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Rotten to the Core

Was it fun?

I had so much fun playing this game, the game play is fun and calming, I also love the entire theme. I felt like I was most definitely the target audience since I am obsessed with the creepy earthy feel of the game.

What were the player interactions?

My favorite interaction was when you would roll an investigation card, you could roll again to frame it on another player.

How long did it take to learn?

Barely took me 5 minutes, it was very easy to catch onto

Would you play it again?

Absolutely

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

The beginning, you have a dead body that you need to make sure goes through the elements to decompose, and not get caught by investgators

You eventually gain suspicion through your rolls, or you continuously see bugs and the weather decompose your body through time

In the end, your bodies eventually decay fully, and the amount of points you lost through suspicion are lost, and you determine a winner!

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

I think the most competitive aspect was framing others if you roll a second glass. It is super fun and keeps people on their toes

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

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Game Documentation for: #2 – Baller Bros

Rules/Photos:

Baller BrosDownload

Game When Setup:

Details of Game Pieces:

Simple Design Iterations:

  • Green, pink and yellow ping pong balls
  • Simple flame design on the hoops, along with a backboard

Process photos:

  • Hot glue to hold down hoops
  • Paper taped down with numbers on spinner

Overview of changes made:

  • Most of the changes have to do with alterations in the rules, whether it is the addition of better explanations or more examples. I’d say that there are still rule changes to be made, but steady changes have been made to accommodate issues. A specific example of a rule change was a third play example, as well as a more-thorough explanation of how to end the game. There are specifications on the bounces a player can make as well.
  • At first, I had plain white ping pong balls that I used for the basketballs. One day I was out shopping for basic necessities, when I noticed they had neon-colored versions. With a touch of color, the game has a better sense of style, with an established color theme. Alternatively, players are easily distinguished based on what color they choose.

Overview of changes to make:

  • One of the main changes to the game includes the spinner. Through the playtesting, players admitted that the game was a little too linear. So how could I make things more interesting? The spinner will have point modifiers based on luck. Along with how many attempts a player has at scoring, they will have a second number determining the point modification. This will encourage players to focus in order to receive the point bonus, making the playing experience more tense. Furthermore, if a player were to get in a massive point lead, other players will have a good potential to make it back.
  • Along with the spinner, a direct change to the board would be the implementation of another, harder hoop to score in. The hoop would be taller, skinnier, and the margin for the ball would make it a high risk/high reward scenario.
  • I’d say an additional small change to make would have to do with touching up the design. As of now, the design is a little plain. Of course, the game is not in its final stages, but this is something that I still need to lookout for.
  • The final iteration of the game would have to do with the rules, since it is very scuffed at the moment. Many things aren’t explained too well, and I think there is potential for a better playing experience. The rules are constantly being updated for the sake of the players. Criticism has helped implement necessary changes.

Thoughts and lessons learned during the playtest:

  • One important thing to consider during my game making is the balance of luck and skill, as well as difficulty in playing. For example, I need to make sure that the game isn’t too hard, allowing players to enjoy scoring points. At the same time, I need to implement factors that make the game tricky, making it considered to be skillful.
  • Sometimes, luck and skill are tricky to intertwine, so I had to make luck compliment skill. With what you earn as luck, use it to your advantage. What’s tricky about this notion is that if it were more luck-heavy, players would feel less satisfied knowing they put minimum effort into the playing experience while winning. Players might also find it unfair to be beaten by a lucky player who has been doing bare minimum. With the correlation of skill, players now have ways to earn bonuses based on what they are good at doing.
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Game Review (bidding game)

Was it fun?

Yes i enjoyed playing this game

What were the player interactions?

we had to roll the dice and move that many spaces on the game board. Which ever color and number you rolled had a bidding label attached to it: open auction, private auction, silent/ secret auction. Each player had the opportunity to bid on the item that was played and the highest won it with the secret actual value attached.

How long did it take to learn?

It didn’t take long to catch on

Would you play it again?

Yes I would play this again

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

The collaborative aspect is trying to have people bid on your private auction item. The competition aspect was trying to outbid another player to win the item.

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Game review (salad game)

Was it fun?

Yes this game was fun

What were the player interactions?

We had to pass the cards around and pick which salad item we wanted. There were bonus cards to switch hands with other players, take two cards etc.

How long did it take to learn?

This game was easy to learn, I just got confused on how to add up points at the end

Would you play it again?

