Part 4 Questions
What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?
Working prototypes are designed to be tested and evaluated by play testers and publishers while display prototypes are merely designed to catch distributers/buyers eyes – not actually be tested.
What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail?
It has to be clear, and playable, and thoroughly tested. If a protype has not been tested enough, this can cause it to fail.
What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu?
- A good first impression
- Having clear and well-written rules
- Having sensible and are well constructed components
- A good/lasting final impression
What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game?
Be prepared, information is power, sell yourself first, don’t be deterred by rejection, control your ego, keep your expectations realistic, don’t hesitate, consider multiple submissions, don’t deal with invention marketing firms, get a good agent, build a good prototype, don’t overlook brand power
Where might you pitch your game?
To a publisher accepting submissions from the general public, but ideally I’d also find a publisher to pitch to that are has a background in publishing games similar in type to the one that I made.
What do publishers look for in a game?
Fun , player interaction, the ability to start playing quickly (having fun quickly), use of strategy, an interesting theme, complimentary rules and themes, immersivity, solid rules and strong mechanics, innovative rules, innovative components, easy to manufacture, product compatibility, correct target audiences, a good title, expansion potential, multi language capabilities, easy demoing, collectability
What makes a good set of Rules?
A compelling but simple overview, list of components, a clear setup, a clear gameplay with defined terms (if needed), card types and how they function, endgame/winning (scoring, how it ends), examples of play, strategy hints, optional rules, game variants, and credits
2 Player Game – Earn It
Earn It
Goal: To go through all the cards in the deck – Player with the most points at the end wins
Materials:
Regular deck of 52 cards
| Ace | Clap x1 |
| 2 | Clap behind your back x2 |
| 3 | Jumping Jacks x3 |
| 4 | Say earn it x4 |
| 5 | Snaps x5 |
| 6 | jump x6 |
| 7 | Say the word seven x7 |
| 8 | Hop on one foot x8 |
| 9 | Touch your elbow x9 |
| 10 | Slap the table |
| Jack (11) | Say your name backwards |
| Queen (12) | Rock, Paper, Scissors |
| King (13) | Thumb War |
*If neither player wants to complete the action associated with the card drawn, they can discard it to the bottom of the pile*
Setup;
Shuffle the deck, then place it between the two players
Gameplay;
Once the deck is shuffled the two players then each take turns pulling the top card off the deck and placing it face up on the table in front of them.
The youngest player starts.
Each card has a certain action attached to it that must be completed once the card is placed face up, the first player to complete the action gets the card.
Players play until the deck runs out
Scoring;
Points are the same in value has the number on the card
Part 3 Questions
What is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?
- A game designer creates the initial game, while developers are responsible for testing and changing the game to help it evolve into something better.
What commonly occurs during the game development process?
- Playtesting, rule revision, theming, naming the game
What are the challenges of balancing a game?
- number of components, components complexity, and cost
What should every player of your game believe? why?
In their ability to win/complete the game – so that they want to keep playing
How can you avoid stealing players fun?
- Don’t kick a player out before the end of a game
- Don’t put players in the position to choose who wins
- Don’t reward a leader
- include inherent declaration – slow a player who’s close to victory
- Have a good medium of player interaction/influence (not too little, not to much)
- Do not force anyone to go backwards in the game
What 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules?
- no intermediary terminology
- use real words
- no more work than necessary
- add some flavor/theme (do not go overboard)
- keep the text readable
- If you can’t write a rule, then discard it
- keep the rules sweet and simple
- keep text easy to read
- PLAY TEST
- check/fix any misprints
How has play testing changed your game?
- It has helped me to figure out the right math for my game in terms of what is “too hard” and “too easy” for players to accomplish based off their dice rolls/cards played.
Who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game?
- I got some really good feedback about my first game from the initial players, so I’d like to have some people who haven’t played yet play the next version. As for my second game, it hasn’t been ready to test yet, but I’d say the same. I feel like I’ve tested a lot of the same peoples games and had the same testers so I’d like to see other peoples opinions.
Who is the audience for your game?
- Anyone who enjoys playing games, and wants to have fun
Who should play test your game outside of class?
