The Trustworthy Knowledge DLC: A Game-Design-Theory Expansion Pack for Public Services

This paper proposes "Collaborative Knowledge Play," a theoretical framework for designing public knowledge systems in which verifying, contesting, and co-creating information are experienced as intrinsically meaningful play, rather than through superficial gamification. Its central argument is that resilient public knowledge infrastructures, which face challenges from misinformation and the erosion of shared epistemic foundations, require a foundational reimagining grounded in core game design theory. The work is framed as a contribution to game studies, information science, and digital civic design, and it engages the DiGRA 2026 theme of "Intersectional Pleasures."

The framework synthesizes participatory design, motivational game mechanics, and information credibility models around three design dimensions: procedural rhetoric for verification, intersectional player positioning, and scalable social pleasure within a contributory commons. The methodology is interdisciplinary and proceeds in three phases: theoretical synthesis, critical speculative design of conceptual prototypes such as a participatory archival memory game and a rumor resilience MMO, and comparative case analysis of hybrid platforms like Foldit, WikiRace, and certain citizen science applications. The prototypes are presented as "theory-heavy objects" intended for stress-testing through expert workshops and focus groups rather than for development.

The anticipated outcomes are threefold: an original game design theory framework tailored to public knowledge and information integrity, a catalog of design patterns and pitfalls that balance engagement with epistemic rigor, and evaluative heuristics assessing the experiential quality of participation across different user identities. The paper emphasizes that design choices can either amplify or marginalize intersectional perspectives. It concludes that aligning the procedural, social, and narrative pleasures of games with civic and ethical goals offers a deliberate pathway toward healthier, more trustworthy information environments.