#ForYou: A Game About Algorithms Discussion Guide

Internet & Mobile
Privacy
Guide

#ForYou is a card-based pattern-matching game that helps youth aged 13 to 18 understand the role that algorithms play in their online and offline lives, and the value of their personal information to companies that use those algorithms. The game is designed to be delivered either in school or in community spaces such as homework or coding clubs.

#ForYou has three phases, each of which introduces a different way in which recommendation algorithms work:

  • the Popularity phase, in which players try to guess the Optimization algorithm so their video will be seen by as many people as possible;
  • the Advertising phase, in which players try to solve the Audience algorithm so their ads will be seen by the right audience; and
  • the Machine Learning phase, where players solve a new Audience algorithm with the help of proxy data that lets them infer extra information about users.

This discussion guide includes a gameplay overview, instructions on how to run the game as a workshop, a pre-brief and debrief before and after each round of the gameplay to introduce and discuss key ideas about algorithms, rules for quickplay, and a glossary of key terms.

 

#ForYou: A Game About Algorithms was made possible by a financial contribution from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.