Paintchain Prototype Reflections

Results from User Testing

General Reflections

• Minimize jargon as much as possible
• Onboarding probably requires a little bit of hand holding
• Make sure to break up hand holding text onboarding with interactive sections
• Mining section of game currently feels more like linear instructional slides you click through than a game interface you interact with
• Screens that you click through on rails really only give limited sense of actual feel of gameplay
• Gameplay in many way all about repeated interaction — multiple outcomes and repeating that interaction again and again
• It is important for the player to be able to vary interaction to see how the change in their input changes the output
• After giving explicit instruction allow people to try (i.e. this is the canvas -> try it out; this is the record of the blockchain -> interact with it)
• The split of “front end” activity (drawing) and “back end” activity (mining) is very confusing to people
• People don’t understand how the two relate and are unsure who is doing what

New Ideas

• Not sure if the drawing activity as an incentive to play is fun enough
• Perhaps the player is not invested enough in doodling to keep them coming back or care if their doodles don’t get approved in the next block
• Explore alternative interactions to be recorded that may be more compelling for players, more at stake for people than doodling
• Initial thoughts for alternative interactions: messaging, writing story, building structure, building puzzle, contributing to a wiki
• Right now the experience attempts to contain a lot of the mechanics of blockchain in one experience
• May be more effective and clear to break it up in chunks
• One section on transactions, one section on overall mining, one section on hashing, one section on blockchain structure, one section on how miners compete to verify block, etc.
• One user recommended looking at the way language learning software breaks up the experience of learning a new language (Duolingo) — so you are not bombarded with too much unfamiliar info too soon
• Analogy learning language, get used to terms/vocabulary before diving deeper into grammar

New Hypothesis

Learning through a game occurs if players can repeat an interaction varying input and seeing clearly how that affects output. If I can allow for this interaction in my blockchain game prototype there will be enhanced clarity and learning for players.

Research Phase 2 Plan

Before anything want to do more direct research of educational games in general. This is a area of research I think I missed before creating this prototype.

Current Prototype

1. Cut down on text in onboarding
2. Build in a few more illustrative interactive sections (e.g. editing previous blocks and how breaks link between blocks)
3. Test with more people who are unfamiliar with blockchain technology to get points that are still confusing and other general thoughts (focus in on paint interaction, is it compelling?)
4. Test with blockchain developer, get input from someone extremely knowledgeable about the technology and also expert check that I am accurate in the technical details

Pivot

• Consider 3–5 most promising alternative interactions and get players opinions on these possible alternatives to painting
• Think up and flesh out alternative more competitive mechanics

Alternative Competitive Mechanics

• Game where trying to “hack” the network
• Trying to slip by other verifiers
• Have a sense of how blockchain works
• But point not to advertise for the technology and show how perfect of system it is
• But to show mechanics
• You’re a human player within those mechanics and you are trying to outwit/trick other human players within the same system
• This also may help by providing conflict and purpose for players two teams miners who are trying to catch errors and “hackers” trying to slip errors by the miners

Getting a prototype that is not just a click through, “on rails” taste of what the interaction would be like but allows for actual, continued play is critical. I need to have this in my prototype by the end of the semester.

Open Questions

• Is there an inherent trade off being being educational and being game like?
• Will I have to decide between a more linear, segmented duolingo like experience vs. more cyclical game mechanics?
• Can I presume my user type is someone already interested in learning about blockchain or is it necessary to also build into the game the why you should care?