Playful interactive game systems are seen as a new and exciting way to enhance social interactions. Although positive results have been reported from existing interventions, many of these games have focused on limited contexts involving players who are already familiar with each other. Research shows that familial experiences are markedly different from those between strangers, as players have different attitudes and motivations towards interaction. In this workshop, we focus on the methods, tools, and mediums involved when designing games that encourage prosocial behavior between strangers. We invite the games research community to critically reflect on the complexities of creating such systems for co-located people. Furthermore, we also invite proposals that illuminate how differences in culture, age, gender, and context may affect the design of playful prosocial artifacts.

 

We invite academics, artists, designers, and developers and other practitioners of HCI to participate in the workshop by sending an email to AfriCHIplay@gmail.com   stating their expression of interest.  After being notified of acceptance, workshop participants will be given instructions to register for the workshop on the main AfriChi2018 website. All submissions and queries should be sent to AfriCHIplay@gmail.com.

 

Examples of workshop topics:

 

• Practical use of playful and gameful methods to

  promote prosocial behavior

• Frameworks for developing games for prosocial

  behavior

• Interactive modalities for playful encounters

• Differences in player sensibilities across cultures

• Evaluations of playful interactions

• Socio-psychological frameworks that explain non-

  familial social interaction

• Critical design

• Designing for fun

• Design for urban play