Gen-Ex : the spoken & the unspoken

Abstract

As English and Mandarin languages dominate our educational and economic landscape, the younger generation has found no purpose in picking up dialects. Through research, it was realised that the cause of this effect was largely due to several educational policies implemented by the Singapore government. On the other hand, there were a lack of advantageous platforms that further resulted in the slow death of the usage of Chinese dialect, disconnecting culture and social identity of young Chinese Singaporeans. Gen-Ex: the spoken & the unspoken is an educational tabletop game designed to re-invigorate the usage of Chinese dialects among the millennial generation. The game is set in nineteenth-Century Singapore where hardship of Chinese forebears is featured as the narrative vehicle. Several Chinese core values such as respect, collectivism and loyalty are present in the game as the game mechanics. Finally, players are directed via game design strategies to use various Chinese dialects as the oral language to complete the game.