A Card Game About Human Warmth, 2024
Impulse
Impulse is a socially-driven card game designed to strengthen interpersonal connections and cultivate a culture of small yet meaningful actions.
At its core lies the concept of a social impulse: one intentional act can initiate a chain reaction of care, attention, and relational reciprocity.
At its core lies the concept of a social impulse: one intentional act can initiate a chain reaction of care, attention, and relational reciprocity.
Game System
The deck consists of 54 cards. Each card contains:
Through this pass-forward structure, the cards begin to circulate across social networks. What spreads is not only the object itself, but a behavioral pattern embedded in the system.
- a specific prosocial action directed toward another person;
- a QR code linking to a short video explaining the project’s concept and its circulation logic.
Through this pass-forward structure, the cards begin to circulate across social networks. What spreads is not only the object itself, but a behavioral pattern embedded in the system.
Примеры карточек с заданиями
Core Mechanics & Structural Principles
The central mechanic replaces accumulation with transmission. Unlike traditional game systems based on ownership or scoring, value here emerges through circulation. The card gains meaning only when it moves.
There is no central authority or synchronized play session. The system operates through decentralized, self-propelled participation across time and space.
Each completed action triggers a new iteration of the loop. This creates a lightweight behavioral cycle that sustains itself without continuous supervision.
The mechanics are intentionally structured to encourage small acts of kindness, reciprocity, and attentiveness. The design focuses on reinforcing cooperative, non-zero-sum interactions.
Because the cards travel unpredictably, patterns of interaction emerge organically. The system does not prescribe outcomes; instead, it enables spontaneous relational dynamics.
The physical card provides tangibility and presence, while the QR-linked video introduces shared context and narrative framing. This hybrid structure bridges material interaction and mediated meaning.
Social Design Framework
Impulse was conceived as a micro-intervention model — a minimal system capable of generating measurable social ripple effects.
Rather than creating competition or reward hierarchies, the project explores:
The game functions at the intersection of game design, social psychology, behavioral systems, and distributed network logic.
In this sense, Impulse treats play not as entertainment alone, but as a structured social gesture — a mechanism for activating and sustaining human connection.
Rather than creating competition or reward hierarchies, the project explores:
- relational reinforcement instead of scoring systems;
- propagation instead of accumulation;
- behavioral nudging instead of explicit instruction.
The game functions at the intersection of game design, social psychology, behavioral systems, and distributed network logic.
In this sense, Impulse treats play not as entertainment alone, but as a structured social gesture — a mechanism for activating and sustaining human connection.