Designing Social Behaviour through Play

This paper argues that play can be deliberately designed to motivate positive social behaviour, and it grounds that claim in the theories of Huizinga, Salen and Zimmerman, and Bartle. Its central concept is "transformative play," and it draws a distinction between open and closed play worlds, contending that open worlds which incorporate players' existing social relationships are better suited to producing social change. To test these ideas, the authors examine three student projects from Massey University, each targeting a different social problem: Flossin, a physical-digital bracelet-charm trading game designed to reduce exclusion among pre-adolescents; Beware! The Almich Virus, a squad-based game whose structure fostered belonging but whose competitive imbalances could encourage disruptive "killer" behaviour; and A Thousand Words, aimed at binge drinking among young women in New Zealand.

Of these, A Thousand Words was the most thoroughly playtested, and feedback indicated it prompted players to reflect on their drinking. Some players, particularly those seeking prizes without genuine engagement, required design interventions such as community-wide statistics to steer them toward constructive participation. The authors conclude that a play world's effectiveness depends on several interacting factors: whether it is open or closed, the social context of its players, and how well its design aligns with players' motivations as categorised by Bartle's player types.

The paper's final position is that social behaviour in games is shaped more by players' own social values and by player-motivated rewards, such as gifting charms or encouraging healthier habits, than by rigid rules. Social groupings form whether a play space is open or closed, so the authors argue that the open/closed distinction matters less than how players respect and reward one another. Supporting studies on preadolescent and university social dynamics are cited, though the authors present this conclusion as a theoretical position rather than a single quantified finding. The scope is small-scale and exploratory, centred on student prototypes in a New Zealand academic setting.