“Le Cirque Webb” is a linear exploration game that aim to raise awareness of the use of Dark Patterns.
The player, a fly named Mousse, will need tokens to play the shooting range stand and progress.
To get tokens, the player may find hidden tokens, win the rigged stands or sell their private information.
My role during the project
I was the game designer and the project manager, mostly for the deadlines.
We were a team of 14 people.
The mechanics I designed were to support the narrative established by Level Design and Game Design during our 3 months pre-production.
I designed the minigames and player loop and insured the game economy was balanced with the information sold by the player.
I created the minigames so that they felt unfair and rigged, but you could win if you were good enough, found a sweet spot to cheese the game or sold your personal information to the stand employee, who would make the game easier for you.
Video Presentation
WHAT IS A DARK PATTERN?
Dark Patterns (now known as Deceptive Designs) are techniques used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to, like buying or signing up for something, without being clear with what that action entails.
People usually skim through and that’s what company assume you will do, making it look like it is saying one thing when it is in fact something else completely.
Adaptative Environment
The information provided allows you to personalize the experience by modifying the elements in the environment (posters, colours, item in stock, etc.)
Here the player choice were green as a favourite colour, likes cats and their favourite drink is coffee.
Dialogue text also reflect the favourite colour when mentioning the player name.
Why?
So the player finds it fun to give their information, they want to see what else will change in the world without thinking much about it.
It’s “just” their favorite color. As the game progresses the questions get more personal.
At the end, we can see all the information the game gathered on the player and how quickly it can accumulate.
The main loop
The player can sell their personal information for tokens.
The questions at the start are innocent in order to gain the player’s trust more quickly.
Player can find tokens hidden in the park, but there is a limited amount.
Why?
I wanted the player to find it fun to give their information. It’s easy and seems like there’s not real other way to get token.
Deceptive patterns thrive on users seeking convenience instead of work for things.
Similar to websites asking your permission to track you with cookies, it’s more convenient to click “yes to all”.
I wanted to teach players to think twice about it before accepting terms and conditions in real life.
The economy of the game
The game balances the number of tokens available in the game either obtained by selling information to the bank, the tokens found in the environment and how much the kiosks cost per try.
After two failed attempts at a kiosk, the employee asks the player if they want him to make the game easier. – If the player says yes, they must sell a personal information.
Then the game only costs one token per try and the speed of the targets is slowed down.
Game progression
The player collects stamps, which he obtains after the success of a kiosk.
After obtaining 3 stamps, the player receives a metal ball upgrade.
The ball has a different weight and velocity, which will be used for the next kiosks.
They must throw it at the target in the center of the door that was blocking the way in order to get to the next area.
Why?
The tokens in the world is to make them see that yes you can avoid the deceptive patterns, but you will run out of the free tokens, unless you succeeded the kiosks.
It’s also more convenient for the player to directly sell their info to the kiosk employee when they lose too much. So they are more inclined to sell their info.
NPCs
Circus visitors can have text bubbles above their heads to hear what they are saying, this is used to guide the player and/or add life to the environment
I designed the navigation system for the NPCs to go around the park in collaboration with the level designer.
In the second area, where everything is more gloomy, their animation reflect that ambience.
Why?
So the player feels that they are not alone in their situation, but if the NPC haven’t found a way out, how will they?
It’s important for me that the world feels alive, even on a small scale like this.