Conceal, don't feel : Representing emotional suppression through deep game design

Abstract: This paper follows the process of the authors using deep game design as means of expression by making a game that models the authors experience of anger suppression. It will be based on theories of psychology to define what suppressed emotions are. It also includes other game design theories that are different from Deep Games discovered in the books Art of Game Design and Game Design Workshop. The ideas of preproduction are looked at briefly.  Subsequently, the game is tested iteratively through qualitative interviews with the purpose of studying how the players identify the metaphors in the game. The development process is documented through three iterations, where each iteration is broken down into the technical aspect, the metaphors, the results of the playtests, the findings, and then a short discussion. The authors find four aspects on how to apply deep game design, and three different understandings of their metaphors by the players.