Ideation and Inspiration
During my internship with the Olfactory Design and Research group at Malmö University, I explored how smells can shape social play and strategy. Inspired by the idea of intersubjectivity and sensory bluffing, I focused on refining the game “Eat Your Words, Groucho Marx!” where players wear Groucho-style glasses and use scent vials to bluff, detect, and outsmart each other. Guided by Simon Niedenthal and in dialogue with Jas Brooks, I iterated on mechanics, smell descriptors, and timing to make the game more balanced, humorous, and immersive.
My Role
I prepared and ran multiple playtesting sessions with different groups of students, rewrote the rulebook for clarity, expanded and varied descriptor cards, and adjusted the bluffing mechanic by giving Groucho a unique scent. I also acted as game master, keeping energy high and using open-ended questions to gather deeper feedback from players.
"Watching players link smells to memories, laugh, and strategize reminded me that great games grow through the people who play them, not just through design on paper."
Challenges & Solutions
Early tests showed that bluffing was too easy to detect and descriptors too restrictive. I introduced custom and reusable descriptors, structured practice rounds, flexible time limits, simultaneous voting, and randomized reveals to add suspense and reduce groupthink. My active game-master role and structured debriefing improved engagement and produced richer insights for refinement
Playtesting Eat Your Words, Groucho Marx! showed me how vital it is to listen and adapt. Open questions and an energetic game-master role gave me insights I’d have missed otherwise and kept players engaged. It confirmed that player experience must sit at the center of any game design.