This game serves as a satirical commentary on the manipulation of trending news by some social media platforms to influence public opinion or generate personal profit. However, it also acknowledges that, in certain situations, manipulating news might be necessary for the greater good of society. Players assume the role of an intern editor at a social media company, tasked with curating the next day's trending news. The challenge lies in striking a balance: selecting news items that not only benefit society but also positively impact the company. Players must navigate the ethical and practical considerations of media influence, making decisions that shape public discourse and awareness.
Design: Concept & Gameplay
Drawing inspiration from "We Become What We Behold" and "Papers, Please," games known for their straightforward gameplay yet profound societal commentary, I have developed "What is Trending Now." This game encapsulates a similar ethos: simple inputs lead to deep, reflective thinking about societal issues.
In "What is Trending Now," players have one primary action: to drag news items onto the trending list. However, the ramifications of this choice are significant. The composition of the trending list impacts societal happiness, the company's viewership, and its financial health. Players must therefore deliberate carefully each day, balancing societal welfare and company interests in their selection of news. Additionally, our game includes hidden storylines within the news items, where player choices influence the narratives, leading to either positive or negative outcomes. This adds depth to the gameplay and highlights the impact of media choices.
Beyond the game, I aim to foster independent thinking among players about the news and events they encounter online. This game is designed to encourage players to look beyond what is presented on their screens, to question, and to make informed, positive decisions in their own lives. Through this experience, players are prompted to recognize the influence of media and the importance of critical thinking in the digital age.
Program: Separate the content
During the development of our game, the workload was divided between two team members: myself, handling the programming aspect, and my colleague Zhe, responsible for content creation. To streamline the development process and enhance efficiency, I designed the game's structure to distinctly separate content (data) from the code. Specifically, I developed scripts enabling the system to import content from external Excel files. This content, including news items, dialogues, and comments, is dynamically integrated into the game components post-import. This structure offers significant flexibility for future content updates, allowing us to modify the game without the need to alter the underlying code. Simply updating the Excel files suffices. It also simplifies creating different language versions of the game, such as a Chinese version, by just making new Excel files and adjusting their references in the code.
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Click here to play the game: https://mark-zf.itch.io/what-is-trending-now
