Context

In a constantly evolving world, where each individual must take on different roles throughout their career with a significant social dimension, the need to train citizens capable of adapting and cooperating is becoming increasingly apparent. Serious games have already proven useful in understanding real-life situations, especially in teamwork and knowledge co-creation. It therefore seems relevant to explore how to design multiplayer, multi-role serious games, and more importantly, how to encourage their design by teachers who advocate their use.
Many complexities exist in designing games. Added to these difficulties, is the non-trivial challenge of multiplayer. Multiplayer Learning Games (LG) must meet the constraints of single-player games but also incorporate the challenges associated with multiplayer and LG design. Furthermore, methods to assist in designing such games seem limited. Finally, the complexity increases even further when considering distinct roles interacting simultaneously within multiplayer LG.
Our objective is therefore to provide teachers with the tools to design multiplayer Learning Games more easily, especially role-playing games with distinct roles. Our aim is to define a model and tools, based on this model, to facilitate the design of Role Learning Games (RLG), asymmetrical role-playing games with an educational purpose.

RLG Kit: the tangible tool

A design procedure based on the RLG model was experimented with, and it helped define the necessary steps to create a multiplayer, multi-role learning game scenario. Each step is detailed with a description, the questions to ask during the step, and an example to illustrate its implementation.
The experiments presented this procedure in both static (paper) form and online interactive formats. They resulted in RLG scenarios; however, the format of the scenario representation did not fully match the desired format, and some elements were occasionally missing (possibly due to the limited time allocated to the experiments).
To assist with building the scenario in the desired format and highlighting the required elements, a scenario kit for RLGs was created. This kit takes the form of puzzle pieces to be assembled in a certain order. Each tile has its own function and represents one or more steps from the defined procedure.
A guide in booklet form accompanies this kit, providing explanations on what should be inscribed on each tile. Each tile contains white boxes that are rewritable and erasable.
Each essential tile features an icon, which can be scanned using a free augmented reality app to display an example scenario written in the white boxes. The final element of the kit is an example sheet of scenarios created using this kit. This kit offers the basic functionality for creating a game with up to four missions and five roles.

The Expansion

Following the experiments and the analysis of multiplayer, multi-role board games, an expansion was added to the base kit. Some of the base tiles were enhanced, and new ones were created. Indeed, several tiles would have been useful during the scenario design stages, such as:

• The rules of the game
• Defining stages in the progression of the scenario
• 2- and 3-times longer tasks to better coordinate tasks between roles
• Characters who would intervene in tasks
• The possibility of having multiple rounds, as the scenario is not necessarily linear
• A final task
• The ability to add secondary roles, giving a player specific powers or actions
• Managing the number of players taking on the same role based on the total number of players
• Having resources and attributes unique to a role or shared among all players

These features are not essential to the scenario design of an RLG but provide more freedom for scenario creation and inspire designers.

How to create your RLG Kit?

Downloads

RLGchecker: the verification system

To ensure that the scenarios allow roles to complete common tasks at the planned times and avoid waiting periods, we have designed a scenario verification system. For this, we use Petri nets and have identified five recurring patterns for scenario design. By combining these patterns, we can reproduce the scenarios created with our tools.
Next, we developed an algorithm using the Laalys tool to analyse these Petri nets. For each common task that involves multiple roles, it calculates the minimum and maximum time to reach them, then compares these times to check if they are simultaneously accessible.
Finally, our algorithm provides the designer with an analysis report of the scenario. This report includes recommendations for modifying the scenario in two situations:

• If common tasks cannot be completed simultaneously
• If they can only be completed within a limited time period, which could lead to waiting times between players if their progress is not as expected by the teacher

This system is currently aimed at a more technical audience. It is planned to be integrated into the RLG Maker to make it more accessible to all designers. To learn more, an article has been published on this topic (Modelling and verification of asymmetric role-playing scenarios for learning with Petri nets).

Access the RLGchecker source code

Games created

Following the experiments, here are the games created using the RLG Kit: