‘Secret of Libdó’, a virtual safe haven for sexual exploration and playful learning.
‘Secret of Libdó’ is a game concept I designed for a course called Applied Play during the 2nd semester of my MA in Design for Play, at Designskolen Kolding. It is meant for mobile devices such as tablets or smart phones, that have bluetoooth capabilities in order to connect to a physical device in real-time as you play the game.
So, WHY a game, for WHOM and HOW did I decided to do this proyect…this proyect is actually not just about a simple ‘fantasy game’, but rather about SEXUALITY and TEENAGERS. The idea came from the research done during the first stages of the course, during which I arranged a live workshop at DSKD’s Play Lab to get insight on personal experiences of people, on the topic of sex & education. Based on the insights from that workshop, I embarked on a journey to facilitate and improve an experience that for many still represents an unnecessarily harmful challenge, directed at different cultures and ages (mainly teenagers).
The physical devices (sex toys) used alongside with the game. They connect via Bluetooth to the device where the game has been installed, and produce haptic feedback (vibrations) during gameplay, with different intensities depending on the level and game mode. The shapes are based on characters from the game, to disguise the devices and avoid being identified as sex toys.
The world of Libdó.
/how the structure of the game and story works/
QUEST #1
"The Forbidden Forest".
The first dungeon is a ‘dungeon crawl-type’ of gameplay with low-level haptic feedback, and it’s about Discovery(self-exploration).
QUEST #2
“The Blind Dragon“
The second dungeon, also a ‘dungeon crawl-type’, with medium-level haptic feedback, and it’s about Empathy (guiding others).
QUEST #3
“The Chasm“
The third dungeon, is a ‘shooter-style’ gameplay with high-level haptic feedback, and it’s about Confidence (breaking through)…as you may see, it is a progressive story both conceptually and physically. After finishing the 3 quests on story-mode, a co-op online mode is unlocked, where you can replay the quests in real-time with other people, and have a ‘shared experience’.
