bombay’s D’Source design challenge. Working on a tight timeline of roughly 3 weeks, I partnered with a classmate to create ‘Viral Spiral’– a card game to educate players about precautionary safety norms.
After conceptualizing multiple iterations of the game-play, we finally picked one that was easy to understand and had minimal effort from the players point of view to keep track of score. The mechanics were loosely inspired by classic card games such as UNO, Old Maid and Rummy.
My Role
Research
Design
Co-Author
Interface
Print Report
App Prototype
Duration
3 months
Tools
Team
Project Type
Design Challenge Submission
Design process
Conceptualization & Gameplay
We designed 48 unique cards covering several factoids about pandemics including historical ones besides safety protocols. The entire deck can be printed on 6 A4 sheets and is available to play even today.
Being Mindful of Circumstances
Given that not everyone might have access to printing the deck, we ensured to also make a mobile app prototype for maximum access. (one of my earliest UI design explorations)
Why Showcase This Project?
A New Design Frontier: This was my first foray into game design. It forced me to balance competing "levers” like information density vs. playability in a way that genuinely challenged my intellect.
The Power of Play: My perception of game design was fundamentally shifted, proving that "gamification" isn't just a buzzword, but a powerful vehicle for behavioral change.
