[Editor’s Note: Parts of this essay have been created using large-language model tools for aid in translation. AGS Editorial Board policy is against the use of large-language models in all cases other than those which specifically address the accessibility needs of the journal. In cases of accessibility, like this, we have decided to flag such usage for the prospective reader.]

Introduction

A team of professors from Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo initiated the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge project, focusing on challenge-based learning (CBL). This approach immerses students in authentic, real-world scenarios relevant to their professional domains. The primary objective is to identify and bridge gaps in students’ professional competence, aligning with the principles of the Alfa Tuning project. It functions as a “research + creation” training process for advanced students, fostering cooperative learning, a global problem-solving perspective, and the development of diverse generic and specific competencies.

The fourth iteration of the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge—titled “Social Fictions and Role-Playing Games”—asked students to create a role-playing game. This game aimed to test their narrative and graphic text generation skills while incorporating regional myths and legends. The goal was to enhance the generic competencies of design students within the context of Colombian identity, exploring the construction of human reality through symbolic and iconic representations to form cultural products. Simultaneously, it sought to demonstrate specific competencies relevant to their professional work.

The Bootcamp event encompassed diverse activities, including presentations, lectures on role-playing game concepts, engaging exercises, design workshops, and play testing to evaluate the game’s solution. The resulting outcomes included the development of the game’s mechanics, dynamics, and rules; the design of the game’s world; the creation of character archetypes and an antagonist bestiary; the writing of narrative texts; and the production of graphic and pictorial elements.

This event served as an opportunity for educators to review both practical and theoretical aspects of role-playing design. Simultaneously, students acquired general competencies in addressing specific issues, as evident from the learning outcomes. Collaborating with a diverse group allowed students to bridge methodological and conceptual gaps while gaining insights into teamwork, project structuring, and the importance of collective problem-solving.

The Problem

The academic programs at Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo are committed to delivering high-quality education, underpinned by two pivotal questions that shape their educational philosophy: “What should students learn?” and “How can they optimize their learning experience?” The answer to the first question is guided by the National Qualifications Framework, which ensures the curriculum is closely aligned with the demands and interests of productive industries as well as various societal sectors. This strategic alignment aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in their professional and personal lives, fostering a seamless integration between academic learning and real-world applications.

Addressing the latter question involves an independent contextualization by the institution. It determines the structuring of credentials based on competencies and learning units, preserving their distinctiveness and relevance in the educational process. This is achieved through tailored teaching, learning, and evaluation methodologies that emphasize the enhancement of competencies via personal experiences. Consequently, students acquire the ability to meet cognitive, procedural, and attitudinal performance standards, aligning with aspects of competitiveness.

The Alfa Tuning project, initiated in late 2004 to promote educational alignment between European and Latin American institutions, plays a key role in shaping the competencies that guide the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge. By using this globally recognized methodology, the boot camp ensures that the curriculum aligns with international standards while addressing local needs. Originally designed by universities for Latin American institutions, the Alfa Tuning project provides a framework for competency-based education, ensuring that students acquire skills that are relevant in both global and local contexts.

Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo offers students not only specialized skills developed through challenge-based learning but also a spectrum of valuable general competencies. These encompass the ability to abstract, analyze, and synthesize information, apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, conduct research, strategize, manage time effectively, and adeptly resolve complex problems. Furthermore, students cultivate skills in independent operation, international adaptability, design, project management, quality control, as well as articulate oral and written communication.

The compilation of these competencies enables students to continually learn, process information proficiently, exercise critical and self-reflective thinking, adapt to novel circumstances, possess foundational knowledge in information technology, and hold a comprehensive understanding within their field of study.

The primary aim of education is to foster students’ creative thinking, yet some argue that students often feel unequipped to tackle chaotic, unstructured issues devoid of clear solutions in the real world. Addressing the global/local identity dynamic emerges as a critical challenge in today’s globalized society. Specifically, developing nations often find themselves outside global cultural marketplaces due to inadequate comprehension of their cultural goods and appropriation processes. In response, there’s a pressing need for educational innovation, employing diverse methodological tools that demonstrate a cross-disciplinary, user-centered application.

Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo emphasizes a competency-based education model aligned with the National Qualifications Framework, which ensures that curricula meet the demands of both productive industries and societal needs. The university fosters competencies in critical thinking, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare students for real-world challenges.

The Bootcamp #PascualChallenge fits seamlessly into this educational strategy by using challenge-based learning (CBL) as its core methodology. Through CBL, students engage in real-world problems and work collaboratively to discover global solutions, aligning directly with the institution’s focus on competency development. By integrating cooperative learning and a global perspective on human issues, the Bootcamp enhances both general and specific competencies across various academic programs, preparing students for both professional and societal contributions.

