Author: ConnorL

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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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User feedback for my Prototype #2 Baller Bros

  1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what they just played?
    • There is a non-redeeming comeback system, you are able to get a large lead without players being able to catch up.
  2. What was their favorite moment or aspect of what they just played?
    • The bright and colorful aesthetic to the game made it look appealing, such as the colorful ping pong balls and the flame design on the hoops.
  3. Was there anything that players wanted to do but couldn’t?
    • Players wanted to try again with the scoring, since they were unlucky enough to only get one attempt. They also wanted more point options/opportunities to make the game more fun.
  4. If players had a magic wand to wave, and they could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • Make a tiny point modifier to increase points, which would raise the stakes. Players also wanted a really hard hoop to score in, potentially a really thin margin for scoring.
  5. What should be improved with the next version?
    • Better rules, more clarification, and a third factor implemented to make the playing experience less linear.
  6. Describe the game in 3 words.
    • Lucky, simple, challenging

Game Maker’s Play Test Notes

  1. What questions did your players have?
    • “We have to bounce the balls twice?”
    • “How do we get rid of the ping pong balls?”
    • “Does the spinner matter if you are only focusing on getting rid of your ping pong balls?”
  2. How quickly did they learn to play?
    • There was a decent amount of confusion in the instructions, which delayed the learning process. It probably took around 15 minutes for players to understand the mechanics of the game. Once players learned how to play, they gave me suggestions to make the rules more comprehensible.
  3. What kind of interactions did the players have?
    • Players were constantly competing to score more points against each other. They would observe how other people are doing, and either feel relieved the other player missed, or determined to win when the player scored.
  4. What confused players?
    • They were concerned with the number of balls in correlation to the rounds. They also questioned if it was turn-based, or race-based. In other words, they didn’t know if they should wait for other players to take their turn, or rush against others to score.
  5. What made players excited?
    • Players got the most excitement out of their own skill. If they would score the greatest number of points, they would feel ecstatic. Furthermore, players would laugh at others that couldn’t score points, boosting their confidence in securing a win.
  6. What did your players enjoy doing?
    • Some players enjoyed the competition aspect of my game, competing in scoring the greatest number of points. Other players enjoyed engaging in the mechanics, bouncing the balls into the hoops or spinning the wheel. Along with the wheel, a couple people found the “luck” factor of the game intriguing.
  7. Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?
    • There were no clear established aspects that frustrated players. The only things I found that bothered them was understanding the instructions. They also felt that there needed to be more to the game to make it more fun.

Freezing Folly game rules Connor Locke + Reese Edwards

Setup – Players are given a deck of cards which are separated into two piles, a draw pile and a picking pile. Each player also gets their own character, which is placed at the top of the iceberg. To set up the cards, fill in the slots of the card picking grid, face down on the board. Once the grid is filled in for players to pick, separate the remaining cards into a normal pile.

Objectives – The goal of the game is to be the last person/people standing on the iceberg. Relying on your memory, you must choose the proper tools to stay afloat. 

Actions to take – The player who is the youngest goes first. During a turn, the player picks a card from the draw pile. Whatever the tool on the card is, the player must rely on their memory of the pick pile grid to choose the right card.

Before the game begins, all of the cards are to be facing up, revealing what they are…This way, players familiarize themselves with where the cards are. It’s all about memory. If the card from the draw pile matches what is selected from the pick pile, the player remains in the same spot they are currently in.

If the cards do not match, the player sinks down one tile on the iceberg. When a card is chosen, if the cards do not match, then the card picked is flipped back over on the grid, and the draw pile card is put at the bottom of the draw deck. If the cards match, the player that chose the right card discards the card from the picking pile and places it in a discard pile. 

Ending the game – Once all of the cards have been discarded from the picking pile, the game ends. Whether you are staying afloat on the iceberg or submerged determines whether you have won or lost. Once a player has descended below the water line, they have sunken and lost.

