Playtest #3: Professional Perspectives

By the time I reached the third playtest of Mental Forest in late 2025, the project had already grown through two rounds of revisions with my peers and professor. Those first sessions had been about mechanics only — pacing, flow, interaction. They were essential, but I always knew that for the game to really take shape, I would need feedback from professionals who understood mental health not just as a concept but as lived practice.

This playtest gave me that chance. I met with Professor Dean McShane, a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health at LJMU and cohost of the Man Hug men’s mental health podcast, and Professor Ian Pierce Hayes, a Senior Nursing Lecturer and fellow cohost of Man Hug. Both brought deep knowledge of mental health and education, as well as a sensitivity to how creative tools might be used in practice. For ethical reasons, I wasn’t able to invite younger or more vulnerable participants, so working with these professionals allowed me to move beyond pure mechanics into more conceptual and applied conversations.

What Happened

I began by introducing the game visually — showing the board, the cards, and the overall structure. Both professors took time to look at the artwork, the mechanics, and the way the system was designed to represent a journey through mental health. I then invited Professor McShane to play through a test round. This was a powerful moment for me. Unlike the earlier playtests, where the focus was solely on rules and flow, here the play itself could be interpreted through a professional lens.

Watching McShane move through the forest and interact with the cards was very different from seeing my peers play. He picked up quickly on how the mix of challenge and support reflected the ups and downs of mental health experiences. While the mechanics were still being tested, the conversation around them shifted — it was no longer “does this rule work?” but “what does this mechanic mean?” That shift marked an important milestone for the project.

Feedback

The feedback from both professors was detailed, thoughtful, and encouraging:

“Add objectives and stats to the outside of the box.”

“Include a definition of mental illness on the back of player cards.”

“This is incredibly interesting — I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

“Make the outcomes and goals more present and central.”

“Look at ways to ethically get younger audiences to provide feedback.”

This feedback bridged two worlds at once: the practical (objectives, clarity, instructions) and the conceptual (how to frame the game, how to position it ethically). Their suggestion to make outcomes more visible reminded me that games are not only played, they are taught — if the goals are unclear at the start, players may never reach the reflective moments I want them to. Their comment about engaging younger audiences also made me think about the long-term potential of the project, and the ethical frameworks I would need to establish to move forward.

My Reflection

This session was a turning point in several ways. First, it confirmed that the game was not only mechanically functional but also conceptually powerful. Hearing experienced mental health professionals describe Mental Forest as “something they had never seen before” was validating. It told me that the game was making a contribution — not just repeating familiar tools, but offering a genuinely new way of communicating ideas about mental health.

Second, it made me reflect on presentation. Earlier, I had been so focused on the inner workings of the game that I hadn’t thought as much about the outside: the box, the instructions, the way the game presents itself before players even start. The suggestion to add objectives and stats to the outside made me realize that first impressions matter as much as mechanics.

Finally, it was a reminder of the importance of ethics. Their advice about finding ways to involve younger audiences responsibly showed me the road ahead. If this project is to grow beyond my own studio and into schools, communities, or healthcare spaces, it will need strong ethical foundations.

What I Learned

• Mechanics now worked, but presentation mattered just as much.

  
  

• Objectives, goals, and outcomes must be clear and visible from the start.

  
  

• Professional validation confirmed the project was unique and effective.

  
  

• Ethical considerations will be essential if the game is tested with wider audiences.

Changes Made

In response to this feedback, I:

• Added objectives and stats to the outside of the game box.

  
  

• Revised player cards to include a definition of mental illness.

  
  

• Adjusted the rulebook to make outcomes and goals more central.

  
  

• Began exploring frameworks for future ethical approval to widen participation.

Closing Thoughts

Playtest 3 was the most affirming stage of the project so far. It showed me that Mental Forest was not only playable, but also meaningful — a tool with the potential to spark conversations in settings far beyond my classroom. The feedback from Professors McShane and Hayes bridged design and application, mechanics and meaning, ethics and opportunity. For the first time, I felt the project had stepped into its full identity: not just a student experiment, but a creative health intervention with a future.