A simple multi-player video game framework for experimenting and teaching cultural understanding

Abstract

We have created a game called Culture Code that allows researchers and teachers to host online games where teams have asynchronous abilities. Inspired by the game Barnga [11], which is designed to "explore factors related to communication problems in intercultural situations", our game, Culture Code, takes Barnga's basic mechanics and extends them. In Barnga, some players enter a game where they do not know the game rules resulting in a disadvantage compared to others who already know the rules. This mechanic is meant to simulate the disadvantages of someone entering a culture where the rules aren't explained. We extend this idea into out frame-work in which players are divided into teams, and each team's capabilities can be uniquely defined. This framework can be used to create a wide variety of scenarios to facilitate experiments and teaching points related to cultural advantages and disadvantages.