Yes i would play this again

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

There aren’t many collaborative aspects of this game, mostly just competing and strategizing to get the best salad in order to get the most points.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

The games metaphors is to build a salad. You can choose one color, which corresponds with a recipe to get bonus points if you finish the whole recipe. I liked the cards and how. Each player picked a number that corresponds to the dice roll and who gets to choose out of the playing hand first.

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Game Maker Notes of Counterfeit Couture v.2

Play Tested: Reece, Tori, Alana, Alyssa

What questions did players have? I need to edit the rules a bit to make sure it clarifies everything well. Perhaps add a quick game summary. I didn’t clearly explain value cards. They also asked which way to go around the board.

How quickly did they learn? Relatively quickly but it helped that somebody there had played before.

What kind of interactions did they have? Bluffing, selling, buying, tricking

What confused players? Value cards would’ve been confusing without a good explanation.

What excited players? Bidding and selling. They wanted more opportunities to sell their stuff. I will add another opportunity.

What did they enjoy doing? Seeing real objects for sale. Buying them just because they looked cool

What frustrated players? I think bidding in a circle may be unnecessary. It could function as a normal auction style.

Other Notes: I need to specify what happens if there is a tie in blind bids (becomes open bid between the two tied players). I previously thought private auctions needed a minimum bid. After this play test, I don’t think I do. The game should end when the first player gets back to start (or when fashion cards run out).

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Sara Estus – Week 13 Questions

What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?

               A working prototype functions with the game mechanics. It is often in rough shape and visual aesthetic due to the quick nature of wanting to work out the kinks of if and how the mechanics work. However, a display prototype is meant to be created to look as best as the game can, much like how the final product is expected to look.

What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause failure?

               A working prototype must have the basic needs that the mechanics determine, if you need to have a spinner, for example, that is something required. However, a failure can take place if the spinner is a makeshift creation, and it may function poorly creating lacking results in playtesting.

Where might you pitch your game?

In a school setting, you can pitch ideas to professors and your peers, to personally get feedback from a community you are familiar with. However, on a larger scale, you can pitch your ideas to gameboard companies, and companies that have created games like your own.

What do publishers look for in a game?

High quality, clear rules and game flow, good concept, and little to no flaws in gameplay.

What makes a good set of Rules?

               Rules that are concise, easily readable, straightforward, and not overwhelming.  While rule quantity can change depending on the age group, quality, and readability should not change

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Rotten to the Core (collab game) Playtest with Laura 

Game Maker’s Play Tests Notes

This test I modified the rules a little bit to have it so that once you obtain 3 investigation cards, you can roll again to see if you can frame another player. That player had an opportunity to refute this and could roll to reject it or not. 

  • What questions did your players have? She had questions about how the investigation cards worked; like if you can pick which one to pawn off on another player. 
  • How quickly did they learn to play? She learned how to play the game almost instantly. 
  • What kinds of interactions did the players have? Pawning off investigation cards to each other and trying to reject the ones that were pawned off. 
  • What confused players? The investigation card mechanics were confusing, but that was mainly because this was an experimental test. 
  • What made players excited? The card art, the funny scenarios, and flipping through the decomposition booklet. 
  • What did your players enjoy doing? Flipping through the decomposition booklet, having the opportunity to frame other players and block other players’ attempts to frame you. 
  • Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? Being unlucky and accumulating so many investigation cards. 

Player Questions (mine)

  • What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? There was no point in even picking up the Fungi or Bug cards when you land on Snowy on the spinner, because they aren’t worth any points. If you landed on Snowy and also rolled Fungi or Bug then, it was a waste of time with no points earned. 
  • What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I think our game is super cute. I enjoyed framing with the investigation cards.
  • Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I can’t quite articulate it, but I wanted the experience with the investigation cards to be better
  • If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Make the investigation cards not mean so much if you are going to win or lose the game
  • What should be improved with the next version? work on the framing and investigation cards some more, maybe reconsider the end of the game
  • Describe the game in 3 words. adorable, dark, bugs!

