We first launched the Imagine If Game at Archifringe 2019 as part of our In Real Life exhibition. In 2023, we digitised it through the Creative Informatics Residents Entrepreneurs Programme.

The game challenges players to rethink how we live today by asking them to consider which spaces in their homes they’d be willing to compromise on in exchange for communal benefits. Players navigate through a typical home and make decisions for each room:

• "I need this to be a large private space."

• "I’m willing to compromise on size for shared communal access."

• "I don’t need this to be private; I’d use communal facilities instead."

Designed for all ages, it features a clear, colourful interface, illustrating the trade-offs between choices, such as choosing a larger bedroom at the expense of communal areas.

Imagine If has sparked conversations at events like the Creative Informatics Showcase and Cohousing Scotland Roadshow, and among groups such as Sorrel Housing Co-operative and ESALA students, opening up dialogue on how we can live together more sustainably.