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If you are not part of the highly niche group familiar with the Jonathan Coulton “JoCo” Cruise, it’s not an easy thing to explain. Somewhere between “Comicon on a boat” and “Burning Man for geeks,” the JoCo Cruise, now in its 9th year, is 7 days of gaming, creativity, entertainment and socializing in tropical waters on a fully chartered cruise ship.

The eponymous Jonathan Coulton, a comedic musician probably best known for composing “Still Alive” used in the credits of the video game Portal, is both the founder and headliner of the cruise. The general conceit that led to the cruise’s creation was ‘wouldn’t it be funny if such a niche, nerdy musician had a cruise like other big acts, and oh, as a nice side effect, we’ll be in the middle of the ocean so no one can bother us and we can play all the tabletop and board games we haven’t had time to play in a while.’

The miraculous thing is how this half-joke concept has turned into one of the most delightful, fun and inspiring things I’ve ever been a part of. Nine years since they started, it’s bigger than ever and nearly booked out for 2020.

Photo Credit Julia Kester

Who Attends

This year the cruise included over 2,000 people from incredibly diverse backgrounds. Without official stats, from my estimation there was a nearly 50-50 male/female split (although there were many who identified as non-binary), with the average age somewhere between late 20s and early 30s, although the age curve was very wide as many families brought children, and there were a good number of older cruisers. While the majority were from the US, there was a good range of international passengers. It also seemed that a myriad of different motivations brought this group together ranging from interest in the performers to gaming to the inclusive and welcoming environment. They all loved games and had strong interests in creativity, art and culture.

A Unique Experience

Perhaps most of all I was surprised by how directly transferable the experience was to social game and software design. In particular, the deliberate choices the cruise directors and volunteers made to create a safe and inclusive environment for gaming and socializing, provide a huge variety of things to do, stimulate participation and creativity, and build an incredibly loyal and connected following. I wanted to share the 15 things I saw in action on the JoCo Cruise that led to this outcome. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Code of Conduct

Before boarding the boat, along with passport and ticket, passengers were required to provide a signed copy of the JoCo code of conduct. The code was simple, but the repeated emphasis on the code of conduct as part of your entry (as well as referenced in the welcome announcements and performances) cemented familiarity with the document.

2. Unifying Group Identity

While I’d suspect this particular nomenclature wasn’t part of the very first cruise, today, the passengers all refer to themselves and each other as “Sea Monkeys” or just “Monkeys.” Having a shared identity from the beginning helped overcome any perceived differences by creating a layer of similarity. It also made all passengers feel like part of the ‘in crowd’ from the beginning, rather than having to work to feel part of the community.

3. Helper Monkeys and New Monkey Ambassadors

There were so many volunteers and official and unofficial leaders across the ship it was often hard to tell where passengers ended and organizers began. Here were a few of the roles:
  • “Shadow Cruise” organizers: Of the over 500 hours of programming on board, nearly 2/3 was organized by volunteers who had ideas for events.
  • “Helper Monkeys”: Additionally volunteers staffed the 2000+ title board game library, the console gaming library, D&D night and more, providing recommendations and instructions for people who weren’t sure where to start.
  • ‘New Monkey Ambassadors’: These folks designated with a visible sash specifically to help people on their first JoCo Cruise. All Helper Monkeys were recognized throughout the event by the celebrity performers on stage, visibly differentiated by clothes and accessories, and a huge positive presence across the ship.
  • “Celebrity” Cruise Directors (including Jonathan Coulton and other performers who were on the boat): The cruise directors and performers often took on personas of supportive authority (“Cruise Mom,” “the Principal” who made each morning announcement) to make themselves more approachable and clearly involved with the day to day experience.

4. Simple Indicators for Social Interactions

As you might imagine with this group, there was a trend towards more introverted natures. From the beginning, the organizers provided three great tools to help folks lean into social interactions if they wanted.
  • “Yeah! / Nah!” Friendship buttons: These physical buttons were provided as passengers were boarding the boat and offered the ability to signpost at any time if you were open to socializing and chatting (Yeah!) or wanted more alone time (Nah!).
  • “Ask Me About” Nametags: In addition to a space for your name on your passenger lanyard, the organizers also had an equally prominent space for passengers to write down a subject they were interested in chatting about with others. It ended up being one of the most consistent conversation starters.
  • “Looking for Players” Table Toppers: At all gaming events and meals, at the entry were highly recognizable table toppers (decorated with a fez because, of course) that indicated you were open to playing/dining with strangers. All New Monkey Ambassadors would grab these, but anyone who was open to socializing or needed more for a game session could use these to immediately indicate to the room strangers were welcome to join.

5. Social Swag Bag

Everyone loves a swag bag, and the bag that welcomed passengers in their staterooms had some great giveaways from the cruise sponsors. But, in keeping with the theme of the whole experiences, most of the giveaways were multiplayer board games so if you wanted to try it out, you had to go find some new friends to play with you. Also, there was enough variation in the giveaways that it incentivized comparing notes to see if someone else had a game you wanted to play.
Photo Credit Erik Woodbury

6. Dress to Impress for Fun and Friendship

Cosplay, fancy dress, and ridiculous outfits were a norm on the ship. Not only did this allow folks to show off their creativity and style, but stand out in the community, create new friendships over the (often very deep cut reference) costumes, and feel more part of the experience by dressing to represent the theme of the day (Themes included “Science,” “Cosplay,” “Formal,” and “Pajamas”).

