After yesterday’s debate, this will be my last Flog for DIG 401. I didn’t mention Hack #5 before, so I’ll cover it now and include it in my final portfolio. For Hack #5, I created a beta version of Hack #2, the game I originally built to critique the U.S. healthcare system. I chose to revisit this hack because trying something entirely new felt overwhelming. Sticking with familiar tools allowed me to focus on refining the concept rather than wrestling with new software or program on my computer. At first, I thought my original design was flawless, but Dr. Sample’s feedback on Moodle convinced me there was room to improve. One challenge was time. During my class presentation, I ran out of time before I could show the updated treatment and illness cards or demonstrate a quick round of play with a classmate. I knew the mechanics worked, but without a live demo, the game’s emotional impact didn’t come through as strongly as I’d hoped. Another challenge was balancing complexity with clarity: adding new game elements risked confusing players, so I had to simplify rules without diluting the critical message, and I think I was able to embody that by adding more realistic examples!
Author: Mariana
Flog 14
Firstly, I am submitting this Flog late, it’s now Monday morning, because I completely forgot to turn it in on Friday, and unfortunately, it slipped my mind over the weekend as well. This oversight is entirely on me, and I recognize that I need to be more mindful about keeping up with deadlines, especially as the semester comes to a close. Additionally, I missed class on Tuesday because I was feeling very unwell. I ate something that didn’t sit right with me, which triggered a flare-up of my ongoing stomach issues. This discomfort eventually developed into a migraine, which made it difficult to function for the rest of the day. That said, reflecting on the past week, and really the semester as a whole, I’d say the experience has been a bit bittersweet. I’ve learned a lot and grown through the challenges, but I also feel mentally and emotionally ready for the break. I’m really looking forward to the summer, both to relax and to spend time with my family, whom I miss so much. Being far from home, especially my loved ones in Bolivia, has been tough at times, but it’s also helped me appreciate them even more.
Artist Statement #5
Mary Flanagan defines critical play as “stepping in” to a familiar game’s rules so that it forces us to question real‑world issues (Flanagan, 11). In Hack #5, I believe my game Go Fix embodies that intervention perfectly. I borrowed the innocent mechanics of Go Fish and tweaked one crucial rule—pairings, in this case treatment costs—so that the richest players pay less and the poorest pay more. That tiny change shatters the usual fair‑play dynamic and makes every participant feel how easily a system can be built to advantage some and disadvantage others. In other words, Go Fix isn’t just a game I designed; it’s a critical play intervention that makes healthcare inequality impossible to ignore.
For my final Hack, I decided to release a Beta version of Hack #2, the original critical adaptation of Go Fish. In reimagining this childhood game, I wanted to expose the harsh realities of the U.S. healthcare system through a format that feels familiar yet unsettling. The core mechanic remains simple: we each take turns asking for cards to match illnesses with their corresponding treatments. But in Go Fix, that simplicity masks systemic injustice—depending on the role you choose (insured or uninsured), treatment costs vary dramatically. Insured players pay just one token per match, while uninsured players pay three tokens, mirroring the financial barriers many of us face when seeking basic medical care.
When I began developing the Beta version, I didn’t want to just add more content. I wanted to deepen the emotional impact and realism of the experience, taking Dr. Sample’s feedback on Moodle to heart. The original binary of insured versus uninsured felt too simplistic, so I introduced character roles that reflect real‑world situations. Each character now starts with a different amount of money and pays a different treatment cost based on the quality of their insurance. For example, a CEO pays one token, while a homeless person pays four tokens. By playing these roles, I hope participants truly feel the uneven starting lines that exist in real life.
