As is often the case, I was pondering a game idea and thinking about how it would, or if it would, relate to the therapeutic setting. Over the years of designing games, I have found a number of publishers are looking for what they term “family-friendly”, “gateway”, or “easily accessible” games. In a sense, they are looking for games that are often ideal in a therapeutic setting. Games that are fun, fairly light, and visually appealing. These games also tend to be quick playing and offer an opportunity for looking inwardly regarding one’s experiences. Often they can be a catalyst for conversation. But I started thinking about something different: games with an economic core to facilitate therapy. I considered a number of possible options when looking at this idea. In an economy, the participant is seeking to input some sort of good/material/service in order to claim something different in return.…
