This game concept design was created by Oliver Bendorf, ginger coons, Julienne Corboz, Anna Foka, and Roopika Risam at HumLab, Umeå, Sweden. Our task was to design a game concept for 8-10 year olds.

1. A Digital Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Game
Oliver Bendorf, ginger coons, Julienne
Corboz, Anna Foka, Roopika Risam

2. Story
There’s a problem at Dragon High:
Ulysses the Unicorn has transferred to Dragon
High. Being a unicorn with a broken
horn, Ulysses is having a hard time fitting in.
In this game, children will experience a day at
Dragon High, occupying multiple roles as
bully, bullied, and bystander.

3. Playable Characters
Ulysses the Unicorn: New to Dragon High, Ulysses is a
target for bullies.

4. Playable Characters
Deborah the Dragon: Student body president and a
noted bully, Deborah does not like anyone who is
different.

5. Playable Characters
Gary the Griffin: The other non-dragon at Dragon
High, Gary is content to remain a bystander, even when
Ulysses is bullied.

6. Goal
Playing the game as either Ulysses the bullied
unicorn, Deborah the dragon bully, or Gary the
bystanding griffin, players must make it through
a day at Dragon High without getting
suspended.
Suspensions result from: getting locked in a
locker and missing class, being a bully, or
letting bullying happen.
Players will develop empathy, decision-
making, social justice, and socialization skills.

7. Game Format
Dragon High is a digital Choose-Your-Own-
Adventure style game. The digital medium
allows students to assume the identity of the
bully, bullied, or bystander and to navigate the
halls of Dragon High, one perspective at a time.
A later version could provide an online multi-
player experience.

8. Game Play
Point A: The school day starts
Point B: The bell rings and everyone goes
home
Players navigate 10 different levels based on
scenarios that could happen during a typical
school day, such as: stolen lunch
money, getting ready for PE class, gossip
behind people’s backs, insults and
namecalling, and cheating.

9. Game Play
Each level takes place during one class period of
the day. A story or context is presented to the
player via animation. The player is then given a set
of options to choose how to respond to the
scenario. Each choice leads to a consequence, as
well as a new choice. The level ends with detention
or moving on to the next class. In the course of
successfully making it through a day at Dragon
High, a character will have experienced a new
perspective on bullying and learned to make
positive choices.