Cardistry

Year

2023

Type

Digital App

Contribution

Design
Production
Graphic Design

Cardistry is a gameful application developed with the goal of exploring ways that would allow anyone to make gaminiscing games similar to my game Brukel. It uses machine learning to generate playing cards based on personal history. The cards are inspired by Tarot cards and can be used to play many storytelling games.

Morning Tenderness - A card generated by the following prompt: “There’s something I do every morning. When I’m leaving for work. I’ll go in his room and give him a kiss on the forehead. Next year he’s going to college. I don’t like it. It went too fast. It flew by.“

Through machine learning, the system generates cards that contain an image, a title (that summarizes the story) and a suit. The suits were co-designed by a language model, as was provided a number of real gaminiscing stories and asked to identify the most prevalent themes among them.

  • The Heart Suit - This is the suit of love, happiness, and all things that make you feel alive. Think of it as the emotional equivalent of a warm embrace or a cozy blanket. The stories in this suit might involve falling in love, feeling grateful, or experiencing the joy of spending time with loved ones.

  • The Tear Suit - This is the suit of sadness, grief, and experiences that weight heavy on the spirit. It's a somber suit that leaves you feeling introspective. The stories in this suit might involve losing a loved one, feeling heartbroken, or struggling to deal with difficult emotions.

  • The House Suit - This is the suit of identity, belonging, and finding your place in the world. It's like a safe haven that welcomes you in and helps you feel grounded. The stories in this suit might involve discovering who you are, finding your tribe, or feeling like you belong somewhere.

  • The Tree Suit - This is the suit of growth, learning, and all things that help you become a better version of yourself. It's like a sturdy trunk that supports your journey and provides a foundation for your aspirations. The stories in this suit might involve learning new things, overcoming obstacles, or feeling empowered to make positive changes in your life.

  • The Crown Suit - This is the suit of power, wealth, and all things that help you feel like a boss. It's like the feeling of being in control and having everything you need to succeed. The stories in this suit might involve gaining power, accumulating wealth, or feeling like you're on top of the world.

  • The Lightning Suit - This is the suit of freedom, rebellion, and all things that help you break free from the norm. It's like the feeling of dancing in the rain or taking a spontaneous road trip with your best friends. The stories in this suit might involve going against the grain, standing up for what you believe in, or feeling the rush of doing something wild and unexpected.

The Midnight Run - A card generated by the following prompt: “I was just a small-town girl and I used to be so lonely where I grew up. One night, I just decided to grab a midnight train and leave. I did not care where it would go. Anywhere would do. I met a city boy on it. He was born and raised in South Detroit and he was trying to get away from it all as well. We connected instantly. We were strangers when we got on, but not when we arrived.“

Cardistry was developed in Unity and demoed at the 2023 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco where attendees could print cards that were generated through their own personal stories.

The project was developed at Northeastern University in collaboration with Prof. Chris Barney, and our students Brandon Lyman, SzeYi “Reina” Chan, James Earl Cox III, and Ala Ebrahimi.