Smart Icebreaker: A Workflow for Serious Game That Promotes Intimacy among Group Members

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to design the workflow of a serious game that promotes intimacy among the members of a group from the moment of group formation. We plan to design our game based on an interdisciplinary approach that applies users' psychological, communicative and serious game design perspectives. Our research began by analyzing previously published serious games and sampling the factors that prevent or boost intimacy among group members through a pilot test that was conducted based on methods from psychology and communication studies. With the result, we were able to suggest a workflow for Smart Icebreaker, a serious game that alleviates awkwardness and promotes intimacy when people come together as a group for the first time.