Design Pattern for Exploration and Experimentation: Result of Field Study on a Toy-Based Serious Game Design Method

Abstract

In this paper we report how we combined and tested a couple of similar methods to design serious games (SGs) meant to foster learning through exploration and experimentation of the systems of a domain simulation. The main method tested propose basing SG design on toy design set both in the core of the game and the domain to teach. Our experiment on both methods has two objectives: measure the efficiency of both methods and extract new design patterns to help designing serious games based on a toy and thus fostering learning through exploration and experimentation. Our experiment is a longitudinal field study four years long while we contributed and analysed the design of 25 SG prototypes made by 100+ designers. Our results show that the methods are efficient combined and identify some of their issues. Results also provide a field-tested full design pattern to help create new SGs based on a toy.