The essence of challenge-based learning (CBL) lies in approaching learning through a broad topic and presenting tasks or challenges linked to that subject. The goal is to propose tangible solutions that benefit society or specific communities. Students access technical tools, resources, and professional guidance throughout the process.

Specifically, the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge project employs the research + creation approach, which blends creative practice with scholarly research to develop new insights. This methodology is iterative and flexible, allowing students to engage in real-world challenges through artistic and design processes. Unlike traditional research, where objectivity and replicability are central, research + creation emphasizes subjectivity, collaboration, and the generation of knowledge through creative experimentation.  This is particularly relevant for students in the Design Department, which includes programs in Graphic Design, Fashion Design, and Design Management. The Bootcamp allows students to apply their design skills to complex societal problems, integrating creative thinking with technical expertise as part of their professional development.

This initiative stands as a unique educational strategy, empowering students to confront real-world challenges while honing critical skills and talents. It offers a distinctive opportunity for students to impact their surroundings while fostering personal and professional growth positively.

Amidst a world marked by rapid technological advancements, universities face the monumental task of equipping professionals with language, math, and science skills. Additionally, they must foster transdisciplinary abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, perseverance, and collaboration. Unfortunately, students in many nations are not adequately developing these skills. Therefore, there’s a crucial need for experiences that foster advanced reasoning and unique skill development aligned with educational standards, such as computational skills, critical thinking, and understanding of cause and effect.

Challenge-based learning (CBL) is an educational paradigm that enables student-centered teaching-learning processes. It immerses students in real-world scenarios that require creative problem-solving, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and practical application of knowledge. In this approach, students not only research and develop solutions but also build essential social connections, which are critical for professional success.

The Bootcamp #PascualChallenge follows Apple’s Challenge-Based Learning methodology, which emphasizes learning through addressing significant, real-world challenges. The process begins with a broad idea that evolves into an essential question, guiding students to identify a challenge relevant to their community. Students then develop actionable solutions to the challenge, using resources like technology, expert guidance, and peer collaboration. Throughout this process, they engage in multiple stages of reflection, research, and solution development, all while documenting their progress and sharing outcomes with a global audience. This methodology encourages critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and leadership, preparing students for complex, real-world problems.  By presenting students with challenges that are both significant enough to encourage learning and manageable enough to facilitate meaningful solutions, challenge-based learning ensures relevance in education.  Overall, CBL stands as a groundbreaking educational strategy, empowering students to actively engage in real-world situations while encouraging critical skills and competencies.

Per the challenge-based learning methodology, the process commences with a broad idea that sparks students’ imagination and situates the problem within a specific context. The strategy anticipates an array of questions surrounding the issue, aiming to develop a core question dictating the challenge’s trajectory. This framing allows students to generate a precise solution, leading to meaningful and actionable outcomes.

Students play a pivotal role in designing challenge activities crafting their own questions, activities, and resources. This process necessitates flexibility to ensure that students—rather than subject professors—drive the solutions. Students craft solutions assuming a multitude of possibilities, aiming for well-thought-out, concrete, clearly articulated, and implementable solutions within the local community.

Implementation validates the challenge solution through specific deliverables, accounting for students’ developmental progress. Validation serves as a pivotal step, offering valuable feedback and pinpointing students’ encountered difficulties.

In line with the methodology, documentation, and publication serve as repositories for assets and solutions, systematically chronicling the issue’s resolution. This step involves presenting findings to the educational community and crafting a comprehensive text detailing the activity’s progress.

Throughout the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge, the process encourages ongoing reflection and debate among students and professors. These reflective sessions take place both during and after key project milestones, where students discuss challenges faced in the design process, such as technical issues in the creation of graphic assets or narrative coherence in storytelling. Professors guide students in identifying flaws in their approaches—whether it be in character development, game mechanics, or cultural representation—and help them devise solutions for improvement. This iterative process ensures that learning is continuous, as students not only learn from their own mistakes but also from peer and instructor feedback.

In addition, this collective effort informs the development of future Bootcamp challenges by shaping curriculum adjustments and the selection of topics. For example, issues identified in areas such as integrating local myths into the game narrative or balancing interdisciplinary collaboration are addressed in subsequent iterations of the Bootcamp. The aim is to refine both the learning process and the outputs of the Bootcamp, ensuring that the projects not only meet educational goals but also contribute to the cultural and social contexts they are addressing.

