Author: Sara_Estus

Posted on

Sara Estus – Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover – The Game

CASE STUDY~ Please check out my first post about this game, where I go over the drawing process if you’re interested!

Summary: The game, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover” is about assumptions, and basing judgments on people based on a picture of them. The game has over 20 different people, with a variety of different statements based on an event or experience a person has dealt with in their life. These statements can be humorous, sad, or surprising. 

Primary Audience: The primary audience is generally people over the age of 15 as some of the cards are more serious topics that a younger audience may not fully understand the weight of. 

Design and Thought Process…

Iterative Design: 

Basic Idea: Based on the idea of finding an old book, and judging its contents based on the old, worn cover. The character cards are based on Polaroids in black and white, to also “age” the design concept. More people were added through the versions, and new statements were used, but the design stayed consistent with the versions. 

Version 1 Design: The statement cards are an old yellow parchment style, and the font is comparable to typewritten. I wanted the impression when seeing the game for the first time to be “This looks old, and like a crime scene game.” The character cards are loosely based on the standard style of a Polaroid photo, as it gives some room for the character’s names, age, and pronouns. For the rules sheet, I used the same yellow and carried the same typewritten font over.

The Polaroid Cards above are the Version 1 (Left) and Version 2 (Right 2) designs for the cards.

Above: Some examples of the Statement Cards from Version 1

Version 2 Design: I chose to stick to the same design concept but added a few more details and styling to the second version. For the Polaroid character cards, the art style was consistent, but I added an “Occupation” to the cards as I noticed many players were spending a lot of time using the age of the character to match rather than any other detail. It makes the game a bit easier, but it also shows how much players are paying attention. 

For the statement cards, I decided to make them more like slips of paper, due to a happy accident of the yellow coloring I used before not printing correctly. (I didn’t want to waste any paper) So I ended up cutting the cards down just to have the words fit, and used stamping ink to apply my own thumb prints on the paper’s design. 

I did design to include a box, and I had two other smaller boxes I used as well (I recycled!) To make the boxes have consistency and style, I painted the parts of the boxes that were printed on with posca pens and brown acrylic paint to age it. Then I used an old pile of book pages and applied modge podge to the paper and box (Think like paper mache) and used lots of alcohol ink and the same stamp ink to apply my finger prints. For the rules paper, I reused the same page as before, but I CAREFULLY, used a lighter torch and burned the edges. 

Game Mechanics: The game was intended to be super simple, spread the character cards out, and then the statement cards out in a different area on a table. Then, carefully read each character card and observe their name, age, pronoun, and occupation, while also observing what they look like. Then read the statements aloud, and decide who fits what statement, based on the content of the statement itself, or the information provided on the character cards. After each statement has been matched with a person, the game master (Me) will check and take away the ones that are correct. The game continues until all cards have been matched correctly. 

Player Goals: Understand the concepts of judging others based on appearance, and little information given about them – you never truly know what someone is going through.

Gameplay Sequence: Place all the character cards out, and then all the statement cards, observe and read/look at all the cards. Try to match the correct cards with the people, repeat until all cards are matched.

Game Board and Components: 

Version 1: The game contains 15 Polaroid Cards, 15 Statement Cards, as well as a rule set.

Version 2: The game contains 18 Polaroid Cards, 18 Statement Cards, as well as a rule set, two small boxes labeled “Statements” and “Polaroid” Cards, all packed into a bigger box with the title of the game on the face of the box

Rulebook and Playtesting

Rulebook Sample: 

Playtesting Notes: 

The biggest lesson I learned was that not everyone took the time to observe as much as they could about the people in the game, but players also didn’t stereotype and judge people as much as I assumed they would! Players would often build thoughts and ideas about who did what, and I think after multiple rounds of playing, people became a little overwhelmed with the concept of getting the cards matched incorrectly all the time.

Game Maker’s Play Test Notes – Don’t Judge a Book by it’s cover (Combined for Versions 1 and 2)

  • What questions did your players have? Who are these people, and can I be in the next version were the two biggest questions
  • How quickly did they learn to play? The rules are quite simple, so they worked together and figured out the concept quickly.
  • What kinds of interactions did the players have?  Laughter, surprise, and empathy in general when cards were matched correctly. Some cards were humorous, and some were a bit sad. I think they learned a lot about being empathic with others.
  • What confused players? They would match a card incorrectly and not remember to move it during the next round, so they would keep getting cards wrong.
  • What made players excited? Seeing their friends on some of the cards, and getting matches correct
  • What did your players enjoy doing? Reading all the statement cards
  • Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? Getting matches wrong multiple times.