- I’ve had both my roommate and brother playtest my games previously. I think I would like to find a group of students either in the art center or on the quad who are willing to play and get opinions from people I’m not close with.
Thoughts on Captains Lost Treasure
Playtest for – Captain’s Lost Treasure
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
Slow pacing – Turns seemed to go on for a while
Unbalanced HP/ATK for crew members
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I liked the concept of the game, and attacking other players ships/crew members
Was there anything you wanted to do but couldn’t?
It would have been nice to have the ability to be more aware of other players ATK/HP (might be hard to implement in a draft but the idea of a slider or spinner on cards that shows the stats – the player sheets are nice to keep track but not super easy when trying to read other players)
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
Balance out the ATK/HP
How has the experience changed since the first play test?
N/A
Is this a game you would play again? Why?
Yes, I enjoyed the concept of the game and think it sounds fun, numbers just need adjusting.
Slasher Rules
Slasher is a card game where each player is thrown into the role of a horror film protagonist with multiple killers coming after them. Players are dealt a hand of cards that will act as the key to their survival and help them attack the slashers. The goal of the game is to play until all the slashers have been killed and earn as many points as you can.
Materials:
– Slasher Cards (includes five different killers)
– Player Cards (include weapons, items, and scenarios)
– Dice
– Point Tokens
– death (red), escape (white), and kill (blue)
Cards:
Slasher Cards
Slashers:
Point Value:
Dice rolls
To kill Slasher:
To die:
Ghostface
Value = 1
9 or higher
6 or lower
Chucky
Value = 2
10 or higher
6 or lower
Michael
Value = 2
10 or higher
6 or lower
Jason
Value = 1
9 or higher
6 or lower
Freddy
Value = 3
11 or higher
7 or lower
To Escape: Roll anything in between the two numbers above
Weapon Cards
– Weapon cards are what allow the players to attack against the Slashers.
Generic Weapons – A generic weapon card does not increase or decrease chances against killing a slasher, simply allows the players to attack.
Handgun – Increases chances at killing Chucky
Knife – Increases chances at killing Ghostface
Claws – Increases chances at killing Freddy
Lighter – Increases chances at killing Michael
Axe – Increases chances at killing Jason
Item Cards
– Item cards protect players from certain Slashers, and keep them alive even if they roll and dir during an attack
Michael’s Jumpsuit – voids an attack card against Michael
Freddy’s Hat – voids an attack card against Freddy
Ghostface’s Phone – voids an attack card against Ghostface
Chucky’s Overalls – voids an attack card against Chucky
Jason’s Glove – voids an attack card against Jason
Scenario Cards:
– Scenario cards are what change/disruot the flow of the game
Individual Cards – Require Individual players to do what is said on card (Can be held in hand unless they say to play immediately then they should be played first on a players next turn after drawing them.)
Group Cards – Require the group to do what is said on the card (Can be held in hand unless they say to play immediately then they should be played first on a players next turn after drawing them.)
Attack cards – If an attack card is drawn, it requires a player to attack a slasher regardless of weapon cards at the beginning of their turn.
Setup –
Each player is dealt 3 of the “player” cards, the remaining of which are sat face down in the middle of the table.
The Slasher Cards are sat in the middle of the table face down.
The point tokens are set in the middle of the table, in three different piles (organized by color)
To start the game, deal each player three player cards. Then pull the top slasher card and place it face up on the table.
Now you are ready to play.
The player to the left of the dealer starts.
Each player should be starting with a hand of three “player cards.” Player cards consist of weapons, items, and scenarios that can help or hinder a player’s chance at killing the Slashers.
A turn can consist of as many moves as a player wishes but ends when they draw a card from the remaining deck. (Unless players draw a “play immediately” card in which case, they will end their turn playing said card)
In a turn, players can…
A. play/equip a scenario card by placing it face up in front of them
B. Attempt to kill the slasher on the table by playing a weapon card and rolling dice. (The outcome of which depends on the listed numbers on the slasher cards)
C – Do nothing and end their turn by drawing from the deck.
Players will go clockwise around the group.
If a player escapes a slasher, they are given a white token.
If a player kills a slasher, they are given a blue token.
If a player fails to escape/kill a slasher, they “die” and receive a red token.
