2023 made with friends
The Slice of Era
Duration: 6 months
ROLE: lead VISUAL DESIGNER
This is a card game created for social interaction, psychological reflection, and creative play. The 54 cards carry keywords drawn from contemporary life—the rat race, identity anxiety, intimacy, the post-truth era, blockchain, and other tensions and obsessions of our time.
The core mechanic of the game is connection.
Players are invited to link seemingly unrelated words through storytelling, causal relationships, shared contexts, or imaginative leaps. There are no fixed answers—only the connections we choose to make.
Concept
More than a game, this card is a tool for communication and contemplation. It encourages people to speak, to listen, to think, and to imagine together.
It reminds us that no phenomenon, no individual, and no belief exists in isolation. Everything is entangled, and meaning is born in between.
Design
We organized the 54 keywords into four themes: Inner Feelings, Social Issues, Concrete Objects, and Creative Inspiration.
Each card presents a keyword alongside a short description and related terms on the front. The back features an AI-generated illustration based on the keyword, refined with manual adjustments to ensure a consistent visual style.
Key Word
Teal Organization
Related Word
Reshaping Organizations; The Art of Management
Description
A management model centered on self-management and shared decision-making. It emphasizes team collaboration, employee growth, and adaptability within flat organizational structures.
Example: WikiHow
Generated by AI
We considered using AI to create the card illustrations. This approach allowed us to produce content more efficiently. Since we aimed to evoke a general emotional response rather than achieve precise accuracy, AI output fit our needs perfectly.
Final Design
Game Mechanics
This card game works both as an icebreaker and a way to spark deeper discussions and creative exploration, with gameplay options tailored to different situations.
After trying out several approaches, we settled on 4 distinct game modes, each serving a unique purpose.
Testing
We conducted multiple tests across different locations and diverse groups, refining the content and design styles. We expect this card game to genuinely enhance social interactions and creativity.
Our content designers, Kate and Kaka, led the development of the keyword library, together with the team, we evaluated the connectivity and playfulness of the keywords from a user-centered perspective.
In the initial test, we used simple printouts to evaluate the content’s playability and stayed engaged for 3 hours without losing interest, giving me strong confidence in the game’s future. Although I had never met the other members in person, our discussions flowed naturally and quickly became engaging.
Later, the team tested the game across different cities to gather feedback and iterate on the design.
Launch
The Slice of Era Card Game was launched with over 300 sales in the first few months. We were honored to receive very positive feedback and see how this game brings people both fun and empowerment.
"Yesterday, I just played the card game with friends, and right now, we are truly embracing mountains, rivers, and the universe, just as described in the cards"
- Sichuan China
"The concept of 'connection' has inspired us to explore social issues with renewed insight and profound contemplation."
-Fuzhou China
"The little islands we live in online get shaken up when we talk in real life, bringing us back to everyday life."
"Just played a round with my parents and ended up in some deep talks. Really refreshing."
"Looking closely at everyday things, even small words can show amazing textures and feelings."
Take Away
The project brought together friends from different backgrounds—programmers, project managers, writers, designers—united by shared social and community interests. After six months of collaboration, the card game finally came to life.
Today, more than 300 people are playing the game—connecting, talking, and having fun with friends. Watching a small idea grow into a shared experience has been the most rewarding part of the journey