Information Architecture
Minority Brogrammer Simulator follows the genric characteristics of the open-world genre. Players can move freely in the environment and pick and choose when, where, and how they interact with objects and people in the world, although within the contraints of the game mechanics. Models for this idea varies, but we're thinking of creating a game that resembles the mechanics of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This game includes a highly interactive environment and an expansive world. Of course, our game would not necessarily be as large as Skyrim as we only wish to simulate the typical campus size of a typica tech company in Silicon Valley. We believe that a game this immersive would appeal to our audience and motivate them to play around with the environment.
The directions at the beginning of the game would be deceptively simple: You are a new minority software engineer in a top Silicon Valley tech company. You have three objectives: Complete as many tasks as you can within the work hours. Build and foster relationships with your colleagues. Become one with the culture.
Minority Brogrammer Simulator will not explictly make known discrimination, racism, sexism, or ableism. Following the Smooth Integrate philosophy, players encounter these problems randomly in key specific areas of the office--the cafeteria, the project meeting room, a superior's office. Any character in these spaces can concievably harbor the aforementioned biases. It's up to the player to figue out how they approach these problems with the strict mandate to join the culture and make friends, similar to The Sims.
Thus, there are several actions you can take to build relationships and keep those relationships healthy despite the discrimination. These options can include support staff that can help navigate their workplace environment. These support staff are responsibile for diversity/equity in human resources departments. These characters offer advice that players can then use to building and maintaining relationships with junior colleagues, fellow colleagues, and senior staff. If discrimination with colleagues does not alleviate, there's the option to file a discrimination law suit against the tech company or leave the company altogether (Thus, ending the game).
As players respond to microaggressions and discrimination, they can see what software engineers in these real world situations did and what the outcome was. These scenarios range from individual microaggressions to institutional policies that create microaggressions.