Some takeways and ideas

  • Change the pt values on the cards so they aren’t identical to the spinner and maybe add some more variety among the cards with the pt values
  • Include the dice logos on the backs of the cards
  • Fix the coloring on the scale, and also fix the spaces because they are uneven
  • Maybe experiment with some dark and grimy colors
  • Make colors more distinguishable on the point scale
  • Maybe make specific cards that are just for framing other players
  • Maybe add another way to get rid of the investigation cards
  • Maybe just go back pts on the scale anyway 
  • Maybe everyone goes to 50 pts and then everyone can subtract their pts from the investigation cards 

Next Playtest Ideas

  • Everyone goes until 50 pts and THEN subtract their points 
  • Allow people to frame other people with the investigation cards at any time when they pick one up (and it has to be the one they just picked up) 
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Game Reviews

Monopoly

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? buying plots of land and giving money to the banker
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning how to play, playing the game, and then finding out who wins at the end by seeing who has the most money
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? the game is competitive as you are tying to be the person to have the most money and plots with houses or hotels.

sorry!

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? landing on other players to send them back home
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, being the first to have all their pieces in the upper home
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive aspects were sending other players home and being the first to win.

trouble

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? landing on other players to send them home
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, being the first to get all your pieces lined up in the safe area
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? landing on other players to send them home and being the first to get all pieces in the safe area.

taboo

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? having your teammate guess what you are trying to make them guess
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, collecting the most points in the end
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? it is both because you have a teammate guessing to get points and you are trying to beat the other team

battleship

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? guessing where their ship is
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, sinking all the opponents ships
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – sinking the other persons ship

heads up

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? having your teammate guess who they were by you giving them hints and vise versa
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, seeing who guess the most cards and they win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? having your teammate guess who they were by you giving them hints and vise versa and seeing who guess the most cards and they win

chutes and ladders

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? grabbing cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, being the first to make it to the top
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – being the first to make it to the top

apples to apples

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? one person recieving cards from everyon else and finding out which one is funniest
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, seeing who has the most cards at the end
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – who can make the person reading the cards laugh more

operation

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? picking up the organs out of the body
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game, being the one to have the most organs
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to have the most organs at the end of the game

guess who

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? guessing who the other psrson has
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, being the one to guess who first
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – guessing who the other person has before they guess who you have

chameleon

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? writing down similar words to the main word but if you are the chameleon you dont know the word and have to make the other players think you arent
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, having the most points at the end
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – trying to sound like you know what you are talking about

connect 4

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? placing chips into the game to connect 4
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learnig the rules, playing the gamee, being the first to connect 4
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – being the first to connect 4

go fish

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? picking up cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playin g the game, collect the most sets of four cards that match in number to win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – being the first to collect the most sets of 4 cards

crazy 8s

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? communicating what suite you want , placing cards down and picking them up
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game by changing the suite of the card and placing down cards in that suite in order to get rid of all of your cards , see who wins by getting rid of all of your cards.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive- you are tying to beat the other players by being the first one to get rid of all of your cards

uno attack

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? attacking people with cards, picking up and placing down cards, communicating the color you want
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by being the first person to get rid of all your cards and trying to sabotage the other players by attacking them, the winner is the first one to get rid of all of their cards.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are attempting to be the first person to get rid of all of your cards while trying to make the other players gain cards. You also want to try to stay away from the color that another player needs.

solitare

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? picking up and placing cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by placing the cards in order from king to ace while following a red then black pattern and then go from ace to king, once you go from ace to king you win.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat the game therefore, if you lose or give up, the game wins

scattergories

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? seeing who got the most ideas, writing down ideas
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by writing down words that start with a specific letter and fall under a specific category, the player with the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to get the most words under the category within the time limit to beat the other players

war

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? placing cards down
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game by dealing the whole deck and placing down cards and whoever has the higher card claims it, the person who gets the whole deck wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat the other player by placing down the higher card even though its random

kings in the corner

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? placing down cards, collecting cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by placing the kings in the corner and working down to an ace with following the pattern red black, the first player to get rid of all their cards wins even if not all the kings in the corners are finished
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the first player to get rid of all your cards

