Non-profit organizations interested in making a game face a conundrum: they do not have game design expertise and hiring an experienced game designer or studio may not be cost effective. These established institutions may have concerns for hiring freelance or independent game designers who may not have a huge portfolio and yet there are indie game designers who would be happy to collaborate on a serious game. We will present 4 models by which organizations can team up with indie game designers on small or large scale game projects based on our own experience.

1. 10:45 am – 11:00 am
Win Win:
Models for Creating a
Social Impact Game on a Budget
Clay Ewing & Lien Tran
(University of Miami)

2. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
courtesy of Constance Steinkuehler, GLS 2013 Keynote
Photo credit: @mitSTEPlab
Game Industry Ecosystem

3. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Clay Ewing
@claytical
claytical.com
Lien Tran
@LienT
lienbtran.com

4. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Models for Indie Collaboration
Simply for the love completely indie no budget
As part of an academic class
student assignment
or official class
potential budget
Small grant
funded by institution or
foundation
modest budget
Game Contractor / Consultant
partnering with humanitarian
organization
variable budget based on game
designer’s experience and project scope

5. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Complete Indie

6. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Ad Patrol
http://claytical.com/ad-patrol

7. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Ad Patrol
http://claytical.com/ad-patrol

8. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Complete Indie
• Complete control over what
was made
• Never a priority, slow to
complete
• No institutional support to
help get the word out
• Without “catching fire” it
pushes a person like me to
move on to the next project
PROS CONS

9. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Complete Indie
• Tap into your personal/professional networks
• Limit the team (can include game designer, programmer,
artist, subject matter expert)
TIPS

10. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Part of a Class
Hustlin Health Care
hustlinhealthcare.com
Gaming the
(Immigration) System
lienbtran.com/games/
gaming-the-system/

11. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Part of a Class
Humans vs. Mosquitoes
humansvsmosquitoes.com
Magnitude
lienbtran.com/games/magnitude/

12. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Humans vs. Mosquitoes

13. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Humans vs. Mosquitoes

14. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Humans vs. Mosquitoes

15. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Part of a Class
• Inexpensive
• Potential for a wide variety of
skill sets
• Built-in potential for
institutional support
• Unpredictable outcomes
• Ownership issues
• Confined by academic
schedule
PROS CONS

16. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Part of a Class
• Workshop early with subject matter expert and students
• Organizations should set realistic expectations for student
work - think of it as an experiment
• Look to partner with design and communication programs
• Take advantage of built in access to playtesters
TIPS

17. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Small Grant
Vanity - Funded by University of Ottawa
lienbtran.com/games/vanity

18. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Small Grant

19. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Small Grant
• Built-in network of advocates
• Stepping stone towards
bigger opportunities
• Lack of resources for
assessment
• Rarely enough money for a
digital game *
PROS CONS

20. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Small Grant
• Keep the team lean
• Ensure that the grant timeframe is feasible
• Subject matter experts should be very conscious of scope
creep
• Make sure you have a contract and stick to it
TIPS

21. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Cops & Rubbers
lienbtran.com/games/
cops-and-rubbers
Uwezeshaji Kaya Kuhimili
lienbtran.com/games/
gaming-the-system/
Independent Contractor

22. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Open Society Foundations

23. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
World Bank
with the Tanzania Social Action Fund

24. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Independent Contractor
• Organizations can push more
resources at the project to get
it to where they want it to be
• Easy to get into “design by
committee” conundrum
PROS CONS

25. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Independent Contractor
• Define roles early on
• Contracts are extremely important for transparency and
expectations
TIPS

26. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Digital vs. Non-Digital
DIGITAL
Cost per person
Size of audience
NON-DIGITAL
Cost per person
Size of audience

27. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
General Tips
• Look for game collaborators in design and communications schools/
programs and at game meetups
• local game groups, Global Game Jam, Indiecade, G4C, GLS,
etc. // possibly game listservs
• Provide a summary brief (concrete concepts, key goals and messages,
priorities); Don’t bombard your designer with too much information!
• If you can’t meet regularly, schedule early a face-to-face weekend for
briefing and rapid prototyping
• Avoid scope creep
• Publish your print-on-demand tabletop games at thegamecrafter.com*

28. Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive
Clay Ewing
@claytical
claytical.com
Lien Tran
@LienT
lienbtran.com
Questions?