A Game by Designers for Designers
Pixelated Lies is a two-player card game designed for designers and everyone else who interacts on the internet. The goal is to educate people about the unethical practices used to manipulate user behaviour, also known as deceptive or dark patterns. Inspired by Cards Against Humanity, players match deceptive pattern cards to scenario cards featuring parodies of real-world business tactics.
As we spend more of our lives online, every one should know how to spot and avoid these digital traps. As designers, we have an even greater responsibility to keep these deceptive tactics out of our work. By using absurd and humorous situations and illustrations, Pixelated Lies gamifies deceptive patterns into format that is engaging, fun, and educational.
The Wiki of Deceptive Patterns
The core resource that helped our team design an informative card game on deceptive patterns was Harry Brignull's, Deceptive Patterns, which provided the core insights we needed to map out our project.
Educator slide deck by Harry Brignull about Deceptive Patterns.
Deceptive Pattern Cards
Since our core game mechanic revolved around sparking conversation and debate, we focused on 5 common and distinct deceptive patterns to not overly complicate the gameplay experience. We chose to highlight misdirection, social proof, scarcity, sneaking, and urgency.
Scenario Card Lineup
The rest of the deck consists of 20 scenario cards that fall under the deceptive pattern categories. These scenario cards feature parodies and playful twists on real-world situations to call out deceptive behaviours. Each card includes custom illustrations that match the bizarre, whimsical tone of the scenarios.
Product Page Prototype
We also created a website prototype for the product that provides further information, a gameplay video, and our guiding philosophies behind the design of the product. Additionally, the site features tips on how to spot deceptive patterns and outlines best practices for ethical design practices.