Example #1 – It’s Jimmy’s turn, and he picks a card from the draw pile. The card is a pickaxe, so he must choose a card from the pick pile on what he thinks is a pickaxe. The card he chose didn’t match, so he flipped back over the card.

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Week 8

Question Set 1

  1. What is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?
    • A game designer’s skill revolves around the game’s aesthetics. This includes concepts, plots, settings and textures for a game. A game developer writes the code and oversees the technicality of a game. Additionally, they implement the game designer’s concepts into the game.
  2. What commonly occurs during the game development process?
    • In the development phase, the game rules and mechanics are established. All of the final touches are made, and the rough edges are smoothed. When all is complete, the final game submission is ready to market by the developer.
  3. What are the challenges of balancing a game?
    • The primary challenge is one of numbers. Larger numbers of components create exponentially large numbers of possible interactions, with the potential to have an unbalanced interaction. The second challenge is the idea of “costing,” and how to deal with its complexity. Making a move, or using components always has a cost.
  4. What should every player of your game believe? Why?
    • A player must believe they have some reasonable chance to win until the game ends. This makes the game fun, as players have a goal to work towards.
  5. How can you avoid stealing players fun?
    • Don’t kick a player out before the game is over, never create a king chooser, don’t reward the leader, include inherent deceleration, and a player’s ability to influence other players should fall between “none” and “lots.” Finally, don’t force a reverse.
  6. What 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules?
    • Use no intermediary terminology
    • Use real words
    • Make no more work than necessary
    • Add flavor
    • Make your text no smarter than your reader
    • Discard rules that can’t be written
    • Take a breath
    • Go easy on the rules
    • Get your final version play tested
    • Fix it in the FAQ

Question set 2

  1. How has play testing changed your game?
    • Witnessing other people play my game helps me understand what I need to adjust. Whether it be the rules, or the design, criticism is always appreciated. In the end, I get to make my game something for everyone to enjoy.
  2. Who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game?
    • If I would have to choose, I think Evelyn should play test my game. She is really good at analyzing a problem, or quick to pick out something that doesn’t make sense. She has critiqued my board games which has helped me further develop them.
  3. Who is the audience for your game?
    • For most of my games, I’d say my target audience is my age group. I make my games complicated enough for older audiences to understand, not something a child would find easy. Additionally, I enjoy playing games with my friends, so my games typically pertain to my generation.
  4. Who should play test your game outside of class?
    • My friends, because I can trust them to be blunt with me. My friends aren’t afraid to tell me if something is wrong, so they will straight up tell me anything I need to know. Even yet, they can help brainstorm different concepts they’d like to see in my game.

Gallery Grippers Game Review

  1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • There is a lot of information to consider. Everything can be a bit confusing at first, which is why the rules need additional clarification.
  2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • I liked the challenge of trying to make it to the exit. When I have a ton of paintings, I get nervous I will get caught when trying to make it back to the exit. This adds some suspense to the game.
  3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • I wanted to use my cards more often or put them to better use. The only time you use the cards is when you set off an alarm or if you get caught by security. Maybe there could be a way to get cards with different powerups?
  4. If you had a magic want to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • Add a way to mess with other players. Maybe a way that we can either help each other out or use cards to take paintings from other players.
  5. What should be improved with the next version?
    • There should be more established rules, with more clarification on cards and tiles. I think that the math system should be more clarified, because it was tricky for me to understand it at first.
  6. Describe the game in 3 words.
    • Challenging, interactive, intriguing

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Playtest for Tasty Travel

  1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The instructions were a little vague, there was a lot that needs clarification. However, I think that the game was very fun and has great opportunity to flourish.
  2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • I liked the different ingredient tokens, not only do they provide many different food recipe combinations, but they are also cool little art pieces. I think that there could definitely be more food pieces.
  3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • I wanted to move more, but along with movement, I wish the paths were longer. I wanted to be able to take ingredients from other people since a country ran out of a certain ingredient that I really needed.
  4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • More tiles to run around on, maybe with special abilities. It would add another level of intensity to the game.
  5. What should be improved with the next version?
    • More rule clarification, along with the chef ability determinations. I’m eager to experience how the chef roles work.
  6. Describe the game in 3 words
    • Detailed, Competitive, Lucky
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Week 6 – Prototyping, Presenting and Test

Playtest for: Zoomiez

  1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • Luck was not on my side, I kept rolling odd numbers, so I kept having to take a treat.
  2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • My favorite aspect was that everyone is striving to reach a goal, but players can choose to interfere with another player’s journey. If you want to play the game safer, collect more treats, but you are able to play aggressively too.
  3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • I wanted more sabotage options, or more ways to cause mayhem during the game. I think mechanics like that make the game more competitive and funnier.
  4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • I brought up the idea that there should be a laser pointer card that distracts the other players from reaching the top of the tower, preventing them from playing. This was already changed during the playing process, but I also wanted the risky jump card to be a 50/50 split, so even numbers allow you to jump while the odds don’t.
  5. What should be improved with the next version?
    • The only thing I’d say is more diversity in the card options, improving the gameplay. This would also allow for some interesting interactions between the players.
  6. Describe the game in 3 words
    • Simple, Relaxing, Funny

Game Maker’s Play Test Notes

  1. What questions did your players have?
    • “Is the round timed” “Do we take turns building?” “Are the dashes on the board the points you earn?” “Is this a race?”
  2. How quickly did they learn to play?
    • Since the rules are fairly simple, it only took a game or two for them to understand. Little things need more clarification though, so that interfered with their learning capabilities.
  3. What kinds of interactions did the players have?
    • The players were racing against each other, constant competition. Once somebody wins, they yell “ahoy!” When it came time to determine who won, players also started arguing on who finished first.
  4. What confused players?
    • The pieces that they had to use. They had to refer to the info card. Sometimes, they would struggle with the instructions.
  5. What made players excited?
    • The thrill of the race, along with the simplicity of the rules. People kept going for the harder cards, so they were excited when they earned the maximum amount of points.
  6. What did your players enjoy doing?
    • They enjoyed the ship building; they thought it was interesting. Players even recommended more pieces to add.
  7. Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?
    • The benefit is for the faster-handed people, so they suggested I add elements to raise the stakes. There was a lot of player discourse between who build their ship first, so it was recommended that a judge was present.

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Week 5 – Resources, Collecting and Trading

Sushi Go! Game review

  1. Was it fun?
    • Yes, it took a bit of time to get used to, but it was very fun once learned.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • Everybody took turns choosing sushi cards and rotating hands. Players would count up their card points based on certain card rules.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • The game actually took a but to get used to, because each card type has its own scoring system. Though the cards were diverse, the concept was simple, so it only took 10 minutes.
  4. Would you ever play it again?
    • Yes, I’d play it again. Although it would take some time explaining it to my other friends.
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.
    • The first act of the game was learning the card types, as well as dealing nine cards to each player. On top of that, a piece of paper was prepared for the point system.
    • The second act involved choosing the right cards to help you score points. Players would not only rotate decks but make careful decisions that would garner them the greatest number of points.
    • The final act of the game was the tallying of points written on the paper. There are three rounds per game, so all of the points from the cards played are added from all rounds.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game?
    • There are no collaborative aspects to the game. The game is 100% competitive, as players fend for themselves in making the right decisions in earning points. There is no sharing, and players must choose their own cards from rotated decks.
  7. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • I’d say the game’s metaphor is eating. The mechanic that sticks out the most to me is the dessert. The dessert cards act as a long-term investment, since if you have the most dessert cards at the end of the game you earn six points. This is unique with the notion that the cards don’t do any favor at first, but they can be sneaky at the end.

