In short
Together with welfare organisation Wijkz, Preludens designed the card game Keerpunt to make hidden poverty in The Hague discussable. A low-threshold game that encourages residents to share their story and seek help in time.
The challenge
Residents with money worries often wait until the very last moment to ask for help — held back by shame, pride and underestimating the problem. That makes starting the conversation and offering targeted help increasingly difficult.
The design question
How do we break through the barrier of shame and silence, so residents recognise themselves, dare to share their story and find the right help in time?
Our approach
We chose a card game: the most natural, accessible form of play, easy to produce at scale. In Keerpunt, players seek a balance between income, energy and focus. Unforeseen events can disrupt that balance and pull players into a downward spiral — exactly the emotion the target group experiences every day.
The experience
The strength of Keerpunt lies in real stories and examples drawn from conversations with the target group. Players recognise the situations and emotions, which creates room to share their own story. Because support workers (fictionally) end up in the same situation, roles reverse and a more honest, personal conversation emerges.
The outcome
Keerpunt started as a pilot with 700 games and an online platform in the Laak district, and is being scaled up to two more districts. A train-the-trainer programme lets support workers use the game independently in their daily work.
Insight
A few well-considered rules and recognisable emotions create a safe environment in which people find the trust to share. The project team consisted of Preludens, Stichting Wijkz, The Facilitating Company and Wild Card.
Key facts
- Client
- Wijkz
- Project
- Keerpunt
- Sector
- Welfare and social domain
- Year
- 2024
- Audience
- Residents with (hidden) money worries and their support workers
- Format
- Serious card game with online platform
- Preludens role
- Game design, development and pilot support