If a player kills a slasher, they collect that card and the value of it will be added to their points.
If a player draws a “Sequel” card then any slashers that they have killed, are placed back on the table (not in the deck) and players have to face against multiple slashers at once.
If player cards run out, reshuffle the discarded cards, and place them back into the drawing deck.
To determine who wins players must count up their points and the player with the highest score wins.
Scoring:
Red tokens = – 2
Blue tokens = 2
Yellow tokens =1
Slasher cards = their value (1,2, or 3)
Game Ideas – Collecting
1 – Hallo Hunt is a escape/scavenger hunt type of game where players are split into teams and are attempting to escape the maze first by collecting all the required clues to find the right way out.
2 – A physical game where a group of people stand in a circle with one person in middle who lists three things for each player (other than them) to go and grab, the other players race to get everything, and the first person back wins the round and becomes the new person in the middle
3 – Drought is a board game in which players play as a group of farmers who are competing to farm and sell their crops by making sure they collect and preserve enough water to ensure that their crops survive each drought season.
4 – BuildaZoo is a board game where players compete against each other to collect animals and build a the best zoo.
5 – Dandelions is a flower themed card game where players are each collecting flowers to grow their own garden.
Bohnanza Thoughts
I enjoyed the game Bohnanza, but found the trickiest/most compelling part of it to be that your hand order is fixed, and you have to play the cards in the order you have them in. It made the game more difficult, especially in the early part where you only had 2 plots to grow beans in, but also helped to “ensure” there was more player interaction. Because we wanted to remove certain cards before we had to play them we were more enticed to trade and give cards to each other.
Game Ideas – Survival Theme
1 – Zombies is a physical game in which players are split into two groups, zombies and survivors, the zombies goal is to infect all of the survivors without getting killed, and the survivors goal is to “kill” all the zombies without getting infected.
2 – House of Horror is a role-playing board game where players are separated and all attempting to escape from a Haunted House by first reuniting with other players and then using clues to find the correct way out.
3 – Survival of the fittest is a card game where players attempt to survive the end of the world by collecting various supplies, weapon, and safety cards and using them to level up their “survival skills”.
4 – Sink or Swim is a stacking game where players try to keep their game piece above the “water level” by using their own/stealing other/trading blocks.
5 – Battle Board is a board game where each player takes on the persona of a warrior and players them must make their way around the board, leveling up points and battling every time two players “meet” on the board.
Pandemic Game Review
I really enjoyed the game Pandemic. I don’t think I’ve played many board games where players are playing against the actual game rather than each other, so the collaborative element of it really stood out to me, and made it much more interesting and fun.
The game centers around a group of four different spreading diseases, and our goal as players was to cure the diseases. The first time through, we only managed to cure one disease, and also got caught off guard because we hadn’t realized that the game ends as soon as the cards run out. Realizing this, and having a bit of knowledge about the game now, we went into our second play through with a bit more strategy and managed to cure three of the four diseases.
Collaborative Game Ideas
1. Art Heist is a board game in which players play as a group of art thieves who are attempting to steal a famous painting by making their way around the board without getting taken out by security cards.
2. Trash to Treasure is a physical game where players are attempting to create a “treasure” using various everyday items that they might typically consider trash.
3. A New World is a card game where players are playing as a group of survivors who are in charge of rebuilding a society using resource cards.
4. Treasure Hunters is a board game where players work together to find the hidden treasure using each of their individual map pieces.
5. Traffic Jam is a puzzle game in which players work together to get their game pieces through the traffic jam by taking turns and solving the puzzle.
Card Game Ideas
- A speed based card game that’s played by going around the group in a circle, and taking (quick) turns attempting to lay any matching set of three in a row in the middle. The player who lays down the final matching card is the one who get’s the set, so you have to be smart about what cards you lay down and which ones you hold on to. It is also possible to void, block, and swap cards that are laid out on the table depending on what cards you pick up. Whichever player has the most matching sets of three at the end is the winner.
- A humor based card game similar to Cards Against Humanity, where players are dealt a series of cards with funny phrases, words, and fill in the blanks. Players go around the group and take turns laying down cards to create a story/sentence. The only catch is players aren’t allowed to speak or make noise. If a player does vocally react then they are out of the game, and a new round starts. This goes until there’s only one player standing.