5 game ideas that revolve around the theme of collecting

  1. Butterfly fiends – Players choose paths around a garden that gather butterfly pieces. Some paths are longer or riskier but might have more butterflies to collect. The placement of the butterflies can be randomized based on a wheel.
  2. Coin-Cash – Players are given a coin they use to pass around during their turn. They must take the 50/50 shot of whether it will land on heads or tails. If it lands on the called side, they earn tokens. The tokens can be used to either keep being safe or doubled to go again. You can also choose to face off with other players to steal their tokens. (All options are during a turn).
  3. Tomb-Robbers – Players flip over tomb tiles for a chance to either earn a reward, or a curse. In order to win, all tiles must be flipped over and the player with the most rewards wins.
  4. Ball-bashers – Players are provided with an array of cups and one ball. The objective is to collect other types of balls, but to do so a player must make the ball into another cup with a ball in it. Once they’ve unlocked another ball, they can use the other ball to try to throw in other cups. There are different types of balls which can be a ping pong ball, rubber ball and so on.
  5. Pizza Palooza – Players must roll dice and spin a wheel to collect pizza toppings to complete their own pizza. They can also choose to sabotage the pizza of other players by sending mice out to eat the cheese.

Builder Buccaneers Ruleset (2-3 players)

Setup – Players are given a pile of loose ship pieces, which should be placed in the middle of everybody playing. Cards are put into separate piles ranking in difficulty from easy to hard.

Objectives – There is only one goal, which is to be the first person to complete the ship building. After so many rounds, someone will win overall. (The ship must be standing without falling over)

Actions to take – All players will pick a card from the “hard” “medium” or “easy” pile. This will determine how hard the ship you will build will be, but the harder the build, the more points you earn.

Ending the game – There is a tally-board, which tracks how many points you earn. With the number of points you earn, is the number of spaces you move, until you reach the end of the scoreboard. Once the end is reached, the player wins.

Example – Jimmy chooses a card from the “easy” category. There are only a couple pieces to find for the ship, but Jimmy will only earn 1-2 points. Jimmy is the first to finish. After yelling “ahoy!” he moves his piece two spaces towards the goal.

Example #2 – Dave picks up a card from the “hard” pile. Although it is hard to keep his ship standing, he ends up pulling off his build without it falling over. Dave wins 5-6 points, earning him a massive boost on the tally board.

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Week 4 – Engine Building

Tsuro Game review

  1. Was it fun?
    • Yes, the concept of the game was not only interesting, but competitive.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The objective of the game was to eliminate the other players. Furthermore, each player was not only making sure they were able to stay on the board, but also trying to eliminate the others.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • The game concept was super simple, which made the game very easy to learn. Learning the game took about 2 minutes before we got into the swing of things.
  4. Would you ever play it again?
    • I would most definitely play this game again.
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.
    • The game setup was super simple, which required everybody to choose their respected color piece and pick three cards to hold onto.
    • Once the game has started, everybody moved around the board, inching towards other players, while making sure they don’t get killed. The paths connect from other players which cause people to slide around the board.
    • Once there were a few players left, people started targeting each other, altering their own paths to move towards the rest of the players. Once the players faced each other, they used their path pieces to throw each other off of the board.
  6. What are the collaborative/competitive aspects of the game?
    • The entire game is competitive. Although I’m sure people could team up, everybody was striving to eliminate each other. The objective was to be the last person standing on the board, by pushing others off.
  7. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • I’d say that a good metaphor for Tsuro is travel. The mechanic that sticks out most is when you run into another player, both you and the other person are out. I think this stands out the most due to the double-edged sword concept.