I also created Good Luck and Bad Luck cards drawn from true healthcare experiences, rather than vague bonuses or penalties. Now when you draw from the event deck, you might face challenges like:
- Losing your job
- Medication not being ready
- Insurance refusing coverage
- Insurance representatives who never answer the phone
Good Luck cards might grant you:
- A timely medication refill
- Access to a cheaper generic version
- Free vaccines, mental health counseling, or dental appointments provided by your employer
These narrative moments add emotional depth and invite players to reflect on how external factors, beyond anyone’s individual control, shape our access to care. As Miguel Sicart reminds us, “wicked problems have unclear boundaries and no clear solutions; they require the designer to work with the uncertainty that there is no optimal solution, just good enough solutions” (Sicart, 100). That’s exactly why I didn’t aim for “balanced” or “fair” gameplay; instead, I wanted to immerse us in the same ambiguity and compromise built into the U.S. healthcare system.
In this Beta version of Go Fix!, the game ends as soon as someone matches three illness‑treatment pairs—but that doesn’t automatically make them the winner. Once the first player hits three matches, everyone else gets one final turn to improve their standing. To win, you must have at least three matches and the most tokens remaining. This rule evolved from a dilemma Brett and I faced during Hack #2: should the winner be the person who cures the most illnesses or the one who retains the most resources? We realized then, and I hope players realize now, that navigating healthcare isn’t only about receiving treatment; it’s about whether you can afford to keep going afterward.
Flog #13
This week wasn’t too hectic, which is why I feel a little silly for turning in this Flog late. I usually get them done on Fridays without a problem, but I have to admit that the Frolics vibes fully took over, and I lost track of time. I’m still figuring out exactly what I want to do for the Hack, and that uncertainty has been lingering. That said, it’s my only assignment for tomorrow, so it has my full attention moving forward. I’ve also noticed my stress levels creeping up a bit as we approach the end of the year. It’s that weird mix of being overwhelmed and excited at the same time. Still, I’m really glad we’re closing things out in a fun way by showing Hack #5 in class as it helps keep the motivation going.
Flog #12
This week wasn’t particularly eventful, so I don’t have many major failures to report. However, if I had to pinpoint one, it would be missing class on Thursday. My family flew in from Bolivia, and since some of my other classes were canceled, I decided not to attend ours. In hindsight, this was an irresponsible decision. While I was excited to see my family, their visit shouldn’t have been an excuse to skip class, especially since we’re getting closer to the end of the semester. Looking ahead, my biggest challenge over the weekend and the upcoming break will be brainstorming for Hack #5. It needs to be a significantly improved version of something we’ve already worked on, which adds pressure. I’ve already found brainstorming for the earlier hacks to be pretty difficult, so this one feels even more daunting. That said, I’m determined to make it work. Right now, I’m leaning toward reinventing something from Hack #3, mainly because I’m more comfortable navigating Notion than the other platforms we’ve used.
Flog #11
To me, this was the most challenging Hack. I think I got too intimidated and caught up in my head, believing that it needed to be perfect—even though I wasn’t very familiar with video editing platforms. Part of the struggle came from not thinking creatively; I became fixated on one single idea and couldn’t move past it. As I mentioned in my Artist Statement, I was initially working on a TikTok about how happiness has been visually demonstrated throughout the decades, starting with the 1950s. I was almost done with it and had spent the entire afternoon on Tuesday “perfecting” the video, but in the end, I didn’t like how it turned out. I decided to delete the whole thing and start over from scratch.
That was the moment I realized I needed to do something I actually cared about—something that wouldn’t feel like just another assignment. Since we’re in the middle of another testing period, I wanted this to feel fun and meaningful, not stressful. I’m really passionate about my country, so I decided to focus on one of Bolivia’s most pressing issues right now. This also allowed me to meet the “recovery of ‘undiscovered public knowledge’” criteria listed in the rubric.
After presenting yesterday, I noticed a flaw in my project. I realized that the first part of the video—the section with all the beautiful landscapes of Bolivia—was too long. Or maybe the second part, which focused on current events, was too short. I think I could have included at least two or three more clips to better balance the two halves and create a more powerful contrast. Still, I’m proud that I was able to pivot toward something meaningful and personal, which made the process much more enjoyable and authentic.
