Developing Ideation Cards for Mixed Reality Game Design

The document presents the Mixed Reality Game Cards, an ideation deck of 93 cards (51 Opportunity, 18 Question, and 24 Challenge cards) designed to help designers of mixed reality games generate and refine ideas collaboratively. Its central proposition is that separating cards into functional types for idea creation, reflection, and risk-checking distinguishes the deck from established tools such as PLEX, VNA, the IDEO Method Cards, and the Deck of Lenses, most of which rely on a single card type. The deck was developed iteratively across six studies, with recommended sessions of three to four designers and flexible card interpretation.

Participant feedback across early iterations was broadly favorable, with questionnaire means ranging from about 3.6 to 4.33 on a five-point scale. Early criticism focused on heavy text and weak graphics, which later iterations addressed. A notable finding was that participants tended to select "fitting" cards during idea generation, which diluted bold concepts, while Question Cards helped groups narrow focus. Participants were divided on the value of Theme Cards, though most supported some form of topic prompt.

The later studies clarified the roles of each card type: Opportunity Cards trigger inspiration, while Question and Challenge Cards ground and refine ideas. Dixit cards outperformed VNA cards as Theme Cards for sparking creativity. Participants preferred a limited-choice card selection variant for its ease and sense of agency, whereas a random-draw variant was more demanding but could produce more original ideas, leading the authors to recommend the easier method for novices. The authors conclude that the card system, paired with a Six Hats-style moderator and careful timing, supports both generation and development, with lessons plausibly transferable to other game genres.