An actual view of the Sociopoly prototype. A playful representation, not a cadastral map.
The idea
A neighbourhood is more than its buildings. It is the people who use it, the stories they carry, and the choices that shape what stays.
Sociopoly uses play to explore the future of Kampong Gelam — bringing questions about culture, property, tourism, community and development to the same table.
What we made
A game prototype set around the district. Its board offers a shared place to consider the tensions between development and the things a community values.
The screenshot above shows the actual prototype, shared here as an example of what AI-assisted making can become.
Why it matters
A game can make room for a conversation that feels difficult in the abstract. It invites us to ask whose future is being imagined, and what we might want to carry forward.
That is the intention behind the work. It is not a claim of measured community impact.
How AI was used
Across a creative workflow — with human questions and judgment throughout.
1
Research
Explore the district and its context.
2
Ideation
Turn questions into possibilities.
3
Prototyping
Give an idea a form to try.
4
Iteration
Review, question and refine.
5
Storytelling
Make the idea understandable.
What’s next?
Keep exploring what play can help us notice and discuss about a living heritage district. The prototype remains a work in progress; no release date or adoption claim is being made here.
