The “fan focus” card isn’t quite hitting the mark as a game mechanic. An the idea of negative cards isn’t quite what I want. So this is an attempt at a second design idea. This is a crafting mechanic.

Jordan is a 12-year-old boy with a passion for soccer, often devoting hours each day to refining his skills. He cares deeply for both of his parents, but their frequent arguments fill him with stress and uncertainty. Part of his love for soccer stems from the extra closeness it brings with his mom, yet he fears this bond will make his dad feel left out. Longing for a healthier way for his parents to settle their conflicts, Jordan hopes they can restore the supportive environment he needs to pursue his athletic dreams and protect his emotional well-being. Although he’s driven by a fear of feeling worthless and a strong need to feel valuable, the tension at home fuels his anxiety, nervousness, and sadness—making it his greatest obstacle.

Upon reflection, it would be more accurate to describe this content as a table rather than a chart.

Karey’s chapter, “Interparental Conflict, Parental Relationship Dissolution, and the Development of Children’s Coping,” (1) profoundly influenced my thinking on how children respond to parental disputes. One of the most striking insights I took away was the idea that, without effective intervention, a child often ends up having to choose between parents. In situations where the two adults can’t stop fighting, the child is forced to protect their own mental health by aligning more strongly with one parent. This heartbreaking reality underscores the importance of finding new approaches to help children develop healthy, adaptive coping strategies when they are caught in the middle of interparental conflict.

During our design meeting on September 17, 2024, we set forth a multi-layered plan for our upcoming game, aiming to create an engaging yet educational experience suitable for both children and parents. This plan involves developing a series of dedicated documents that capture our creative vision.

In our latest design meeting on September 10, 2024, we envisioned a card-based experience that merges the narrative depth of time-manipulation games like Braid with the flexibility of collectible card mechanics. It was a really good design meeting.

…our thoughts can shape our feelings, and by recognizing this, we can see that our thoughts are not always true. This insight helps us manage our emotions more effectively, leading to practical coping strategies like relaxation techniques, reframing our thinking, and finding healthy distractions…

I discovered something here ... read on to join me in my excitement.

We got into a discussion about how the story can manifest and looked at some options. There was a surprise ending to this meeting. Read the blog post to find out what it was...

Probably. Read on for more thoughts on the importance of setting.

As I begin this design project I am thinking about this issue of fun. I want this game to be fun for the players and yet live up to its goal to change the behaviors of parents who play it. My first thoughts are that that…

Design Process. The proposed study employs humanistic methods of qualitative research analysis, narrative inquiry, and hermeneutic evaluation. The primary objective of the project is…

Reduce Inter-Parental Conflict to Protect Children’s Health and Well-being. The high prevalence of parental separation/divorce, the substantial number of children exposed to…

Interparental Conflict (IPC) Threatens Children’s Health and Well-being. Decades of research have shown that exposure to IPC predicts poor outcomes for children across family structures, socioeconomic status, and cultural and…

Professors O’Hara and Devine met…