500 rummy

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? placing down and picking up cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game by creating runs of 3 or more and collecting cards from the discard pile until you have no cards then continue doing rounds until you reach 500 points 1-9 = 5 points 10-K = 10 points Ace = 15 points, the player who reaches 500 points first wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to have the most points to ensure you can win

spoons

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? grabbing the spoon, passing cards, picking up cards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game by trying to collect 4 of a kind once you do you grab a spoon which then allows everyone to grab a spoon if you don’t get a spoon you get a letter and if you spell out spoon you lose, the players who have the least amount of letters win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be able to get the 4 of a kind first in order to guarantee you’ll get a spoon. even if you don’t get it first, you want to have quick reflexes in order to grab a spoon before there are none left

wii sports resort swordplay

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? swinging the wii remote, holding b to block
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by swinging your wii remote and blocking your sword to have the other player fall off the platform, whoever knocks the player of twice wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to get the other player to fall off the platform and keep yourself on it by blocking and hitting the other player

wii sports resort wakeboarding

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? holding the wii remote horizontally and swinging it up to jump over the wake and then holding it steady to land and get points
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game jumping over the wakes within the 2-3 minutes and gaining points, whoever has the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to get the most points to beat your opponent(s) or if you are playing alone, trying to beat the high score

wii sports resort frisbee dog

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? swinging the wii remote like you would a frisbee and clicking on your dog to collect the frisbee
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by tyring to aim for the 100 point section or if you cant get that the 50 or 10 point will work as well. you also want to hit the balloon in the second round to gain the maximum amount of points, the player with the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat your opponent by getting the most points or if you are playing solo you want to beat the high score. collaborative – you can play in teams where the first person plays the first half and the second person plays the second half, the first persons performance impacts the second players balloon points by how large the points are

wii sports resort archery

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? holding the wii remote and the nunchuck like a bow and arrow, hold a when ready and c to draw the bow back then release c to shoot it, the wii remote aims
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by shooting at the target and trying to get all 10s within the 4 rounds to beat your opponent, the player with the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat your opponent by getting the most points. collaborative – you can do teams where you take turns shooting the arrow for your team, if you do bad it reflects through your points

wii sports resort basketball

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? dribbling, blocking, shooting, and stealing the ball
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by shooting the ball into the basket and blocking your opponent when they are trying to shoot the ball, the player with the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to block your opponent from shooting the ball and steal it when possible, when you are shooting you are trying to get the most points possible within the time limit of 3 minutes to win the game

wii sports resort table tennis

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? hitting the ball, dealing the ball
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by hitting the ball towards your opponent and trying to make it hard for them to hit it back if they miss you get a point and vise versa, the player that gets to 6 points first wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the person to get to 6 points first by having your opponent miss the ball or for them to hit it off the table

wii sports resort golf

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? swinging the wii remote like a gold club, aiming the shot
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by getting the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots to try and get a negative score, the person with the lowest amount of points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat your opponent by having the lowest score. collaborative – you can work in teams by taking turns shooting the ball, the worse you do the worse it makes your team look.

wii sports resort bowling

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? bowling the ball fast or slow, turning your wrist to have the ball curve,
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by trying to knock down the pins by either getting strikes or spares within 10 frames to get points, the player with the most points wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the person with the most points so you can beat your opponent. collaborative – you can play in teams where you take turns each frame to get either a strike or a spare, how you do reflects on your team

wii sports resort power cruising

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? holing the wii remote and the nunchuck horizontally in each hand and twisting for a speed boost, also hold a to move
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by going through the rings before the time runs out on each ring til you get to the finish line. the higher the time the better the score, the person with the most points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the person with the most points so you can beat your opponent

wii sports resort canoeing

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? swinging the wii remote like a paddle to move your canoe
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by either avioding the obstacles and crossing 5 lines first if you are playing vs or if you are playing teams trying to beat the duck family, in vs – first to 5 points wins and in teams if you beat the duck you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat your opponent by crossing the 5 lines first. collaborative – you want to work with your teammate as you are in the same canoe to beat the ducks

wii sports resort cycling

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? holding the wii remote in one hand and the nunchuck in the other and moving them like your feet would move on a bike, pressing b to break
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure. learning the rules, playing the game by cycling through the course while avoiding obstacles and making sure you don’t run out of hearts because you’ll have to stop and drink water, first to cross the finish line wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the first to cross the finish line so you need to use strategy to make sure you get there efficiently. collaborative – if you play teams you need to work together to sync your movements to move faster and beat the other players to the finish line.

