I left the laptop open for a brief moment. When I returned, my daughter, niece, and nephews were playing my under-development game together. Although this laptop is off-limits for them, it was a wholesome moment when I saw it. While I've witnessed others 'enjoy my game' in the past, observing my 4-year-old daughter play was entirely something else. First of all, she was proud of my work, demonstrating (wrongly and proudly) some game features. Secondly, it was a genuine bonding moment between her and my nieces. The loud laughs and the playful banter were an ultra-cute version of when adults played the game. It was a joy to see them interact with something I had created, and it reminded me of the power of games to bring people together.
I recall the developer of Hidden In Plain Sight once sharing a fan email about someone who used his game to bond with their sister, with who they had frequent fights. This story resonated with me and inspired me to think about how my games could foster such positive interactions. The odd thing is that my game, 'Shop Town Dooter,' is a top-down shooter played with dual-stick aiming (which is hard even for some adults). So, the entire play session was hilarious to watch. They were negotiating 'let me kill you' and celebrating the win anyway, a 'piece treaty' where they agreed to destroy the entire map before they started fighting, and the best (or the worst) is when my daughter stopped the play to explain a feature and killed all the players while explaining. It made me think: Could I make a mode for kids in the game? Or even better, could I make a mod where adults play with their kids? I should probably take that concept to a different game, but it's definitely worth exploring. I was reminded of why I am making a party game in the first place. They hold a special place in my heart because they allow me to play with people who may not consider themselves gamers. (I have 35 local MP games in my Steam account.) After two years of grinding my heart and soul into developing my game, the pressure to finish it and the stress of monitoring playtest sessions like a mad scientist had drained me of any sense of fulfillment. However, it was my daughter, without her even knowing, restored that lost sense of purpose to me. (I want her to get older to share this story with her; she doesn't understand now) It is heartwarming to think about how, one day, hopefully not so far away, my game will create so many of these moments around the world.