- Slasher – a card game where each player is thrown into the role of a horror film protagonist with multiple killers coming after them. Players are dealt a hand of cards that will act as the key to their survival, and help them defeat, escape, or kill the slashers (all worth varying points). There are 4 total sections of this game, acting as different parts of the night. The goal of the game is to survive until the end of the night (all four sections), and earn as many points as you can.
- Deception – a trading based card game where each player is aiming to collect four of a kind, while not letting the other players catch on. It’s more or less a version of go fish where you’re allowed and encouraged to lie about which cards are in your hand. As long as you don’t get caught. If another player catches you in a lie you have to forfeit whatever cards you were lying about and then the entire game is down a set of four.
- Paparazzi – a card game where the goal is to collect as many celebrity picture cards as you can. Except the more pictures you collect, the harder they get to “take”. Players are thrown into wacky scenarios (sometimes at each others hand) and it is up to them and their cards to navigate a way out without losing their opportunity to take a picture card.
Week 2 Discussion Questions
1a. What Mechanics would you like to use for a game with a theme that revolves around being the size of a nanometer?
The first thing I thought of reading this was Little Nightmares for some reason, and then I kind of went with the aspect of playing as something so little and how it makes you have to play sort of cautiously. So, I think that game piece movement, and movement from area to area would be something I’d want to explore in terms of finding a way to incorporate that caution
1b. Who are you making games for?
Most of my ideas stem from things I myself enjoy, or find interesting. So, when I make a game I’d say its targeted at like-minded people.
1c. Who will be your play testers outside of class?
My roommate and my brother primarily. Potentially, some of my other classmates/friends as well.
2a. Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules?
Pictionary, Headbandz, War, Blackjack. These were all games that were easy for me to just jump in and play.
2b. How do you define what a game is?
To me, a game is a structured form of immersive entertainment.
2c. What features can make your games more intuitive?
I think that having a reason behind the games design is important , and not just creating game pieces mindlessly or because you “need” them. The pieces of the game should have a purpose that is easy and clear to see when you view them. They should also fit into the game as a whole.
3a. What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming?
Spoons. I mean I played all kinds of video games before, and boardgames here and there as a kid, but I can remember Spoons as being one of the first games I got truly fascinated with. I always wanted to play it, and I always enjoyed it.
3b. What features do gateway games share?
- They’re easy to learn/play
- They have a theme that can appeal to a wide variety of people.
- They’re simple
- They include interaction between players
- They are not solely based on skill
- They aren’t overly time-consuming, but also aren’t too short. They hit the sweet spot.
- They have an original aspect to them, something unique
- They are easy/fun to replay
4. What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for with your own?
- Kingmakers Noblesse Oblige
- BattleTech’s Heat
- Set’s Set-Making
- Magic’s Card Tapping
- Battle Cattle’s Cow Tipping Rule
- xXxenophile’s Popping
- Bohnanza’s Hand Order Rule
- Mississippi Queen’s Paddlewheels
- Time’s Up!’s Communicationn Breakdown
- Dominions Constant Shuffling
I should aim to have a game mechanic that makes the game enjoyable. Something that doesn’t feel tedious, but fun and works to elevate the game as a whole.
5. How does luck and strategy factor into game play?
Both Luck and Strategy are key factors in playing and winning a game. While playing with strategy comes from having a deeper understanding and knowledge of the game, it is still not always a surefire way to win. This is because luck exists randomly. It is a crucial part of gameplay that can either boost a player to a win, or cause their downfall. Luck is also what helps keep the game interesting, it’s an unpredictable lement and it helps to ensure different outcomes.
Campus Game Ideas
1.) GameDay is modeled after the stereotypical college traditions and superstitions that occur on Game Day, the game is designed to be played at tailgates or pre-game parties. The goal is to see who the number #1 fan is, and the game utilizes cards and a point system to accomplish this. Players take turns pulling cards, which can either have rules, superstitions, or dares that the players must follow, check, or accomplish. Each card is worth a different amount of points depending on what it says, and at the end, the player with the most points wins.