wii sports resort air sports

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? pressing a to fire, pressing b to cut the engine, turning the wii remote to move the plane, pushing it forward for a speed boost, pulling it backward for a speed decrease.
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by trying to hit your opponents balloon on the back of their plan so they go down to 0 points. going through the point boosters to get more points. avoiding the other player so they cant shoot back at you, whoever has the most points after the 3 minutes wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to sabotage your opponent in order to make them go to 0 points, which will end the game, or maintain the highest amount of points to win

mario kart wii

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? turning the wii remote to steer, hold 2 to go forward, 1 to go backward, arrows to throw an object, a to look behind you, and b to break
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by driving through the courses while avoiding obstacles and other players to get into first place. each race has three laps. you play 4 races to win. the better of a place you are in the more points you get, whoever has the most points at the end of 4 races wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to beat all the other players and get the most points to win while avoiding obstacles and throwing obstacles to hit other players.

epic mickey

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the nunchuck to move, twisting the wii remote to knock back blobs or get resources from plants, holding c to shoot paint or thinner
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by going through stages to defeat the mad doctor, once you beat the game you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat the mad doctor so essentially if you quit or give up you lose and the mad doctor would “win”

epic mickey 2

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? for mickey – using the nunchuck to move, twisting the wii remote to knock back blobs or get resources from plants, holding c to shoot paint or thinner. for oswald – using the nunchuck to move, twisting the wii remote to knock back blobs or get resources from plants, hold b to shoot your lazor, tap b to make a lazor bubble, press z to throw the boomerang.
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by working together to defeat the mad doctor again by completing stages, once you both defeat the mad doctor you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? collaborative – you are working together to defeat the mad doctor, some stages you cant get through without the help of mickey or oswald

wii party

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? aiming the wii remote at the screen, pressing buttons, shaking the wii remote
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by playing a bunch of mini games, whoever wins the minigame wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – most if not all the mini games are where you are competing the other players in order to win

wii fit

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the wii remote and/or the nunchuck as the games describes, standing, running, and stepping on the wii fit board
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by either doing a wii fit test which calculates your age based off of your skills on the minigames or play mini games that will test your physical skills, whoever wins the mini game wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you get points based on how well you do and you want to get a high number of points to beat your opponent, if you do the wii fit test, to win you need to get as close to your age as possible to “win”

just dance

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? holding the wii remote, dancing
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by copying the dance the person on the screen does to get points, the person with the highest number of points wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – the better you dance the more points you get, so you want to get a lot of points

big beach sports

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the wii remote to play the mini games
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by playing different mini games, whoever wins the mini game wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to get the most points in each game so that you can beat your opponent

birthday party bash

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the wii remote to play the mini games
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by completing different types on mini games, whoever wins the mini games wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to get the most points in each game so that you can beat your opponent

wipeout: create and crash

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the wii remote to duck, slide, and jump and using the nunchuck to move forwards and backwards
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by qualifying in each course to get to the final course where you are trying to beat the two other players times to win the 50,000 dollars, once you do that you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat everyone elses times to have the best time and win the entire game

disney princesses

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the wii remote to shoot the monsters and the nunchuck to move
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by completing each princess stage by completing tasks and killing the monsters, one you complete every princess stage you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? collaborative – you are working with your teammate to complete the stages

Ispy

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using your wii remote to click items and move around
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by finding the items in each stage, once you complete every stage you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? collaborative – you are working with your teammate to beat every stage and win the game

candy land

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? picking up cards, moving your game piece
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by picking up cards that tell you where to move and the moving your character til you make it to the end, first to make it to the end of the path you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the first to the end of the path

clue

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? moving your character to different rooms, guessing parts
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by trying to figure out who killed the person, what they used, and what room it happened in, once you figure that out you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the first person to find out who did it with what and where

scrabble

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? placing down letters to make words
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by placing down letters on the board to make words, once there are no more spaces or letters you count up the points and whoever has the most wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to have the most points at the end of the game by using strategy to use letters with high points

mancala

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? moving the balls from place to place
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by moving the ball around the board to try and collect balls if they land in your pouch, once there are no more balls on the board you count the number of balls in your pouch and whoever has the most wins.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to have more balls than your opponent to win

hungry hippos

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? hitting the hippo to collect balls
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by hitting the back of the hippo so that it opens its mouth and eats the balls, once the balls run out each player counts the number of balls they have and whoever has the most wins
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the player with the most amount of balls so that you can be the least hungry hippo

checkers

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? moving the checker, collecting checkers
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by moving the checker diagonally only one spot in order to collect your opponents checkers, one you collect all of their checkers you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you want to be the person to collect all of your opponents checkers before they do the same to you

crossy road

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? tapping the screen to move, swiping left or right to move left or right
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by crossing the road, once you get a highscore you “win” but the game is essentially never ending
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat your own high score