5 game ideas revolving around the same theme

Theme: Pirates

  1. Sharks n pirates – Players must make it around the board while a shark piece inches up behind them. The spaces that the shark piece moves depend on a wheel between 1-3. On the other hand, players get to roll some dice to get away from the shark, make it around the board and win.
  2. Treasure-seize – Players must take turns throwing a net onto plastic treasure scattered around the carpet. They must stand a reasonable distance from the chests, and rotate turns throwing the net. Once the pieces are out, the player with the most chests wins.
  3. Drunken Buccaneer – During a turn, the player must spin around a certain number of times (determined by a wheel) and throw their ball at a target. They must make sure they stand a reasonable distance from the target, while everybody rotates turns. (The target is not too small, so it the game isn’t too difficult)
  4. Ship builder – A fast paced game, that involves players shifting through scattered wooden pieces in order to build their ship. Players draw a small card with ship instructions on it, but they must race to shift through a pile of wood while other players do. The person that completes their instructions first yells “ahoy!” to signify they have won.
  5. Loot luck – Players wear two pirate eye-patches while they sift through a treasure chest, using their sense of touch to decipher the right loot (they must pick a card to determine what they have to find). Ex: A plastic fish must be found in the chest, so you must feel out the item in the chest blinded.

Rules for Baller Buddies

Setup – Each player is given three small rubber/plastic balls and a ball launcher. There is a spinner, as well as three different heighted hoops on a board. (2-3 players)

Objective – Launch your ball into a chosen hoop which gathers points. There are three different hoops with different points.

Actions players take – During a turn, a player will place their ball into their launcher and aim for one of three hoops to score in. Each hoop is a different height. The higher the hoop, the more points the player will earn. After choosing a hoop to aim for, the player can shoot from anywhere in a region of the board, as long as it doesn’t pass the red lining. Each player determines how many attempts they get per ball by spinning a wheel from 1-3. If they don’t make the ball within the set number of attempts, then the player must forfeit the ball, move onto the next and let the next player make their move.

Ending the Game – Once everybody has made all three attempts with all three basketballs, the points are tallied up. The person with the highest score wins.

Example – Jimmy takes his turn and misses the hoop. Jimmy is left with two more basketballs. Next it is Brent’s turn. Brent makes it in the tallest hoop and earns three points. Brent is left with two more basketballs. Now back to Jimmy, he makes it in the medium hoop and earns two points. Jimmy is now at 2 and Brent is at 3. This goes on until all balls are gone. Brent and Jimmy ran out of balls, so they track how many points they have made. Brent wins with 9 and Jimmy with 4.

Example #2 – At the start of Jimmy’s turn, he spins the wheel. The wheel lands on 3, so Jimmy has three attempts to make his first ball into a hoop. Jimmy has missed all three opportunities, so his first ball gains 0 points.

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Week 3 – Competition Vs. Collaboration

Game Idea Haiku (Card drawing concept):

A roulette of a game
based on skill and art that show
how fast you can draw

The deck is shuffled
the card is pulled from the deck
and the pencils move

who’s will be the best?
Pick which drawing is better
the details win all.

5 Collaboration game ideas:

  1. Miner inconvenience is a party game in which the players take turns working together to mine a big chunk of diamond ore by choosing cards that determine how many swings of their tool they earn.
  2. Plot hunter is a mystery game where players must complete a story by choosing five random card phrases to play before the time runs out.
  3. Monster Hunter Madness is a party game in which someone hides little monsters around the area while the players compete to find the most monsters by using their net to catch them.
  4. Blind barrage is a problem-solving game in which one blind folded person must adhere to the requests of the other players (taking turns giving commands) as they try to navigate through a maze. If they step on the line, they have to restart (they are timed).
  5. Balling boys is a party game in which each player is given a set number of balls they must shoot into a goal after spinning a wheel on how many attempts per ball they have to make it in.

