Catch the Butterfly

Catch the Butterfly is a gaminiscing game that depicts the hardship experienced by a civil war refugee from Syria. The game was designed to evoke emotions in the player similar to the emotions conveyed by the narrator at different parts of the story. The story is recounted through beautiful, hand-drawn imagery and a nature metaphor.

Publications

Catch The Butterfly: Using Gaminiscing to Design a Serious Game about Immigrants

Ebrahimi, A., Lyman, B., Earl Cox III, J., Chan, S., & De Schutter, B. (2023). Catch The Butterfly: Using Gaminiscing to Design a Serious Game about Immigrants. 2023 IEEE Conference on Games (COG). https://doi.org/10.1109/CoG57401.2023.10333237

This short paper explores the utilization of the gaminiscing method in the design of a narrative-driven game, where every game mechanic is derived from the authentic stories of an immigrant. The aim is to provide valuable insights to game designers interested in employing the gaminiscing method for the development of storytelling games that generate empathy. By leveraging the unique and personal narratives of immigrants, this paper offers a perspective on how the gaminiscing approach can enhance the design process and create immersive and engaging gameplay experiences.

Catch The Butterfly: A Gaminiscing Game about Immigration

Ebrahimi, A., Lyman, B., Cox, J. E., Chan, S., & De Schutter, B. (2023). Catch The Butterfly: A Gaminiscing Game about Immigration. 2023 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1109/CoG57401.2023.10333172

Catch The Butterfly is a narrative game exploring the real, lived experiences of an immigrant. It was created using the gaminiscing method. In Catch The Butterfly, every mechanic and representation is derived from the authentic stories of the subject. The aim is twofold: to provide insights to game designers interested in the gaminiscing method, and to promote empathy and understanding of immigrants. Through the personal narrative of an immigrant, this game offers a personal perspective on immigration and a unique example of the design process when creating a game with the gaminiscing method.