slither.io

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? moving your curser to change directions, holding down to speed up
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by collecting dots and killing other snakes to get large and be the number one player, once you do that you “win” but there is no real achievement to the game
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to kill the other snakes and avoid getting killed to get to number 1

dumb ways to die

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? tapping, swiping, and holding the screen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by playing different mini games to get a high score, one you get a highscore you “win” although the game is never ending
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive- you are trying to beat your own high score

minecraft

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the arrows to move, hitting the button to jump, holding the screen to break a block and tapping the screen to add a block
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by gathering materials and building things in order to beat the ender dragon, once the ender dragon is killed you beat the game
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive- you are trying to keep yourself alive from the mobs in the game, collaborative – you can work with other players to beat the game and stay alive

temple run

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? swiping the screen to jump or slide, tilting your phone to go to different sides of the path
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game collecting coins and powerups to stay alive as you are getting chased by a monkey, once you beat your highscore you “win” although the game is never ending
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to stay alive from the monkey and you are trying to beat your own high score

hay day

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? tapping the screen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by completing challenges and building your farm, the game is technically never ending
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to be better than everyone else

sims 4

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? making your sims do things to have a successful life
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game?

flappy bird

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions?
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by having your sims complete tasks and stay alive, once your sim dies if they had a successful life you can consider that a win as there is no real way to win the game
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to keep your sim alive to you are beating death essentially

simcity

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? tapping on the screen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by building an empire by creating materials, and upgrading budling and keeping your sims happy
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat the other players cities by having a higher level than them

good pizza

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? tapping and dragging the screen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game by building pizzas to get money and unlock different toppings and upgrades as well as completing levels, once you complete all the levels you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? competitive – you are trying to beat all the levels where each level is beating a different opponent by having the better pizza shop

mario kart ds

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing all the grand pris to unlock all the characters, karts, and races
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds wipeout

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing all levels and challenges to unlock all characters and outfits
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds wipeout 2

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing all the challenges and levels to unlock all the characters
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds zhu zhu pets

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing all the levels to win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds petz: nursery 2

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, and completing challenges til you animal grows up
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds duck amuck

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, once daffy duck gets so angry he explodes you win
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as its a solo game

ds pac-man world 3

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing each level
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? neither as it is a solo game

ds littlest pet shop

  1. Was it fun? yes
  2. What were the player interactions? using the controls and the pen
  3. How long did it take to learn? 10 minutes
  4. Would you ever play it again? yes
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.learning the rules, playing the game, completing all the challenges
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game? it is neither s its a solo game

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Questions For Week 12-13

  • Question Set 1
    • What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype? A working prototype is designed to show how the product functions and allows users to test and interact with it. While a display prototype focuses more on the appearance, showing off its design elements without it functioning fully or properly.
    • What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail? A working prototype needs to formally represnt the core functions and key features of the final product. A protype may fail if  it lacks essential features, has design flaws that hinder functionality, is not built with realistic materials, or if testing reveals critical issues that cannot be easily addressed.
    • What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu? First Impression, the prototype needs to be a good demonstration of the functions and design of the final game.
    • What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game? Two things that I will take with me to help me pitch my game are “Don’t take yourself or your idea too seriously. The world will survive without you and your game”; “Sell yourself first, then your idea.” I really like the last one because you have to allow your audience to be able to trust you first before they want to invest in you.
    • Where might you pitch your game? I would love to pitch this to someone in the basketball community, it could be a basketball francise, team, or organization.
    • What do publishers look for in a game? Publishers look for game that has good functionality, design, and it fun to play.
    • What makes a good set of Rules? A good set of rules for a board game are clear, concise, and easy to understand, While still hiding all the important details. They should also be well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to look through.

  • Question Set 2
  • Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s outline.

In this basketball-themed game, players compete to earn the most points by completing trivia questions and physical challenges related to basketball history and rules. The game board features spaces that trigger either a “Trivia” or “Challenge” based on whether the player rolls an odd or even number. Upon landing on a space, players must complete the task associated with the space to earn points.

Trivia cards present multiple-choice questions about basketball, with four answer options. Another player reads the question aloud, and the player who landed on the trivia space must choose an answer. Points are awarded based on correct answers, with the answers hidden under a flap for verification.

