As these Instagram romantic relationship advice accounts are making content about what the perfect healthy relationship should be like, the aim of our game will be for couples to test out how “perfect” their relationship is when compared to Instagram standards. Accounts dedicated to relationship advice often promote an idealized version of love, setting unrealistic standards. Our game aims to challenge these norms by prompting couples to question and critically analyze the standards propagated by Instagram.
Instead of just accepting what Instagram says a perfect relationship should be, our game challenges couples to think for themselves. It's about asking, "Does our relationship fit these Instagram standards? And do we want it to?" Through this process, players engage in critical reflection and irony, questioning the validity and impact of Instagram's relationship standards.
The design of the game is inspired by the branding of Instagram - curved forms, blue, pink and yellow colour, gradient. The game board resembles a scale or thermometer, symbolizing the measurement of relationship "success" according to Instagram's standards. For this game, Instagram is the standard setter. Thus the scale and percentages are representations of how “good” players’ romantic relationships are according to Instagram’s standards.
As you play, you'll face different challenges that test your relationship in fun and unexpected ways. The placement of the START field in the middle of the board ensures a balanced distribution of positive and negative outcomes, enhancing the gameplay experience. The game is portable and comes with clear rules, so you can play anywhere, anytime. And instead of using typical game pieces, we've chosen a ring to represent your relationship – because in the end, it's about the two of you, not some arbitrary standard.
So let's play, laugh, and maybe even learn a little about ourselves and our relationships along the way. After all, love isn't about being perfect – it's about being real, together.
