Board Games as a Research Method: A Case Study on Research Game Design and Use in Studying Algorithmic Mediation

Investigation of board games as a research phenomenon has a long tradition in the academic community. However, using them as a research method has not been explored as much. This case study presents the steps towards the development of a serious board game aimed at collecting data on how participants understand algorithmic mediation in academic social media platforms. We followed the Serious Game Design Assessment (SGDA) framework to build a game through several playtests. Challenges in this process are presented in terms of the research game's Content, Mechanics, Fiction, and Aesthetics. We discuss how we addressed these challenges and elaborate on the different types of data that we collected by means of our research game. Finally, we present the lessons learned, highlighting the ideal target group for playtesting, the need of simplicity, the importance of storytelling, and how to counter the risk of participants' strategies to "game" the game.