Power Shift - More Than a Game: Rethinking Power and Perspective
Published: 24 June 2026
What began as a conversation about bias, assumptions and the different ways in which individuals experience the world, quickly transformed into Power Shift, a game developed through the School of Health and Wellbeing’s ‘Decolonise the Curriculum’ project.
Authors: Fatima Hayat Malik, Anastasia Lekea, Luis Fellipe Moraes Castello, Dhammaporn Paireepinath, Niveditha Muthu Velayutham, Shujie Wen and Izah Bowes
What began as a conversation about bias, assumptions and the different ways in which individuals experience the world, quickly transformed into Power Shift, a game developed through the School of Health and Wellbeing’s (SHW) ‘Decolonise the Curriculum’ project. Designed collaboratively by staff, students and alumni, the game explores concepts of power and positionality in day-to-day life, and how these can constantly evolve depending on the context and lived experiences of the people around us. The game forms part of a wider programme of gamified learning initiatives targeting equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and decolonising the curriculum.
Power Shift Team
Staff: Laura Sharp, Ailsa Foley, Saumel Owusu Achiaw, Mia Wilson
Global Mental Health alumni: Izah Bowes
MPH and GMH students: Erin Braun, Luis Fellipe Moraes Castello, Dhammaporn (Amy) Paireepinath, Niveditha Muthu Velayutham, Shujie Wen, Anastasia Lekea, & Fatima Hayat Malik
The notion behind this project was simple but challenging: how does one propel conversations about inherently theoretical concepts such as decolonisation, bias and positionality into something people can actively engage in, particularly in academic settings? Power Shift utilises scenario-based prompts, character and situation building instances and discussion-based gameplay through team efforts to encourage players to reflect on how experiences, identity and environment can shape perspectives.
For many of the students involved in the game development, this project was introduced through the SHW Decolonisation Workshops. These encouraged us to critically examine the assumptions we may make in our daily lives and how our knowledge, identity and bias impact the way we interpret situations.
As an international student, Fatima described these workshops as one of the initial experiences that encouraged students to think “outside the box” while openly identifying and confronting preconceived notions. The opportunity to contribute to the development of Power Shift itself, made those insights feel meaningful and applicable rather than purely academic.
Similarly, Anastasia reflected on how her interest in decolonisation and the critique of traditional psychology drew her towards this project. For example, understanding gamification and how a board game could facilitate conversations around these topics initially felt novel, but quickly became one of the most engaging aspects of this student-staff collaboration.
Across the team, many of us joined the project unsure how to visualise the creation of a game based on such complex and theoretical themes. Amy described initially feeling nervous regarding how “useful” personal experiences would be within the discussions surrounding decolonisation. However, the collaborative atmosphere through which students, staff, and alumni were encouraged to openly share perspectives, challenge ideas and shape the direction of the game together, proved otherwise.
Rather than following a traditional faculty-led structure, the game evolved through constant feedback, dialogue, and revision. Izah, a Global Mental Health alumna, reflected on how the development process felt “recursive”, with every pilot session introducing different perspectives and room for refinement that were woven into the game design itself. This ongoing process allowed Power Shift to continually adapt based on collective input from participants and developers alike. Niveditha an international Public Health postgraduate shared how:
“Becoming involved in the decolonisation project and the Power Shift game allowed me to explore how power and positionality constantly change depending on people’s background, experiences and environments. The project brought together students, alumni and staffs from different cultural and professional backgrounds, creating a space for meaningful discussion, collaboration and sharing learning.”
At times, differences in interpretation and cultural nuances naturally emerged with gameplay discussions; however, they proved to be some of the most invaluable parts of the process. Shujie, reflecting from an East Asian cultural perspective, raised important points about whose perspectives and voices are often centered within conversations around decolonisation.
“When discussing EDI and power dynamics, I also shared that while the original intentions are good, constantly emphasizing and attempting to eliminate a specific issue can sometimes backfire, inadvertently reinforcing stereotypes due to an over-focus.”
This encouraged the team to delve more critically into Western-dominated narratives and how culturally diverse groups are often expected to consistently “explain” themselves in academic spaces.
Similarly, Fellipe highlighted how working alongside people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds made discussions more grounded and accessible:
“This experience further reinforced my holistic view of health, education, and teamwork. In addition, it reinforced how multicultural and collaborative spaces can contribute to training professionals and researchers who are more critical, empathetic, and aware of the distinct social realities present inside and outside the university.”
A major turning point in the game development proved to be the piloting sessions held for various student and staff groups within the university. Witnessing participants tackle the same scenarios with unique perspectives highlighted positionality in action rather than an abstract academic concept. Several players approached situations with an analytical lens while others applied emotional or creative interpretations. Many changed their perspectives entirely after listening to others around the table.
By the end, Power Shift moved beyond being a simple game. It is now a shared exercise in collaborative dialogue, reflection, and learning. Through this, we are able to reinforce that conversations surrounding power and positionality are not mere theoretical discussions reserved for academic settings, but realities individuals navigate every day in completely different ways.
First published: 24 June 2026
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