This challenge brought to you by Game Frame.

Challenge:

There are boring parts to EVERY job. Pick a job—even your OWN job!—and fix the most boring part.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a clue: Look for the places where no more new learning is taking place. When there’s nothing more to learn—or no way to improve—boredom sets in. Design a game that makes your chosen job increasingly challenging for the worker while producing better results for the business and/or its customers.

Background:

Picture the face of the cashier at your local grocery store as a long line of customers forms. More often than not an expression of utter disinterest. Boredom is rampant today, even amidst all our technology and distractions, and it’s most prevalent in the workplace. We challenge you to take on any stagnant work environment and turn it into an incrementally engaging experience via any combination of game mechanics, dynamics, and general game design.

To submit results to this challenge, please explain what it is that makes your chosen profession so boring, and exactly how your game would create an ever-challenging role. Your game should  play directly into the parts of the experience that are “broken” in your mind (don’t be afraid to explore more than one). This is your chance to fix something that millions are faced with every day!

Rules:

• ALL game genres are eligible, including high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech.
• Original games only, please. (E.g., don’t measure the benefits of Halo or Peggle—even though we know they have many!)
• All games MUST be playtested in some way, shape, or form (if your game requires software/tech you can’t build, do a paper prototype or your best representation). Photo or video evidence please.
• Entries should be submitted with your answer to the following question: Even with your game, how quickly would the job get boring again, and why?

Solo or team entries are both fine. All team members must be Gameful members!

Rewards:

• $500 for the most innovative, feasible, and inspiring entry as determined by the author of Game Frame, Aaron Dignan.
• $500 for the Gameful members’ choice, as determined by community vote on Gameful.org.
• One runner-up will receive a signed copy of Game Frame and a Skype session with Aaron Dignan to discuss the book.
• Five other Gameful members will receive a copy of the book just for joining the conversation.
• 100,000 monster treats for each approved entry (entries will be checked to see that they meet the criteria above).

How to Play:

1. Join the OPERATION: END BOREDOM Group.
2. Discuss what you’re up to.
3. When you’re ready, but BEFORE April 15th, 2011, start a new forum topic for YOUR entry. Describe what you’ve created. Include a link to a blog post, or photos, or videos, or a PDF, or a download, or a website, or anything else that can help us imagine or see your game in action, or play it ourselves!
4. When you’re ready to officially submit your game, fill out this form.
5. Await glorious feedback from your fellow Gameful monsters.
6. Winners will be announced by May 1st, 2011.

Cheat Code (⇑⇑⇓⇓⇐⇒⇐⇒BA)

If you’re looking for a leg up on the competition in terms of applying game mechanics to an everyday situation, consider reading Game Frame, the official sponsor of this challenge. It contains a prescriptive methodology for how games and the everyday might mingle, and, if we’re lucky, change everything. Note: Respondents will not be favored or penalized for using this “cheat code.”

Ready to accept this challenge? Go join the official challenge group!