Challenge cards require players to perform physical activities or tasks related to basketball. Some challenges may involve team participation, in which case the player drawing the card selects teams. Each member of the winning team earns the points indicated on the card.

The game continues as players move around the board, earning points for correct answers and successful challenges. After all players have completed their rounds, the player with the most points wins the game. This fun and interactive game combines knowledge of basketball with physical skill, offering a dynamic experience for players of all ages.

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Game Documentation – The Lamp

Rules Version 1 

The Lamp RulesDownload

Rules Version 2 

The Lamp Rules Version 2 (1)Download

Changes Made in This Version:

  • Clarify that when you choose not to roll anymore you cannot change your mind and go back into the game
  • Allow players to move backward by playing a trading post card, giving it more functionality 
  • Added an area on the board where the light stays on at given point in time

Temporary Gaming Marathon Rules (didn’t end up playing it though)

Gaming Marathon – The Lamp Rules Version 2Download

Changes Made in This Version:

  • Created more opportunities to buy lights at the trading post, when you land OR pass a trading post space you could shop for some lights (that way I didn’t have to redesign the board entirely)

Future Changes 

  • Explore more opportunities where players will move backwards, such as when the light is off or when someone plays a trading post card
  • Create more ways to earn points
  • Change the shape of the board path a little bit
  • Maybe incorporate action dies or cards that affect turns 
  • Add more opportunities for player interaction
  • Add 1,2,3,4 on the back of the survival achievement cards 
  • Make sure that next time I have the ON and OFF dice instead of a 1-6 die, like I originally intended
  • Include reminders on the board itself to let players know what the number on the die means for collecting orbs
  • Make the board bigger
  • Create more opportunities to collect trading post cards 
  • Add functions to the trading post cards that allow you to distract players with the new light source
  • Design my own graphics for some of the cards that I used placeholder stock imagery and AI generated photos
  • Get some little moth player tokens made

Thoughts and Lessons Learned from Playtesting

  • From playtesting this game, I feel as though I have a lot of work to do to make this game the quality I want it to be. I need to work on the shape of the paths on the board as well as other mechanics for making the moths wander away from the lamp when it is not on. I also learned that players really liked being able to turn on and off the little lamp while playtesting, and generally seemed to like the game’s graphics. I would like to further refine this game one day as well, as I feel it is not too overcomplicated and is an original game idea. However, I probably won’t make any major changes to this game throughout the rest of this semester. 

Photos 

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Garden Sabotage Documentation

Rule Set 1 

Garden Sabotage RulesDownload

Rule Set 2 

Garden Sabotage Rules Version 2Download

The changes that I made from the first version to this version include:

  • adding the pesticide cards as a tangible form to get rid of the bugs
  • Making good bug cards worth more since they are so rare in the deck as well as adding more
  • Adding a Golden Watering Can card that gives the first player to reach 5 objective cards more points
  • Making it 5 cards to trigger the final round instead of 7
  • Clarifying some areas of the rules, particularly with discarding cards, the amount of plants you can plant in your garden per turn, and what plant is eaten by a bug
  • Adding the option to dig up the plants in your garden 
  • Action reminder cards that you can refer to throughout the game
  • Incorporated a game board into the rules that would have specific places for the cards so that it doesn’t get confusing 

Future Changes

  • Actually design the game board with the different spots for the cards, making the setup easier and adding to the game’s aesthetics
  • Maybe add a spot for the bug cards on the player mats
  • Get rid of the two face-up bug cards, as it makes it too easy to sabotage and get exactly the bug card you want
  • Clarify and simplify the rules further. For instance, clarifying the pesticide rules and that the order you lay down your cards on the player mat doesn’t matter. 
  • Design my cards myself, by hand, instead of the placeholder AI generated art (most likely a stippling style, undecided if I would do color or not)
  • Add names on the backs of the cards so that the stacks of cards are more easily identifiable or adding the name on the game board itself 
  • Add more instructions on the cards themselves (like what happens with a bug card or pesticide card)
  • Add point values onto the good bug cards so players don’t just need to refer to the rules
  • Maybe have a way to protect certain plants/flowers in your garden
  • Maybe rename the plant cards to be flower cards?