Artist Statement #4
After reading the assignment description about eight times, I was still confused. But on the ninth read, something finally clicked, and when it did, I knew I wanted to tell a story that felt more personal and urgent. Before that, I had been working on a video about how happiness is portrayed in commercials across time, from the 1950s to the present. But something about it felt off. I wasn’t connecting with it, and I realized I wasn’t putting much love into the process. It felt like I was just assembling clips into a timeline, rather than creating something meaningful and something that could make an impact, despite it being 3 – 5 minutes long.
Not many people know this, but I come from one of the most underrepresented countries in South America — and some might even say, in the world. I’m from Bolivia. It’s a place full of breathtaking landscapes, deep cultural roots, and resilient and joyful people, yet it’s often overlooked on the global stage. Being an international student in the United States often feels like being invisible. It’s not necessarily anyone’s fault; it’s natural for a country to prioritize its own interests and narratives. But it’s difficult when the media rarely acknowledges where you come from, unless it’s to cover something controversial, chaotic, or tied to a crisis. In most global conversations, Bolivia simply doesn’t appear. Decades ago, Bolivia maintained stronger diplomatic and economic ties with the United States. But in recent years, those connections have weakened. Now, our international relationships are more closely associated with governments like China and Venezuela — alliances that, to many in the West, carry connotations of corruption, authoritarianism, and instability. Because of that, Bolivia is often dismissed or ignored, viewed as lacking strategic value or global importance. This silence, this absence, is part of what inspired me to create the remix I did. For this assignment, I chose to raise my voice and bring attention to what’s happening in my country. I knew I had the opportunity, however small, to make Bolivia visible in a space where it usually isn’t. Even if only twelve people in a classroom watch my video, it matters. It’s my way of adding a small grain of sand — of contributing something honest and meaningful for Bolivia, of making sure my country is not forgotten, at least not in this difficult moment for everyone living there. I strongly believe that using this topic for my remix perfectly encapsulates the “undiscovered public knowledge” criteria for the Hack.
My project is titled “Beautiful Bolivia, Broken Reality.” This remix weaves together a series of video clips that highlight the natural wonders and beauty that Bolivia has to offer. From the world’s largest salt flat in Uyuni to the tall, green palm trees of Santa Cruz, my hometown, these images from the heart of the first part of the remix. I found the HD footage in a YouTube video titled “Bolivia’s Diverse Landscapes: From the Andes to the Amazon,” and I carefully selected and cropped the clips that I felt best represented the Bolivia I know and love. To give the remix a modern and relatable twist, I added the song Sail by AWOLNATION. This song is widely used on TikTok today to accompany aesthetic and dramatic landscape edits, which made it a fitting choice to draw the viewer in and give the project a visually engaging, contemporary feel. The combination of stunning visuals and a familiar soundtrack helps create a strong emotional connection before the tone of the remix shifts to something much more serious.
After showing Bolivia’s most beautiful landscapes, the remix suddenly shifts. The loud emergency TV beep, probably one of the most annoying sounds on the internet, breaks the calm. This sound signals that something is wrong. In this case, I’m using it to interrupt the beauty with reality. Immediately after, I included a video clip of a news reporter from the 1980s stating that “not even the United States can save Bolivia.” This moment is significant because, during the 1980s, Bolivia experienced one of the worst economic crises in its history. Inflation was so extreme that prices could double in a single day, and many people lost their life savings overnight. At the same time, the country went through a military coup, one of several in Bolivia’s history, where the government was taken over by force. This was a time filled with fear, chaos, and deep instability. People no longer trusted the government, and there was a widespread sense of uncertainty about the future. I chose to include this historical reference to show that Bolivia’s current crisis is not new. The patterns of economic collapse and political turmoil have happened before, and sadly, they are happening again, which is portrayed later on in the remix. To add to this context, I also included a clip featuring two former presidents, Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga and Gonzalo “Goni” Sánchez de Lozada, speaking about the effects of hyperinflation. Their facial expressions and tone reflect sadness and regret, a recognition of how deeply these crises have affected the country and its people.