The Solution

During the Bootcamp #PascualChallenge, students and teachers came together in a collaborative environment to tackle the challenge at hand. The event was structured around a series of carefully designed activities that fostered teamwork, creativity, and the development of key competencies, while immersing participants in the world of game design. The Bootcamp was not just a sequence of events but a dynamic and evolving process that guided participants from conceptualization to the creation of a fully realized role-playing game.

The Bootcamp began with a Welcome Session, setting the tone for the collaborative atmosphere. Teachers and students were introduced, and the challenge was formally presented. This session established the framework for the days to come, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and shared goals.

To build a solid foundation, a Competency Recognition Presentation followed, where participants identified their core skills, both specific and general. This process helped form diverse work teams, leveraging the strengths of each member to ensure a balanced approach to problem-solving and project development.

Early in the Bootcamp, students engaged in Character Sheet Development, drawing inspiration from White Wolf’s “Dark World” concept.. This tool was instrumental in data collection, allowing participants to capture essential information for their game design, and fostering an early connection between game mechanics and narrative.

To deepen their understanding of game creation, students attended a series of Educational Presentations. These sessions, covering role-playing game theory, social fiction, and game mechanics, provided participants with the theoretical knowledge needed to approach the challenge. These presentations not only established a foundation but also encouraged critical thinking about how games can intersect with social narratives.

The Bootcamp then shifted into a more hands-on phase with a Playful Activity inspired by the “Lasers and Feelings” concept.  This activity introduced students to performance-based learning, allowing them to explore social fiction through role-playing. It also sparked creativity and provided a space for students to experiment with character interactions and storytelling in an informal, yet structured, setting.

An Interactive Discussion Forum brought students and teachers together to collaboratively brainstorm potential solutions to the challenge. This open dialogue fostered creativity and allowed all participants to contribute ideas, encouraging a shared sense of ownership over the project’s direction.

The use of the Kanban Methodology for task organization was a key component in keeping the Bootcamp’s workflow efficient and transparent. This structured approach allowed teams to track their progress and adapt to new developments, ensuring that the project stayed on course even as challenges emerged.

In addition to these structured activities, the Bootcamp included specialized Workshops that focused on different aspects of game design. Students were organized into teams, each dedicated to a critical area of the game development process. From designing game mechanics to creating a fictional universe, developing character archetypes, and constructing a bestiary of antagonists, these workshops provided students with hands-on experience. This division of labor enabled each team to specialize, yet work cohesively towards the larger goal of creating an engaging and immersive role-playing game.

As the Bootcamp progressed, participants honed a wide array of skills. The activities were designed not only to produce a final product but also to cultivate essential competencies, such as data extraction and analysis, planning and time management, problem-solving, and autonomy in decision-making. Students learned to adapt to changing circumstances, communicate effectively, and apply their existing knowledge in new and creative ways.

The culmination of the Bootcamp’s activities was the creation of a fully realized role-playing game. Students developed detailed game mechanics, crafted a rich fictional universe, established character archetypes and a bestiary of antagonists, and produced narrative texts and illustrations. By the end of the Bootcamp, participants had not only gained valuable technical and creative skills but also contributed to a collective achievement—a complete role-playing game, the product of their hard work and collaboration.

This immersive and structured event successfully blended theory, practical application, and teamwork, offering participants a transformative learning experience that went far beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Legends of Mohania– A Journey into Myth and Magic

The world of Legends of Mohania invites players into a mystical realm where the rich folklore of Colombian myths intertwines with the everyday life of the 21st century. This unique setting transports players to a land where magic is real, yet hidden, and mythical beings cautiously exist alongside humans. As players journey through this world, they embody characters with magical abilities, striving to achieve legendary status by uncovering ancient secrets, exploring mystical locations, and confronting powerful mythological foes.

At the heart of Legends of Mohania are the players, who assume the roles of mystics, shapeshifters, scholars, and guardians, among others. Each class offers distinct abilities, allowing for a wide range of playstyles and strategies. Whether transforming into animals as a shapeshifter or wielding the power of ancient magic as a mystic, each character is defined by their unique Gifts—supernatural powers that provide an edge in their quest for greatness. Players carefully select their Gifts, which might include summoning mythical creatures to assist them, crafting powerful artifacts, or brewing potions with potent effects. These powers grow over time, with players gaining new abilities and enhancing their existing ones through experience earned during their adventures.

