Anti-Zombie Alliance

Educating first-aid techniques through a board-game.

What’s in the game?

It is vital to know how to provide basic immediate care to someone who is injured or ill. Even though you are not a professional first-aider, you could help to increase comfort of the patient and prevent the situation to worsen until medical services arrive.

I took a class first-aid training class when I was in high school. But I realized that I have forgotten most of the procedures by now.

How could we encourage people to retain and internalize knowledge of first-aid procedures?

Design Principles

• Fun to interact with
• Requires active participation
• Involve repetition of the first-aid techniques.

Prototyping

Initial idea — time-bidding for first-aid supplies

Each player have a limited period of time to save the patients on their hands. To win the game. They have to care for all the patients within the time.

To do so, the players have to compete with each other for the first-aid supply. The players bid the supply with their time, the highest bidder win the block.

Low fidelity prototype using scrap wood and paper

Testing Result

Playing the game with Jamie and Todd

After Jamie and Todd tested my game, I decided to get rid of the concept of time-bidding.

They said it is too complicated to keep track of the used time. Also, once the player got used to the time-bidding strategies, it became less interesting.

Iteration — strategic board game

Players have to cooperate to collect supply blocks and place them in the correct position to save the patients from zombies. While designing the game, I tried to create a more immersive experience with colourful visuals and engaging copy.

From Sketch to final board design

First-aid care guide for choking, bone fracture, heatstroke and stroke. Players would get more and more familiar with the combination of first-aid techniques as the game proceed.

Final testing

Playing the game with my classmates and friends

“I like the aesthetics of the game.”

“It is fun but the rules are confusing in the beginning.”

“It is too easy to find out the zombie spy.”

“It is new in the sense that it‘s’ collaborative game, most board games I know are more competitive.”

“The zombie part is exciting but the game itself is not as fun. It would be better if you play into that scenario more.”

“It would be fun to play with a bigger group.”

Final thoughts

It is definitely difficult to maintain a balance between being fun and educational. In this trial I have sacrificed some aspects of entertainment for the sake of teaching people about first-aid care.

Next time, I would like to make it as fun as possible and see would it actually benefit the learning aspect as well.

If you want to work together, mail me at yucarina@cca.edu. I’m happy to connect!