Game Reflections:

I enjoyed the process of creating this game and the meaning behind its purpose. It was really enjoyable to connect with people during my process of developing the game, hearing some of their stories, and seeing their reactions to my drawing of them. I hope to make another iteration of the game that will allow people to play without the need of having me around, as well as some changes in how hard it is to match some of the cards. But all in all, I think the game was a huge success!

Posted on

Sara Estus – Case Study “Easter Week Bunny Hunt”

Summary: For the week of  Monday April 14th – Monday April 21st 2025, which is considerably the week before Easter Sunday, and the Monday after – Eight little plastic bunnies of various colors were hidden in eight different buildings across the campus of Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA. Various Instagram Posts were made on the account “What_The_DucDuck” that stated the concept of the game, as well as rules, hints, and photos portraying the “finders” of the bunnies. Each day from April 14th, to April 17th, 1-3 Bunnies were hidden and a hint was provided. Each “finder” who found a bunny had their name put onto a slip for a chance to win an Easter basket that had a mason jar of ducks, candy, and stickers. (There was no class Friday the 18th, and the prize was awarded April 21st) 

Primary Audience: Anyone who followed the account “What_The_DuckDuck” could join in on the game. Even people who did not follow the account could participate, but many who found out about the game at a later time from hearing about it, did end up following the account regardless. *Anyone ages 5+ can play the game, it just requires knowing the campus, and being able to understand the hints*

Design and Thought Process 

Iterative Design: There was not much involved in terms of a design process, most photos used were taken on the spot, but the beginning photos with the bunnies to announce the game was a simple set up on a table with jelly beans. The rest of the posts just used different colors of bubble lettering provided by instagram, and finding music to add to the video was by search. The plan for the post’s design was to remain simple, fun, and light hearted. 

Game Mechanics: The mechanics were simple for the ‘finders” but the process of hiding the bunnies creatively was a challenge. For the people searching for the bunnies, all they needed to do was keep an eye out for any posts on the Instagram page, and then use the hints to generalize the area and possible place the bunny could be hidden. Each hint provided the name of the building, and a vague hint in the form of a statement of where the bunny could be inside of the building. Once the bunny was found, they could directly message the Instagram account, and it would be announced with their username that the bunny was found, and what building it was in. 

Player Goals: Find a little plastic bunny based on hints and clues, share that they found the bunny to Instagram, and get their name put into a drawing to win a prize.

Gameplay Sequence: In steps: 

1. Look out for what building a bunny is hidden in, and any of the clues provided 

2. Find the bunny (Players could find more than one if they wanted) 

3. Share that you found it to Instagram 

4. Players who find a bunny and share it get tagged in a post letting others know it has been found, and then have their name put into a drawing. 

5. After all the bunnies have been found, all names will be written on slips of paper and put into a bag, and randomly one will be picked to receive the prize

6. Player whose name was picked will receive the prize

Game Board and Components: Eight little plastic bunnies, an Instagram account to make posts, and a prize basket with candy, and goodies

Rulebook and Playtesting

Rulebook Sample: As there is no clear ruleset, besides the answer to the comments and post, here is a summarized version of the rules for clarity: 

1.) Eight Bunnies will be hidden in eight different buildings across campus from Monday to Thursday! After they a hidden, various clues and hints will be given for each bunny!

2.) Have sportsmanship! They are only plastic, and there is enough to go around!

3.) The bunnies will ONLY be hidden in places that are fully accessible, so no shops like Saxby’s or Romo’s!

4.) You can find more than one bunny to get your name put into the drawing more than once!

5.) Search high, low, below, and around! But please refrain from damaging or moving anything! BE RESPECTFUL!

6. Have so much fun! And be KIND!

Playtesting Notes: 

What Questions did players have? Players wanted more hints for the first bunny. I made it quite difficult, and they took two days to find it, which made me believe this would be a longer process than I had anticipated, so I hid them a little easier. 

How quickly did they learn to play? Hell hath no fury like a college student who wants cute bunnies and candy, they learned how to play very quickly, almost obsessing over the concept of the game, and drive to win a bunch of candy and goodies.

What kinds of interactions did the player have? Many people ended up teaming up into groups, running around campus quickly due to turning on notifications for the Instagram account, so each time I made a post, many would be on top of searching for bunny, many times even minutes after it was hidden.

What confused Players? The factor of one of the rules being that the bunnies will only be hidden in places that stay open. Many reached out worried a bunny was in Saxby’s, concerned that it was closed and they would have to try again later, they were all assured it would be hidden and easily accessible. Of course I messed up this rule by putting one in the Nicholson basement, but you can read above how that was resolved. 