The game features the hidden city of Mohania, a wondrous underwater realm protected by the ancient deity Bachué. This magical city, home to the Mohanes (think of them like South American Big Foots), is both a refuge and a battlefield, where players must navigate its mysteries to unlock the powers they seek. Scattered throughout the world are hidden sites known as guacas, where valuable magical artifacts and knowledge are buried. These locations, however, are fiercely guarded by legendary adversaries, and only the strongest and most clever adventurers will succeed in claiming the treasures they hide.

Combat and conflict are integral to the narrative of Legends of Mohania. When players face off against enemies—whether they be mystical beasts, demons, or other threats—they engage in a dynamic combat system that balances strategy with chance. Each character has core attributes such as Physical Strength, Intellect, and Mystical Resilience, which determine how effectively they can perform actions or resist attacks. Success is determined by rolling 6-sided dice, with outcomes influenced by the character’s skill levels and chosen attributes. In battle, players can use their Gifts to cast spells, summon allies, or transform into powerful creatures to outmatch their enemies.

Throughout the game, the Narrator—a role akin to a storyteller or game master—guides the narrative, creating opportunities for players to test their abilities and make critical decisions. Time in the game operates much like in a film, with the Narrator able to control the pacing, skipping over uneventful moments and focusing on key events to keep the story flowing. This cinematic approach allows for a richly immersive experience where only the most exciting and important scenes are brought to life.

Character progression is central to the Legends of Mohania experience. As players complete challenges and achieve their goals, they earn experience in the form of Gift Points, which can be used to enhance their abilities or acquire new powers. This growth reflects the characters’ journey toward becoming true legends, with the ultimate goal of transcending their mortal limitations and cementing their place in the mythic lore of Mohania. The narrative itself is divided into chapters, with each chapter representing a complete session of gameplay. These chapters, when taken together, form a larger chronicle of the characters’ epic journey.

The world of Legends of Mohania is also populated by a rich cast of non-player characters (NPCs), including antagonists drawn from Colombian mythological traditions. Players may encounter deities like Chiminigagua or Bachué, whose divine powers shape the world around them, or face off against demons and beasts, each with unique abilities that challenge even the most powerful legends. These encounters test not only the characters’ physical and magical prowess but also their ability to strategize and work together.

Ultimately, Legends of Mohania is a game of discovery, adventure, and transformation. It offers players the chance to explore a world where the lines between myth and reality blur, where they can craft their own stories, and where every choice they make brings them closer to becoming a true Legend of Mohania. With its blend of rich narrative, strategic gameplay, and deep cultural roots, the game provides a unique and immersive role-playing experience that both honors and reimagines Colombia’s mythological heritage.

Conclusions

The 4th Bootcamp #Pascualchallenge: Social Fictions and Role-Playing Games provided a dynamic platform for applying challenge-based learning in a practical, hands-on environment, merging theory with real-world experience. By crafting a role-playing game based on Colombian myths and legends, the Bootcamp bridged the gap between academic knowledge and practical application, emphasizing research and creation as core educational methodologies. This approach allowed students to immerse themselves in complex design challenges that required both creative and technical problem-solving. Through the game’s development, students were able to engage deeply with narrative construction, graphic design, and game mechanics, all while honoring the rich folklore of Colombia.

One of the key achievements of the Bootcamp was its success in fostering collaborative problem-solving between students and teachers. The process of creating a fully functional role-playing game was not merely an academic exercise but a practical task that united participants around a shared goal. Students worked side by side with faculty, contributing their own ideas and perspectives to overcome the challenge of game development. The game design process, which included crafting narrative arcs, designing character archetypes, and developing antagonist bestiaries, highlighted the importance of regional mythology in modern storytelling. This collaborative effort not only led to the creation of a unique game system but also reflected the real-world application of design and narrative creation, rooted in a culturally relevant context.

Pedagogically, the Bootcamp was designed to fully engage students in a realistic and challenging environment. The integration of role-playing games, workshops, and design product development allowed students to interact with their immediate environment in meaningful ways. The Play Test, a crucial component of the event, provided a platform for students to test their designs, gather feedback, and refine their work in real-time. This iterative process—where students could see how their design choices impacted gameplay, mechanics, and narrative coherence—was instrumental in fostering a deep connection between the theoretical and practical aspects of game design. Students were not passive learners but active creators, deeply invested in both the process and the final product.