Forbidden Island questions

  1. Was it fun?
    • Yes, the game was a little tricky to figure out, but once we figured it out, it was a very enjoyable experience.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • Each player is assigned a specific role that has its own unique ability. Together, everybody must collect all of the treasure before the whole island sinks.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • I’d say that it took about 10 minutes to learn, since there was a lot to the game to cover.
  4. Would you play it again?
    • Yes, most definitely.
  5. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.
    • The beginning of the game was the setup process, which includes placing the tiles in a specific pattern but not a specific order. This includes the treasure pieces and cards that are also placed out.
    • The middle of the game was the bulk of the story, where players interact with each other to find the treasure pieces while the island tiles start to sink.
    • The final act of the game, the end, is when most of the tiles start to sink or are already sunken, and the players must make their way back to the helicopter tile to leave with the treasure pieces.
  6. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects to the game?
    • The collaboration between players was based off of their respected role, whether it was navigation, messaging, being the pilot or the engineer. Each player helps one another out in order to prevent the parts of the island from sinking.
  7. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The game’s metaphor is “Adventure, if you dare” and the mechanics of collecting the treasure pieces on a sinking island feed into that aspect. Other mechanics including using sandbags to recover parts of the island make sense in regard to the metaphor of an island adventure.

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Week 2 – The Play Narrative

Question Set 1

  1. What Mechanics would you like to use for a game with a theme that revolves around being the size of a nanometer?
    • I would like to implement some kind of mechanic revolving around fighting viruses, being that the character is the size of a nanometer. If you would lose the fight of the virus, then the body you are fighting in would get sick and die. Succeed in killing off the virus, and you keep the body healthy, winning the game.
  2. Who are you making games for?
    • Obsidian entertainment, since they made a game already about being really small.
  3. Who will be your play testers outside of class?
    • Any hardcore computer gamer, since the game I’d make would most likely be a neat video game. People would have to have some sense of understanding on computer gaming.

Question Set 2

  1. Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules?
    • Minecraft – it is a game that does not have a strict set of rules and can be played hundreds of different ways. The only “rules” of Minecraft are the mechanics and understandings of the game, which eventually get so well known that I don’t even have to refer to the rules.
  2. How do you define what a game is?
    • Is it an interactive experience including mechanics, objectives and a theme(s)? Does this playable experience have a story?
  3. What features can make your games more intuitive?
    • Keeping the design and concepts of the game consistent, but simple. Make it easy to learn but fun to play. Additionally, letting the controls be easily accessible, maybe even with a configuration system to let players adapt to the controls.

Question Set 3

  1. What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming?
    • My gateway game that introduced people to boardgames was always CandyLand. If anyone were to ask what boardgame I would play or what is my favorite, it has always been CandyLand. I feel that CandyLand is simple enough for anyone to understand and get into games.
  2. What features to gateway games share?
    • Simple ruleset, theme, interactivity, luck, replay value, and duration.
  3. What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for with your own?
    • Noblesse Oblige, Heat, Set-Making, Card Tapping, Cow Tipping Rule, Popping, Hand Order Rule, Paddlewheels, Communication Breakdown, and Constant Shuffling. You should aim for trying out/implementing some of these in your own game design to make the overall experience more enjoyable.
  4. How does luck and strategy factor into game play?
    • Luck is a choice beyond your control. It’s a fork in the road that could be good or bad. Strategy is the act of making plans and decisions during the game which gives limited information.

5 Game ideas that can be played using cards

  1. Card drawing – A player drops a card down and two other players try to doodle the card with a timer. The more detailed drawing or better drawing wins.
  2. Card sherif – Two players deal 5 cards and stand at a distance, throwing cards at each other. If you get hit you lose a life, but if you use all 5 cards without defeating your opponent you lose.
  3. Card Tower race – First person to build a card tower wins (any size tower)
  4. Card Guesser – A person draws a card and has 5 hints to give the other player as to what the card could be.
  5. Fibonacci roulette – Draw cards that add up via Fibonacci sequence until you are able to get the best card in the deck (ace). Color can shape doesn’t matter. Trade duplicates with the other player.

