A young team of Korean & Kenyan Artists Designs a Card game which Interweaves the Cultures of their Two Countries
2023-08-16“PLAY KK – AFROGAMEHADA” is a public diplomacy program supported by Korea Foundation. In May 2023, the Korea Foundation unveiled ten teams to participate in its 2023 Korea Foundation Public Diplomacy Program. These teams will conduct various public diplomacy activities in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Among those ten teams is PLAY KK – AFROGAMEHADA where my artist friend Joshua Wera is serving as a member. Joshua introduced me to Afrogamehada and their ambitious project, which I soon learned will play an interesting role to improve understanding and bilateral relations between Kenya and Korea. Now, let’s delve into their Play KK card game project.
Photo by Hae Su Shin: Play KK – Afrogamehada teammates, Joshua & Ink Yung Jung discussing the card game strategies in AFROHADA Studio, Incheon.
'Play KK - AfroGAMEhada' consists of Hae Su Shin, Ink Yung Jung, Cho Dayeon, and Moon Minji from Korea, and Joshua Wera, Viktart Mwangi, Kachinoh, Owen, and Phylis Ndiangui from Kenya. They are all working passionately to design a card game which educates its players about Korea and Kenya.
Photo by Hae Su Shin: Play KK – Afrogamehada teammates, Joshua & Ink Yung Jung discussing the card game strategies in AFROHADA Studio, Incheon.
'A Modern Card Game Combining Traditional and Cutting-edge Technology'
Due to geographical, temporal, and cultural differences, the team had to conduct most of their work through online correspondence. But by the middle of August 2023, they had completed a significant portion of their work. In recent days, they are getting ready to introduce their newly designed card game to their target audiences.
Modern technology can bring us together anytime and anywhere. I've had a years-long friendship with Joshua Wera online. Thanks to online platforms, we can follow each other's work, share our friendship, art, and ideas regardless of distance, time, and cultural variations.
I believe there are shared values among Kenya, Korea, and my own culture, Turkiye. In our cultures, children play in the streets, families gather around the table every evening, conversations happen, and ideas are shared face to face. These are significant values. However, there's also a notion that advancing technology is eroding these values, a topic frequently discussed by the older generations.
'Korea is a country where modernity and tradition coexist, where adults can play games just like children.'
Photo by Hae Su Shin: Play KK – Afrogamehada team member Joshua holding artwork prototype for the card game in AFROHADA Studio, Incheon.
Especially after Covid-19, online life has surged. Our lives built around online platforms have also made us yearn for our old ways as time goes by. Currently, in many countries, we can observe an increase in loneliness due to either overly traditional lifestyles or excessive modernization. I can genuinely see why Korea supports this balance and is even a pioneer in it.
I've learned that this card game can be played both with AR technology and physically. This is truly wonderful! Older members of my family are quite interested in cultures of other countries. And for that reason, I am eagerly waiting for a chance to try out Play KK in Augmented Reality with my family members. The idea of creating new game like Play KK which people of all ages, from 7 to 70, can play, keeps lingering in my mind. The fact that the team gives equal importance to both sides of their countries’ values shows how well they understand and internalize the values of the KF Foundation.
'The pioneering project of game designs introducing new cultures to new generations'
The Play KK card game consists of four different card decks. The main deck includes a total of 46 illustrated artworks. While 23 of these artworks reflect Korean subjects, the other 23 reflect Kenyan subjects. All artworks can be categorized into the following categories: Historical Places, Food, Activities, Cultural Facilities, and the ECO Movement.
Photo by Joshua: (L) Play KK – Afrogamehada team leader, Hae Su Shin organizing artworks on the computer. (R) Joshua displaying Event Cards in AFROHADA Studio, Incheon.
Play KK card game can be experienced as a physical card game or through Augmented Reality (AR) proves that the idea caters for players of all styles and preferences. While playing the game, players need to match Kenya cards with Korea cards based on the categories of the cards. Players can also choose a second game type whereby they’re required to arrange their cards to uncover a unique travel story. However, each player needs to first choose their unique character in one of four categories to do this. The categories are Historian, Blogger, Chef, and UN Intern.
The Augmented Reality version of the game can be experienced using ARTIVIVE installed on a smartphone. The application allows users to scan the artworks pressed on the back of the cards, which instantly launches the AR experience. This feature offers an interactive experience of the artworks using various visual and auditory elements. Most artworks transform from grayscale to color, while others are enhanced with ambient sounds and music.
In Korea, the team will organize the Play KK card game exhibition together with Baekma Middle School students in Ilsan. By using the educational features of the game, they aim to help Baekma Middle School students develop global citizenship awareness. In September, the Play KK project will be introduced in Kenya, and an event will be held at the Kenya National Theatre where the artworks of the game will be showcased for three days. They will also visit students at the Nairobi King Sejong Institute and organize a card game exhibition. You can follow all their stories on [instagram: afrohada].
I have a 4-year-old cousin who already knows the flags and names of all countries by heart. I particularly believe that the younger generations will have a great interest in these kinds of idealistic games that allow them to learn about cultures and take on roles. As soon as the game is released, I will try it with my cousin! Which role would you like to try? As you might have guessed, I will try the Blogger role :)
Poster design by Hae Su Shin: Play KK – Afrogamehada events in Korea and Kenya.
Lastly, the Play KK Project is sponsored by the Korea Foundation, an organization aiming to enhance global awareness and understanding of Korea on the international stage. The Korea Foundation supports various international exchange activities to promote friendship and goodwill in the international community. You can explore the many other groundbreaking activities and programs they run by visiting the Korea Foundation's website, and meet other public diplomacy projects on the kf/diplomacy page.
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