One of the most significant outcomes of the Bootcamp was the development of key competencies in students, particularly those aligned with the Tuning Project. Through the game’s creation, students honed their skills in areas such as game mechanics, narrative design, and visual storytelling. The game’s fictional universe, character archetypes, and antagonist bestiary are not just technical components but reflect the students’ ability to synthesize knowledge, apply it creatively, and communicate their ideas effectively. These elements of the game system are a testament to the students’ growing expertise in the design field, highlighting their ability to produce high-quality, immersive game environments that blend regional cultural narratives with modern game design principles.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration was another crucial aspect of the Bootcamp. The diversity of expertise among participants—ranging from graphic design to design management—allowed for a more holistic approach to problem-solving. This collaborative environment helped students address both methodological and conceptual challenges that arose during the game’s development. For instance, when designing the game’s mechanics, students had to consider how the mythical elements of Colombian folklore could be translated into interactive game systems. Similarly, when creating character archetypes and antagonists, they had to ensure these elements were not only culturally accurate but also compelling within the framework of a role-playing game. The successful outcome of the Bootcamp—the completion of a fully functional game—was the direct result of this collaborative process, where diverse perspectives came together to create a practical and innovative solution.

In summary, the 4th Bootcamp #Pascualchallenge: Social Fictions and Role-Playing Games was more than an educational event; it was an intensive, hands-on learning experience that enabled students to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical, collaborative setting. By engaging with the cultural narratives of Colombia and integrating them into a modern game system, participants not only deepened their understanding of game design but also developed critical competencies in project management, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The final product, a role-playing game that blends myth, magic, and modern storytelling, stands as a testament to the success of the Bootcamp and the educational value of challenge-based learning.

PARTICIPANTS

Organizers:

• Francisco Fernando Gallego Escobar
• Juan David Henao Santa

Lecturer Speakers and Workshop Leaders:

• Daniella Villa Nieves
• Nicolas Restrepo Henao
• Lina María Arroyave Sierra
• Edgar Mauricio Osorio Alzate
• Luis Guillermo Muñoz Marín

Participating Teachers:

• María Inés Padilla Días
• Mónica Deossa Quintero
• Viviana Dávila Durán
• Rafael Mauricio Paris Restrepo
• Cesar Humberto Ramirez Leguisamon
• Claudia Flores Castiblanco
• Juan Esteban Rivera Rico

Participating Student:

• Alfredo Jose Moreno Marrero
• Angie Zuleta Jimenez
• Cristian Kamilo Aristizabal Rodriguez
• Daniel Vargas Vera
• Daniela Murillo Luna
• Diana Catalina Escudero Alvarez
• Gustavo Adolfo Guerrero Dueñas
• Harrison José Batlle Alzate
• Jorge Esteban Rios Erazo
• José Jean Carlos Palmera Suarez
• Juan José Gaviria Pulgarín
• Luis Mateo Quinchia Herrera
• Luz Omaira Urbano Viveros
• Mateo Camilo Mora Orozco
• Nathalia Montoya Zapata
• Nicole Barrios Olivares
• Sara Sofia Posada Cano
• Sebastian Galeano Vasquez
• Yojan Andres Gutierrez Valencia

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Featured image by authors.  Used with permission.

Cite This Essay:  Gallego Escobar, Francisco Fernando and Juan D. Henao-Santa. “Exploring Cultural Narratives Through RPG Design.” Analog Game Studies 11, no. 3 (2024), https://analoggamestudies.org/2024/10/exploring-cultural-narratives-through-rpg-design-the-4th-bootcamp-pascualchallenge-on-social-fictions-and-rpgs/.

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Francisco Fernando Gallego Escobar is a Social Communicator —  Journalist, Master in Education; audiovisual producer and research professor with over 20 years of experience. He has experience in leadership roles in education and audiovisual production, as well as in managing educational, communication, and entertainment projects, including photographic and video graphic creation and audiovisual editing processes. He has studied the educational potential of comics and developed various techniques and strategies for narrative creation, adapting classical methodologies to contemporary needs. He has also explored the use of role-playing games in the classroom as tools for playful education and transmedia narratives as a communicative phenomenon. Likewise, he is a full-time professor at Pascual Bravo University Institution in Medellín, teaching audiovisual courses in Graphic Design and leading the OVNI Research Group, which focuses on research + creation projects in narratives and iconic languages.

Juan D. Henao-Santa is a Professor in the Design Department at the Institucion Universitaria Pascual Bravo (IUPB) in Medellín, Colombia. He holds a Master degree in Social Business Management for Social Innovation and Local Development from the Universidad EAFIT. His interest lie in several fields such as Social Design Management, sustainability, Idea prototyping, re-signification of waste and disuse material for social change in a conscious capitalism. He is currently researching, collaborating with professors from other areas of engineering, art and design.