2.) In Case of Emergency is a game that revolves around the potential threat of an emergency occurring, it relies heavily on hypothetical elements as well as the players own awareness of their surroundings. The game starts out as a card with an emergency card, which lays out the emergency that is hypothetically occurring. Then players have to use the resources/supplies that they have on them and in their surrounding area to find a way they to survive the emergency. As the hypothetical situation unfolds, more cards can be added to change the situation and level of threat. Players can work against one another or together, the only goal is to find a way to survive.
3.) Lost & Found is a simple scavenger game, that works best with a large number of players. Each player is meant to take an object of theirs and then “lose” it in the games selected environment (a dorm building, classroom, or quad). No other players are meant to know where these objects are. From there lost objects are assigned to each of the players, and it’s their goal to find them. Players may use whatever means they have available in their search, but are not allowed to simply tell one another where lost objects are.
4.) Fork in the Road is a game that consists of at least two teams racing their way across a campus by following the walking paths. At the beginning of the game each game will be giving tasks, which could consist of a. collect something, b. “tag” out another team, or c. lay out a specific path the team must follow. Each time players come to a fork in the road, they’re allowed to head either direction. The main goal is for each team to accomplish their task, and then beat the opposing teams to the end point.
5.) Last Man Standing is competition based game, where players are pitted directly against one another. Much like truth or dare style games, each round has a sole task or dare that players need to complete in order to advance. These tasks/dares vary depending on the group of players and how they decide to play the game, the only goal is to be the last man standing.
Week 1 Discussion Questions
1.) In your opinion what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?
I believe that there are a few key factors that every game should have, things like competition, interaction, replayability, and a good hook. I like my favorite game because of it’s adaptability. Despite the rules staying the same, the game is able to change and variate depending on the people playing it, which I think keeps it interesting and fun.
2.) List the games you’ve played and currently play
- Chess
- Battleship
- Monopoly
- Life
- Clue
- Sorry!
- Trouble
- War
- Yahtzee
- Poker
- Spoons
- Settlers of Catan
- Throw Throw Burrito
- Cards Against Humanity
- Hedbanz
- Uno
- Pictionary
- Connect 4
- Tetris
- Magic
- BeatBlade
- Bubblemaster
- Tap Away
- Pac-Man
- Ms. Pac-Man
- Donkey Kong
- Galaga
- Arkham Asylum
- Arkham City
- Arkham Knight
- Arkham Origins
- Ghost Recon
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Lego Harry Potter
- Lego Indiana Jones
- Mario Kart
- Mario Party
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario Bros
- Super Smash Bros
- Mario Super Sluggers
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Wipe Out
- Animal Crossing
- Wii Sports
- Cyberpunk
- The Last of Us
- The Last of Us Part Two
- Fall Guys
- Genshin Impact
- The Sims 4
- MLB The Show 20
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Detroit Become Human
- Fallen Order
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Assassins Creed IV; Black Flag
- The Quarry
- Until Dawn
- Man of Medan
- Stray
- Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Horizon: Forbidden West
3.) Can you apply the three act structure to your favorite game? What is it’s pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?
Yes, I would say that the three act structure can be applied to my favorite game. The pacing of the game really depends on the players. While the first act usually starts off slow, it can also pass rather quickly if the players know what they are doing. Then you’re faced with the second act, which is what usually takes up the majority of gameplay. It’s easy to get “stuck” in the second act, especially as players get more competitive and rules sometimes get more complicated. Once you reach the final act, the game usually moves relativley quickly until it’s over, but not always. Sometimes the win can come seemingly out of no where and the game is over just like that. And other times, you can see it coming miles and miles before it actually does.
4.) When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic?
I don’t know if I would say that I really have one method I use more than the other. I think that my process involves a lot of mix and matching. I come up with a handful of metaphors and a handful of mechanics, and from there I sort of see what works with what and what I can put aside for something else. Although if I had to pick one I start with more than the other, I would say I tend to go with the mechanics of a game first, and then the theme.
5.) Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?
Someone I would like to collaborate with over the course of the semester would probably be my brother. He’s always been someone I can brainstorm with when I get stuck on something, and a part of that is because his brain functions sort of opposite of the way mine does. We balance out pretty evenly, and I think that he’s someone who could push me in a different direction and help me create something new.