Lastly, I decided to incorporate current footage of protests, open fire, and the recent failed attempt at a military coup — scenes that are genuinely frightening, especially when you’ve experienced them up close. I don’t think someone can truly understand what it feels like until they’ve lived through it firsthand. I’ve heard gunshots and explosions from just a few blocks away from my house. It’s a feeling of helplessness that stays with you. To show another side of the political reality, I included a video of what we call a cabildo — a large public gathering where people come together to express political demands and defend democracy. This particular cabildo took place at one of the most iconic landmarks in my city, and I chose to include it because I was actually there in 2019. You can see the Bolivian flag waving over a massive crowd. That moment felt powerful, and adding it to the remix gave the project a personal layer — it wasn’t just something I watched on the news, it was something I lived.
The screenshots you see near the end of the remix are the most recent pieces of media included in the project. These are real headlines and news images from the past three months. During this time, Bolivia has been facing extreme shortages of fuel, limited access to basic food items, and increasing isolation as several of our neighboring countries have begun to cut ties with us. These are not distant issues or theoretical problems; they are real, urgent, and affecting people every day. By ending the remix with this current footage, I hope to leave the viewer with a deeper understanding of what Bolivia is facing right now.
The rule I decided to break for this Hack was the requirement to include three distinct time periods. Instead, I focused on only two: the present day and the 1980s. These two eras are central to my remix: I use them to contrast Bolivia’s current struggles and beauty with one of the most historically significant periods in our country’s political history. The remix incorporates modern-day footage of Bolivia, showing both its breathtaking landscapes and the harsh realities of its ongoing crisis. Alongside that, I included a clip from the 1980s during one of the country’s many coups, a time when Bolivia was also facing extreme political and economic instability. I made this choice intentionally. I searched for archival footage from earlier time periods — such as the 1950s or 60s — but I struggled to find clips that could deliver the emotional weight or historical relevance that I was looking for. Most of what I found either lacked context or didn’t capture the feeling I wanted to evoke. In contrast, the 1980s footage I used felt striking and directly connected to the themes in my remix; it echoed the crisis Bolivia is facing today in a powerful and immediate way. Rather than forcing a third time period just to meet the rule, I chose to focus on making the two I did include as meaningful and impactful as possible.
Flog #10
This week has been a bit tough for me overall. I had to miss class on Tuesday because I had a therapy session with my therapist from Bolivia. Scheduling time with her is always a bit tricky, and unfortunately, the only time she had available was during class on Tuesday. I really needed to talk to her, though, especially since I want to finish out the semester strong. So, I had to prioritize that session, even though I knew it meant missing class. When I got to class on Thursday, I felt a little lost about what we were supposed to do, particularly with Hack #4. Luckily, Dr. Sample was able to clarify what the assignment was about, which helped me understand the main tasks. Even so, I’m still feeling somewhat overwhelmed and nervous about it. I’m not very tech-savvy, and honestly, I barely know how to use iMovie, which is making me doubt my ability to complete the Hack successfully. The whole idea of working with video editing feels intimidating to me, especially since I’ve never really worked on something like this before. But, despite my worries, I’m determined to take it on. I know it’s going to push me out of my comfort zone, but I’m willing to try my best and face the challenge head-on. I’m hoping that as I dive in, I’ll get more comfortable with the tools and be able to pull it off.
Flog #9
This week wasn’t particularly eventful, as we mainly had readings to complete. Overall, I’ve been feeling very tired and haven’t been sleeping well, which has definitely affected my energy levels. That said, I do feel like I’m improving when it comes to the readings — I’m understanding the material better, and I think that’s starting to show in my class participation. I’ve been more engaged in small group discussions and feel more confident contributing to conversations overall, which is a small win I’m proud of.