Dix it game review

  1. Was it fun?
    • Yes, the game was very fun and interesting in its own way. It combines art and theme to win.
  2. What was the interaction?
    • All players put down a card that they think best embodies the theme announced by the chosen player. All players must then choose out of all cards which is best fitting for the theme.
  3. How long did it take to play?
    • The game wasn’t too long, and it wasn’t too short. The estimated playing time took about 15 minutes, but time flew by.
  4. Would you play again?
    • Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the playing experience, and I’d be willing to play with personal friends.

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Week 1 Game Design: Connor Locke

Question Set 1:

  1. In your opinion, what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?
    • I think that every game should have some sort of reward factor that increases the amount of dopamine one would endure. Dopamine is a highly addicting chemical, so if every game were to include a reward for doing something good, then people would want to keep striving for more rewards. The more rewards, the more dopamine, the more people will want to play. This is mainly why I like my favorite game Smash Brothers Ultimate. The game has a ranking system, so every time I beat someone, I rank higher on the leaderboard. There are also many different characters that allow for different approaches to the gameplay.
  2. List the games you’ve played and currently play.
    • Smash Brothers Ultimate, Team Fortress 2, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, CSGO
  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?
    • Since it is a fighting game, it is difficult to apply the three-act structure to my favorite game. However, it does have a small campaign mode with no true significance, so the pacing is short, and the acts are simply just different fights.
  4. When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic?
    • I always find myself starting with the mechanics rather than the metaphor. I always see the mechanics as the founding structure, so once the mechanics are established, I focus on everything else.
  5. Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?
    • It’s hard for me to point out someone specifically, since I don’t know too many people personally. However, I’d like to collaborate with someone that is creative and quick thinking. In this case, I can help the person project their ideas onto paper for us to start crafting.

5 Campus Game ideas

  1. Campus racing to a specific location
  2. Campus flower finding race
  3. Manhunt
  4. Nerf Gun/Airsoft battles
  5. Custom-built sled racing (winter)

Fluxx Questions

  1. Was it fun?
    • Not entirely, the game is very long and ends up getting a bit too complicated.
  2. What was the interaction?
    • Some cards had direct interactions with other players, such as stealing cards and trading. Overall, every player ends up contributing to the rules, which is practically a group interaction.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • The concept of the game isn’t too difficult to learn, so it didn’t take me too long to know how to play. It was only probably 10 minutes it took for me to be fully comfortable with the mechanics.
  4. Would you play again?
    • Unfortunately, I would not. The game is too stressful, and the rules can be too confusing to keep up with.

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4D Final

By: Connor Locke

For my 4D Final, I chose to illustrate my own self-portrait. My self-portrait is rotating in all directions, combining the elements of animation and light projection. The projection can be seen in the dome, adding an additional immersive feel to my work.

Here are the finishing products: The animation, along with the finishing product inside the dome.

These next set of images are my documentation of trial and error, from the development process to my first attempt at projection.

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4D Final Ideas

  1. A self-portrait of myself over time, signifying the development of my skills through the art. Start as a rough sketch, and progressively becoming more advanced as the time goes on.
  2. A videogame-video, depicting my life. However, you choose what decisions I make, which would determine what story ending happens.
  3. An art piece depicting everything I’ve done over the semester in 4D studio, with every project drawn out, correlating with each other. The progression of time.
  4. A flipbook transitioning between different projects that I have done, from what is least developed to my proudest work.
  5. A final continuation of my own original story “God’s only plan”
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The adventure of a to-go container

It’s dinner time, and Connor is hungry. He grabs his to-go container, as viewers are shown what the to-go container sees during the expedition. Connor makes his way across the path, into the building and up the spiral staircase, straight to the cafeteria. The container is opened by the patty station, as Connor lays out a cheeseburger, and makes his way to the exit. After the travels back to the dorm, dinner is served, and the burger is enjoyed as the to-go container awaits its next journey. The visual elements of this video are utilized through perspective, such as the spiral staircase and the burger-eating. I chose this concept as a creative means of utilizing the “POV” aspect of something, with the 180 degree vision.

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