Objective
For this prototype, I wanted to experiment with a game mechanic that felt visually surprising and symbolically meaningful at the same time. I was drawn to the effect of anaglyph images, where different colours reveal different layers depending on the lens used, because it immediately suggested a form of partial understanding. That felt very fitting for a project about family communication. So I developed a two-player puzzle where each player can only see one part of the word search and one side of the encrypted story. The idea is that neither player can solve the puzzle alone, and the final text only becomes legible through cooperation, mirroring how parent and child perspectives often only make sense when placed together.
Process Breakdown
Developing the Core Idea
The starting point for this prototype was really the anaglyph effect itself. I thought it sounded super unique as a game mechanic, not just as a visual trick, but as a way of distributing information between players. I wanted each player to hold a different “looking glass” and be responsible for unlocking only one part of the puzzle, so that the structure of the game itself already encourages cooperation. This was very different from my other prototypes, which were more directly conversational, but I thought this one had strong metaphorical potential.Applying the Effect to a Puzzle Format
Once I had the mechanic, I needed a game format that could make use of it. I decided on a combined word search and story puzzle. Each player is given either a red or blue viewing lens that reveals only one set of keywords and one half of the hidden story. The keywords from one player’s word search are needed to fill in the missing parts of the other player’s text, so players have to align the lenses, search for the words, and communicate what they can see. The stories themselves are written from the parent and child perspectives, each expressing what they wish the other would understand, so even the narrative structure reinforces the cooperative mechanic.Printing and Colour Considerations
A large part of the early design process was not only about the puzzle itself, but about how to physically produce the anaglyph effect. I had to think carefully about printing colours, contrast and how the layered text and word search would behave once viewed through the different filters. Because the whole mechanic depends on selective visibility, small changes in colour and opacity had a huge effect on whether the puzzle could be read at all. This made the prototype much more material-dependent than a regular printed game.First User Test
I then conducted the first user test with the prototype. Initially, players were excited by the concept and found the visual setup intriguing. However, the experience quickly broke down in practice. The two pieces did not sit flat together properly, so using the lenses became awkward almost immediately. Players also found the colour layers hard to look through for an extended period, and the whole process caused visual fatigue much faster than I expected. Although the concept was interesting, the actual play experience was frustrating and uncomfortable.Key Takeaways
- The first iteration proved that the idea was conceptually strong and visually intriguing, but the material execution made the puzzle difficult and tiring to play.