Hey everyone, This is my first time posting.
This week I've been tasked with researching a resonant topic with the hopes of creating a compelling game that will educate and sympathize with a form of crisis or discrimination that everyday people face. Only gathering research for topics related to Game Design is different than say something like Science or Medicine, on top of research papers, you have to actually play games that correlate with the subjects or find some form of a loop that equally immerses the player as it does entertain. The topic that I have chosen this semester in school is Rent Control and inflation.
Being someone who currently lives in an area where it is a very real crisis that many people I personally know are facing, I want to create a relatable and compelling experience that anyone can enjoy, while also shedding some light on the very real issues that we are facing. Regardless of the amount of work someone puts in, it doesn't really matter if 65 - 85% of their income is going towards rent alone, on top of the rising costs of everything, the minimum wage just doesn't cut it anymore for people's living costs. What if they want to go to school? Or have children, animals, or a chronic health condition? How will these people take care of more than themselves if they can't even make ends meet?
That is the Focus of my upcoming title Rent. I think that it is a compelling subject that everyone my age can relate to. I want to focus on the everyday person, and the sacrifices that they may have to make just to survive. Remembering that no matter how bleak, there are real people facing these exact crises in their lives.
Did you like this post? Tell us
Leave a comment
Log in with your itch.io account to leave a comment.
I like how you are talking about this topic as it is very important in various scenarios in the real world. Not everyone in life has enough money to be able to live inside homes because of the increase in housing costs. Because of this some people end up laying in the streets without a place a to live and end up begging for money. I know you haven't talked much about this topic yet but I would like to see what other research you continue to collect so you can make a proper renting game. I don't know much about housing crisis since I grew up with a wealthy family, but some questions I would ask myself for the people out there that can't afford to buy homes with the increase in rent would be: How can I find a way to make myself survive against the rising housing crisis?, What methods are out there that I can use? I'm interested to hear how you will turn all of this into a game. Perhaps you can have the player take on solve puzzles on finding more money and have them reach a certain amount to finish the game.
Hello, Ash! I'm delighted to see someone researching this topic, as it's indeed a highly relevant real-life issue. The 65% to 85% range you mentioned is quite significant and cannot be overlooked. Therefore, I believe your research findings provide a deeper insight, such as how the housing crisis exacerbates people's survival pressures. It's worth acknowledging that using rent as a focal point to study the housing crisis is a very nuanced approach. I'm looking forward to your future content, especially regarding how you plan to educate players on addressing this crisis and your upcoming book publication.
Hey Ash. Wanted to say that this issue you are tackling seems incredibly important. I think you are going in the right direction by sharing the experience of the rental systems as they stand now. I find it extremely compelling that you are looking at it from the eyes of an individual. I think focusing on the sacrifices that people have to make is a great way of making the game resonate with others.
I'd love to hear more about the research you've conducted. What did you find out about the recent housing crisis? How are people dealing with it in unique ways? How have the methods of survival evolved to combat this new growing problem? These are all questions that I find myself asking whenever I look at the growing rent costs. I'd be excited to hear your take on the situation, and what messages you want your players to leave with after they finish playing it.