Massachusetts Institute of Technology Game Lab

Insight: Exploring Hidden Roles in Collaborative Play

Co-located collaborative gaming environments often rely on traditional cooperative or competitive frameworks, yet the integration of hidden roles offers a significant opportunity to deepen player interaction and trust dynamics.

• The 'hidden benefactor' role offers a new design space for collaborative games by allowing players to secretly assist the group without the antagonistic intent of traditional traitor mechanics.
• Successful implementation of hidden roles requires balancing incentives, such as unique powers or protection from elimination, to motivate players to maintain their secrecy.
• Prototypes like 'Nab a Banana' demonstrate that aligning individual objectives with team success through voting blocks encourages players to actively investigate the identities of their peers.