Interventions for children and their families have traditionally stemmed from two interrelated frameworks: play-based child therapies, and family therapies (Gil, 2015). Integrated family play therapy frameworks aim to capitalize on the strengths of both approaches by combining meaningful engagement of children through play, and systems-level insights into patterns of family functioning and interaction (Gil, 2015). A virtually unexplored avenue for play-based therapeutic applications of role-play that may lend themselves to an integrated family play therapy framework are tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs); cooperative and narrative-based games wherein players adopt the role of fictional characters as they navigate a fantasy setting arbitrated by a game master. Case studies on the use of TRPGs with children and young adults have yielded initial evidence of their potential therapeutic utility (e.g., Blackmon, 1994; Enfield, 2007; Rosselet & Stauffer, 2013), however, research on their application is limited, particularly with families. The current study pilot tested an original TRPG module (“The Family Tabletop Adventure”) for use with families to establish the module’s potential therapeutic utility and identify targets for further refinement. A sample of three family groups (N = 11) were recruited to participate in six weekly online sessions (a 1-hour introductory session, four 1.5- to 2-hour game sessions, and a 1-hour exit interview). A variety of mixed-method measures were used to assess family functioning at baseline and post-game, including observational coding, self-report, and qualitative group interviews. Exploratory analyses of the findings indicated the module’s feasibility of implementation and ease of use, low iatrogenic risk, perceptions by families as fun and engaging, and potential utility across a range of family processes relevant to therapeutic contexts, including communication and problem solving, positive interactions and relationship building, and the generation of novel insights about family members. Family feedback was used to identify several targets for additional refinement of the game module to improve families’ comprehension and engagement with the game. The implications of these findings and their relevance to the use of TRPGs in family intervention contexts are discussed. / Graduate / 2023-08-26

In 2018, the Swedish Parliament decided to make the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child acivil law, which will be implemented in the year 2020. The consequences of the decision are notunproblematic. The public debate, as well as research, shows that parents have a problem seeing howtheir style of parenting could correlate with the Convention’s legal text. The parents expresshopelessness towards the notion of child upbringing.This thesis is an exploratory pilot study aiming to prepare and generate new knowledge for a projectcommissioned by Save the Children with the goal to develop a game to decrease the knowledge gapbetween parents and children regarding what the Convention means for their relationship. The thesisalso asks the question: how can a game, played by parents and children meant to teach them about softvalues in accordance with the Convention look like.Beyond traditional qualitative research methods, this thesis used Research through Design anddeveloped a presumptive prototype for the project in order to explore the research subject. Findingsshowed that the games narrative and the power to change the narrative through player choices play anessential part in the participant’s ability to immerse in the game, and that this interactive narrative isclosely connected with the ability to learn. The thesis also shows designer directions to consider whendeveloping a game meant to teach the players about soft values.

. a. by the plurality of "worlds" the players operate in, and pertinent plurality of roles adopted frame analysis (see Fine 2002), describes three of these "worlds of meaning": the frame of the "the frame of the storytellers". Ad playing games resemble "storytelling events" (Georges 1969), and how this fact differentiates this genre from "classical" games. This framework broadens the understating of players d with the storyteller's agenda and expectations linked to this role. This unique form gaming world in the primary framework of the "real"