7. Fixed Social Activities

Outside of one-off events, there were a number of experiences on the boat that were fixed and available 24/7 for social interactions and gaming, specifically the board game library, video game library, and crafting room. These resources not only provided some structured activity at any time of the day or night but contributed to the sense that there was so much to do here you could never do it all.
Photo Credit Jennifer Ellis

8. Quiet Time and Time Alone

Again, recognizing that many on the boat might be more introverted (but also that 7 days of this level of stimulation could mean anyone might need a recharge), there were a couple of options that didn’t involve locking yourself away in a small cabin. One was a dedicated quiet zone, where passengers could still enjoy the views from the boat and be in a larger common space but conversation was kept to a minimum. The other was the VR relaxation zone, where folks could experience some of the 3dof VR meditation apps to wind down.

9. Everyone Leaves their Mark

There were numerous official and unofficial ways that passengers made their own mark on the ship, even if they were not volunteers or if they were first time JoCo Cruisers.
  • Door Decorations: the majority of returning passengers knew to bring decorations for their stateroom door, to show of their names, interests, and inside jokes. Contact paper, magnets, whiteboards, posters and more were common as you walked down the halls of the ship, completely transforming the boring hallways.
  • Simple Ship Modifications: Savvy cruisers packed scores of googly-eyes, mardis gras beads, fez hats, feather boas and more that quickly transformed the ship’s art and sculptures. Additionally posters (handmade and purchased) appeared everywhere ranging from references to video games, to handwritten notes hidden in elevators to say “You’re Awesome!”.
  • Lego Ship: For those who hadn’t come prepared, in the main rotunda of the ship a giant Lego sculpture of the ship itself was on display – along with boxes of additional Lego pieces. Rather than a fixed work of art, this sculpture found itself under attack by pirates, a giant squid, and Lego Batman by the time the cruise ended thanks to modifications made by passers-by.
Photo Credit Amanda Stuart

10. Delightful Details

Throughout boat itself, there were numerous delightful details that showed the effort the team had put into creating the environment, from the carpeting in the elevator to the names of items on the food and drinks menus. These little touches made the experience more immersive and caused moments of excitement when discovered.

11. So. Many. Events. (AKA FOMO)

With over 500 hours of programming (that’s 21+ days’ worth of stuff on 6.5 days of boat), there was constantly a sense you were making a deliberate choice with your time. The fear of missing out meant that in some cases where a passenger might choose to check out for a bit, instead they re-engage with something they’re really excited to do or see.
Photo Credit Amanda Stuart

12. Events That Make You the Performer

While many events were performance-style with passengers watching from the audience, there were as many (if not more) that were about making the audience or even an individual part of the performance. This included standards like karaoke and stand-up comedy, but also celebrity-led singalongs, jam sessions where passengers brought instruments, a 1000-person strong Dungeons and Dragons night where participants help tell the story, and more. By making the passengers part of the entertainment, it not only meant we all benefited from the talent and creativity of other passengers but made the participants themselves heroes and leaders in the community on board.
Photo Credit Jennifer Ellis

13. Optional Wide Games

There was an official week-long puzzle quest with daily clues and updates, and at least two unofficial scavenger hunts (including on-board Pokemon Go where passengers tried to find and photograph hidden Pokemon 3D printouts). The wide games offered both a greater incentive to closely explore the ship, and a sense of achievement and progression throughout the week.

Photo Credit Mark Kett

14. Broadcast and 1-1 Communication

An passenger-built, internet-free communication system called Twit-Arrrr (yes, really) was set up over the ship’s onboard intranet to allow for broadcast (live feed and forums) and 1-1 communication (private messages). While Twit-Arr played some role in coordination onboard where people organized meetups and attendance at events, more often it was used for ‘off topic’ conversations such as “Monkeys from Seattle?” or “Mental Health Discussion” creating more moments of connection for passengers on the boat. In addition, it became a great way to catch up on the inside jokes and exciting moments of the day so even if you missed the event, you could still feel part of the experience.

15. “Uh-Oh” Moments for Group Bonding

And finally, a despite the amazing organization and thoughtful planning of the cruise organizers, sometimes things go wrong and that can create a unique moment for the group to come together. For the one concert on land, a few minutes before the headline act They Might Be Giants were supposed to play, the skies opened. The tropical storm was so strong, it wasn’t safe for the band to play. The audience bravely stood on, hoping for a break, leading to impromptu singalongs and a shared moment. Eventually the land event had to be cancelled – which only led to a Herculean effort of performers and volunteers breaking down the set to bring the performance onto the ship. The shared ‘disaster’ moment and stories of the rain became a running joke and special moment for the rest of the cruise.

Photo Credit Josh Ward‎

I realize I was incredibly privileged to have the resources and time to be a part of the JoCo Cruise 2019. And I also know that the initial pitch (“nerd cruise”) may put off a lot of people who really would have loved this experience. But throughout the cruise, I kept thinking how lucky I am to get to work on building products designed to promote inclusion, games and creativity, participation and friendship, and a bit of magic. I hope some of these experiences on the cruise might inspire some ideas for more gaming and product implementations of this kind of experience.

This was a triumph.