Vermont Urbanovich
Vanquishers
How might we teach youth the signs of mental health conditions in a fun and social way to empower them to seek help early?
Vanquishers is a collaborative card game in which you work together to defeat monsters using' resource' cards, create a space for conversations, and participate in fun challenges. The game uses 'wound' cards to represent the different symptoms of a mental health condition that each character has. Vanquishers teaches youth about the signs of mental health struggles and to de-stigmatize conversations around them. It is the first card game to harness game-based learning to teach teens about warning signs, an approach that uses fun and repetition to help them memorize the signals and reduces stigma by associating mental health conditions with heroic characters. The collaborative core of the game creates a space which necessitates accepting and asking for help from your friends. The fireside chat mechanic promotes conversations that inspire introspection and positive self-reflection. Vanquishers is a fantastical, cooperative and conversational card game that helps to vanquish the silence surrounding mental health.
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Insight
An estimated 10-20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, half of which start by 14 years of age; often, they go underdiagnosed and undertreated (WHO). Although mental health has become a more visible issue, it is commonly misunderstood, and many events point to this. Don’t Worry Village in Mokpo, Korea is a reaction to the pressure to be normal and ignorance around mental health. iRespect & Protect in Salem, USA show parents are concerned with teen mental health and are looking for resources. Animal Crossing: New Horizons exemplifies how games can have a therapeutic effect and create a positive community.
Idea
A card game built for education, collaboration, and conversation: the 'wound' cards associate mental health symptoms with physical damage and by being specific to characters, players can understand and discuss these signs and how they relate to each other. Players work together in the game, creating an environment in which they depend on each other and are encouraged to receive help. The breaks in between combat create space for conversations, with prompts that foster self-reflection and appreciation. By harnessing game-based learning, Vanquishers makes signals easier to remember, builds positive habits, and is an experience that is actively sought out rather than forced.
Impact
I want to educate about the warning signs so that players notice them in both themselves and others. Teens can use this to learn about themselves and their friends, while also having a catalyst for conversation. Teachers can use this to supplement teaching about mental health. Parents can use this to learn about their teens and to spark action. Empowering teens with this knowledge, early detection and action can literally save lives.
Biography
Born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Vermont immigrated with his family to Canada when he was young. Having grown up in a multicultural and multilingual setting influenced not only who he is, but his design process as well. His experience in and out of OCAD University has taught him to be attentive, adaptable and action driven. His design philosophy focuses on empathy first, solutions second. He strives to meet people where they are at, and to understand their needs to create a solid foundation for his designs. Shaped by Canada's cultural mosaic, his design process is a solutions mosaic: combining multi-disciplinary tools and approaches in a calculated and playful way. He is always looking to expand his toolkit, master new things, and learn from people of all walks of life.