Prior to engaging with the SERG framework, it is important to set game design and final outcome goals. Given the volume of content within this toolkit–including the framework, activities, and reading material–it is easy to get lost, overwhelmed, or lose sight of the purpose of utilizing this resource. As such, approaching this work considering the intended outcome (e.g., revising an existing design, developing a new design, discussing the work with members of your team, etc.) is beneficial to maximizing this framework’s usability.
When creating goals for how the game engages race while using this framework, consider the following aspects:
- What are the main racial or cultural takeaways you want the audience who may or may not have prior knowledge of this culture gleaned from playing this game? - If designing a character, consider how you want this character to be received by an audience. Is this character meant to be presented as one of a collective who does not stand out as a function of their culture, or one with its own distinct attributes as a function of race and culture? - If your game does not currently place along the spectrums in the intended way, consider games that align closer to what you wish to accomplish. How does this game approach representation, and how does this representation differ from your own approach? This exercise is not to be confused with copying another design. Rather, its purpose is to consider approaches that landed in a place you wish your design to be, consider how or why what they did worked, and consider how you might use similar approaches to achieve your design and placement goals.
There are innumerable possible goals you and your team might have. Here are a few samples:
- Representing a Specific, Underrepresented Cultural Value - Realistic Representations of Historic or Contemporary Violence - Metaphoric Engagement with Oppression - Portraying Alternate Diverse Worlds without Racism - Reversing a Colonialist Mechanic (e.g., resource mining and settling land) - We’re making a puzzle game without people - we don’t need to engage with race! - Designing a Puzzle Mechanic Using Culturally-Meaningful Artwork
Different members of a game studio can benefit from this framework differently. For example, game designers may consider what aspects of a game they would like to be implemented and developers can consider directly how to go about creating a given feature. Someone on the marketing team, however, could use the framework as a guide on which aspects of the game may be most salient to audiences. As such, we encourage studio members of different levels and positions to use this framework as a communicative tool to discuss the detailed and overarching strengths and weaknesses of a game. For example, if a game is placed lower than where the design team had wished, this can bring about conversations as to if hiring a cultural consultant is necessary.