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Whiteboard
Idea Jam
Group
Brainstorming
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHY?
writing down, drawing, and sharing as many game ideas as possible on the whiteboard.
to select the future game concept that you and a partner will develop through prototyping
ACTIVITY MATERIALS
BEFORE WE START
The goal of brainstorming is to create a generative list of ideas - that means ideas that have lots of room to grow. Think of these ideas as seeds that will grow and transform into your project.
1 - ENCOURAGE WILD IDEAS
2 - SUSPEND JUDGMENT
4 - BUILD ON IDEAS
5 - BE VISUAL
3 - GO FOR QUANTITY
Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.
Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.
Aim for as many ideas as possible.
Build and expand on the ideas of others.
Sketch your ideas.
RULES FOR BRAINSTORMING
1st
Start with a Big Question: 10 mins
Quick research and discussion in your pairs:
- “What’s something in the world that needs more attention?”
- “What issue would you like more people to understand or care about?”
- “What challenge do you wish you could help fix?”
- ''What do you want to raise awareness about when people play your game?''
2nd
Games for a Cause: 5 mins
Environment
Mental & Physical Health
Education & Culture
Social & Belonging
Climate Change
Anxiety
Language
preservation
Digital
isolation
Post your ideas on the whiteboard in the correct category
3rd
Games for a Cause: 10 mins
In your pairs select 3 causes that interest you - might be a cause another team came up with.
Environment
Mental & Physical Health
Education & Culture
Social & Belonging
Climate Change
Anxiety
Language
preservation
Digital
isolation
4th
Cause Game Type: 15 mins
For each of your three causes choose three types of game
Environment
Mental & Physical Health
Education & Culture
Climate Change
Anxiety
Language
preservation
Card Game
Strategy Game
Trivia Game
Puzzle Game
Card Game
Quest Game
Card Game
Strategy Game
Word Game
Party
Card
Strategy
Coop
Trivia
Puzzle
Word
5th
Selecting one idea: 20 mins
Select one type of game per cause and think of a possible game
Climate Change
Anxiety
Language
preservation
Card Game
Strategy Game
Trivia Game
Puzzle Game
Card Game
Quest Game
Card Game
Strategy Game
Word Game
Players use a set of True or False cards to learn about climate change
Players navigate calming environments by solving soothing logic puzzles. Each puzzle represents a common anxiety trigger or emotion.
Players complete word puzzles to reveal the "lost magic" of the language — phrases, proverbs, or poetic expressions.
6th
Deliverable to Seesaw: Sketching ideas: 30 mins
Select one game idea and think of 3 ways the game could look like
Language
preservation
Word Game
Players complete word puzzles to reveal the "lost magic" of the language — phrases, proverbs, or poetic expressions.
Each face contains mysterious symbols. Players decipher phonetic matches (runes to letters/sounds) to slowly uncover the full language puzzle.
A branching crossword or word grid with mysterious clues tied to cultural meanings.
Players listen to short audio clips (a spoken proverb, a traditional chant) and match the meaning, rhythm, or word fragments to a visual puzzle.
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
7th
Deliverable: Game Idea Selected
Pick one idea to move forward with. Share out with your classmates
Each face contains mysterious symbols. Players decipher phonetic matches (runes to letters/sounds) to slowly uncover the full language puzzle.
Version 2
Post to Seesaw
Description
In this brainstorming activity, we will generate the ideas that will define the concepts of our group projects.
Deliverables
At the end of this activity, the group will have created a collective pin-up brainstorming board. With this resource, the studio facilitator should take time to partner project pairs and create project folders before the next studio session. The next studio session will begin with the sharing of project concepts and project partnerships.