One thing that’s been on my mind is that I still don’t have a clear idea for Hack #4. To be honest, I haven’t taken the time to sit down and really think it through yet. My goal is to come up with something solid before the weekend ends, especially since this upcoming week is packed with tests. I’m definitely not looking forward to it — it’s going to be a tough one!
Flog #8
- I definitely think I have a problem with turning in the Flogs on Fridays. I’m now setting up my agenda to submit them on Thursdays instead, because I’m frustrated that this is my second or third time missing a Flog post. I’m especially frustrated because, up until my junior year of college, I had never missed an assignment. I’m taking this as a sign to adjust my routine and be more proactive moving forward.
- Other than that, I feel like last week was pretty light in terms of classes, since we had no major assignments to turn in. I would say I had a bit of a hard time reading the comic—I might be biased, as I tend to avoid comics for no particular reason. I think it just took more time than I expected, since there was so much interesting information to take in. That said, I appreciated how the comic presented complex ideas in a more visual and engaging way. It challenged me to step out of my usual reading habits, which I think is ultimately a good thing.
Flog #7
- One of my biggest “failures” this week was missing class on Thursday. I had booked my Spring Break tickets for 3/6 because they were cheaper, but I didn’t take my class schedule into account. In hindsight, that was a major oversight and a bit of irresponsibility on my part. However, the silver lining is that I was able to present Hack #3 on Tuesday, which brought me some relief.
- While working on Hack #3, I hit a lot of roadblocks. As I mentioned in my artist statement, I tend to work well under pressure, but this time I may have pushed myself too far. I left the project until the last minute, and although I had planned to use Notion, I didn’t expect to get stuck and not know how to move forward—especially when it was already 11 PM. Despite the stress, I knew I had good ideas, just not enough time to make them work perfectly. I overestimated my ability to manage it all within the timeframe. Still, I’m hopeful that I can improve my Notion skills by the end of the semester and apply them to my final Hack, aiming to make it as polished and innovative as possible.
Flog #6
- I think the biggest challenge for me this week was having to leave class on Thursday. Unfortunately, my allergies got the best of me, and I had to go back to my room to take an antihistamine, something I really didn’t want to do since it makes me a bit drowsy.
- Aside from that, this week hasn’t felt very busy for this class, but I’ve been drowning in work for my other courses. As a result, I haven’t had much time to brainstorm for Hack #3, which worries me a little since it’s due on Tuesday. On the bright side, I’ve really enjoyed all the Hacks we’ve done for this class, so this one won’t feel like a major assignment, especially with everything else I have going on before Spring Break next week!
Flog #5
Flog #5
- One of the biggest challenges Brett and I faced while working on our card game was encountering multiple roadblocks throughout the process. The first issue was simply getting started—we procrastinated until the last minute, and when we finally began, all we had were the cards. We knew we wanted to create something physical to turn in, but we struggled to define the mechanics and structure of the game. Our second major problem was that we had too many “bad luck” cards and no way for players to regain tokens. As a result, the game would end within the first three rounds, which made it short and unenjoyable. To fix this, we introduced “good luck” cards to extend gameplay and improve balance. We also added a “Lottery” card to add excitement, giving players something to look forward to.
- Our last major problem, and I touched on this in my artist statement, was deciding how to determine the winner of our game. This was particularly confusing for Brett and me because we had two competing ideas for winning the game. We debated whether the winner should be the player with the most tokens or the player who paired three matching cards first. After considering both options, we ultimately decided that the winner would be the player with the most paired cards. The reasoning behind this choice was that while having money is important, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re effectively managing your health. If a player accumulated wealth but didn’t actually use it to treat their condition, then what was the point? By prioritizing card pairing, we emphasized the idea that actively addressing and treating a disease is what truly matters.