Thoughts and Lessons Learned From Playtesting

  • I learned a lot from playtesting this game. I realized that there is a need to clarify and simplify some the rules more. I thought I had a pretty solid set of rules until it was playtested and the group didn’t really understand it. 
  • Along with that, I also learned that I really needed to distill some of the information for players since the game is complicated with the amount of actions you can take on each turn. This is why I created the action reminder cards.
  • I thought that the players generally seemed to have a pretty good time playing this game. The player’s interaction with sabotaging others’ gardens with bugs was a mechanic that players really seemed to like. 
  • I would like to continue refining this game at some point, but I likely will do that in the future, but not too much more during this class. I think that it is a pretty solid game idea and I have a lot of the rules and mechanics worked out to the way I want them to be, but I feel as though this isn’t the most original idea for a game. However, I think this game has a lot of potential for the design aspect of it, and I am really really into drawing bugs and plants lately. 

Details and Photos of the Game:

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Game Documentation for: Buccaneer Builders

Rules/Photos:

Buccaneer BuildersDownload

Game when setup

Piece Details

Simple design Iterations

  • Prototyping made with cardstock and printer paper. Vibrant colors appeal more to the eye, setting the light-hearted tone of the game. Simple but gets the point across.

Overview of Changes made

  • One of the most important changes I made in the game was the implementation of blueprints. Without the blueprints, players would make sloppy pirate ships that did not fit the standard of the instructions. With blueprints, players could align the building materials within the grids of a 3×3 sectioned mat.
  • The next change was subtle, but more significant than I thought… I increased the amount of info cards everybody gets, from 1 to 3 (total). With one info card, people had to take turns passing around a single card with small information. Now, players can feel free to keep their own card to themselves for reference.
  • Lastly, I added the “captain” role, which allows a separate player from the crew to judge which boat suffices. The captain compares the instructions to the final build and determines which boat wins. This role is niche and not required, but necessary in establishing order, preventing petty arguments.

Overview of Changes to make

  • I’d say if I kept the game going, I would decorate/fix up the building instructions, because some things aren’t exactly clear. Additionally, I would have to make the same arrangements with the game rules.
  • More pieces. More things to build upon the ship to make the game more challenging. Potential things such as a cannon, barrel, or even a treasure chest could make way into the playing experience.
  • Some people said that my game was easy. Something that crossed my mind was amping up the difficulty, but I wouldn’t want to make the game ridiculously hard. I have to find a way to maybe implement a sabotage method which would raise the stakes.

Thoughts and Lessons Learned from Playtesting

  • One lesson learned during the playtesting phase was maintaining a sense of equality in my game. When I’m designing a playing experience, I must make the game mechanics manageable for everyone to pick up, rather than being a tight skill margin. I’ve noticed that Buccaneer Builders is more for the quick-of-hand, so appealing to everyone’s skill would make for a more successful game.
  • Frankly, I must take into consideration that the instructions aren’t what people think they are. To me, everything makes sense in my own wording, but from another viewpoint, something might not add up. This revolves around my game rules, which need to deliver a message neater and quicker.
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Cat Game (Looking For Opinions)

Some of you guys played my cat game and left some awesome suggestions. Here are some updates I’d like to add to it, and Character ideas I would like for people to have.

Character Ideas:

  • King Cat (White Siamese)(can smack anyone they want down one level, only once)
  • Ragdoll Cat (Prone to falling over, but can discard other disadvantage cards)
  • Black Cat (Best luck in the whole game!(Can pick 2 cards from activity )
  • Orange Cat (Can steal out of anyone’s deck, but cant see which card they get)
  • Trash cat(Can steal one treat from one person each turn)

Character cards will always be picked randomly (Need more character Ideas, feel free to tell me if these need changed too!)

New Ideas:

Instead of Treats moving you up a level, you can spend/eat your treats on different items and abilities to help you move up a level.

Card Ideas:

  • Cat Fight- Two Players roll dice, whoever gets bigger number gets to pick something out of other players hand
  • Laser Pointer- Distract other players (need an idea for the rest of this)
  • Vacuum Cleaner- Everyone looses treats (Play Immediately)
  • Eat your treat- Forced to discard 3 of your treats (Play Immediately)
  • Biskets- Benefit card

Posted on

Game Review (Art Heist)

Alana Tush

Was it fun?

Yes this game was fun, I think it was a little awkward in a classroom setting though, but i think it would thrive at a calm friend gathering.

What were the player interactions?

Accusing each other of being the art robber

How long did it take to learn?

This game was easy to learn, it was very quick

Would you play it again?

I would play this again outside of the classroom setting