What made players excited? The ducks have been very popular, and now that there was a new animal, and new colors, players were on the hunt pretty obsessively about finding them. Many even made comments on the posts like “I needed this” or “This is my whole life this week” I think the excitement of not knowing where something is, and hunting for it in order to have a chance to win a prize makes people really happy and have fun.

What did your players enjoy doing? Hunting for the bunnies for sure! When I met with some of the “finders” afterward, many commented that they enjoyed the unknowingness of when another bunny hint would drop, so they were always on their toes!

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? I think there’s always an aspect of frustration when players don’t win the final prize. But I also observed that many players who didn’t find bunnies would be a bit disappointed if they didn’t find a bunny in time. 

** The very last bunny was hidden with me, as I wanted to end the game by being able to ask some of the players what they thought, besides the comments and DMs I would receive. It ended up being really helpful for future insight to receive this feedback directly!**

Game Reflections: As a person who has placed over 35.000+ ducks across campus for the last two years, I really enjoyed this instance where I would be able to interact with the public and people who have been following the account for some time. It was really fun to have a bit of control and guidance directly with people, by means of encouraging them to keep looking, and congratulating them for finding bunnies. I definitely want to do this again! I did run into some issues that I think I will try to prevent in the next iteration of this concept, and I would like to share what I experienced in simplified points:

  1. Be 100% sure that places you are hiding bunnies/anything is fully accessible 24/7. I hid a bunny in the Nicholson basement and I did not know the basement closes at midnight. It did cause some issues for players, with a few getting upset. Due to this, I ended up hiding eight bunnies instead of seven to make up for the mistake. 
  1. Stress the importance of sportsmanship. Though I shouldn’t have to, some people who played the game became very difficult with other players upsetting them. For this instance, one “finder” hid from other players that the bunny was found by them – wasting others’ time. 
  1. Have prizes for people who do find bunnies, but don’t win the final prize drawing. I had a group who found six of the eight bunnies, and I ended up giving them a bunch of ducks and stickers since they all worked so hard. I think it would be good to stress that even if they don’t win the big prize, they will still get an award. 

I do plan to do this again! I really enjoyed this experience!!

Posted on

Amber and Sara’s Game: “Cry me a Pond” Case Study

Short Summary

The game, “Cry me a Pond” is about sharing experiences that create a sense of empathy among students that have experienced the struggles of life, generally through college, coming of age, and of course game design. While the game has a generally niche audience, the concept is based on sharing thoughts, feelings, and answering real questions that were part of the reading and assignments posted on Professor Ames’ website. 

Primary Audience: 

Generally the audience is media arts students that have a general understanding of being in a creative funk, but it can also be played by students who have general knowledge of game design skills. 

Design Process & Thought Process 

Iterative Design: 

Amber: For the game board design, I decided to just do a simple pastel blue/green/purple gradient. I chose these colors because they are soothing and relaxing, which felt fitting for an empathy-based game. We decided to cut the pond shape out and I placed different colored lily pads as the spots to move on the game board. The font is simple, sans-serif, clean. We used Montserrat specifically. 

The happy and sad card designs are very reminiscent of the pond game board design. The use the same gradient in the background with the same fonts. The backs of the cards are very simplistic, with a vector symbol to indicate the type of card and the words “Cry Me a Pond” for branding. The size of the cards are 3.5 x 5.75 inches, making them fairly large. 

Thinking about what I would do differently for future versions, I don’t think I would change much aesthetically. I think the simple, pastel aesthetic is fitting for the type of game we decided to make. I would change a little bit of the board design though, since people were a little bit confused about what lily pad to move to next. I would also toy around with the idea of having some of the spaces become “flooded”, so maybe the lily pads are extra game pieces aside from the board. 

Sara: For the design of the “Vengeful Water Spirit” I decided to create the ‘sprite’ using Procreate on my ipad. I stuck to a more chibi style of the Ames-esque look, as I wanted to maintain the simplicity of the overall style of the game Amber created with the soothing and relaxing colors, while also adding the comedic value to the character. 

The water spirit cards also follow the basis of how Amber created the happy and sad cards, with a similar gradient, but in the color orange (as its Ames’ favorite color) and simplistic with the drawing of the vengeful water spirit in the middle of the words “Cry me a Pond – Vengeful Water spirit Professor Ames” the size of the cards is consistent for  the game, being 3.5 x 5.75 inches. 

Thinking about what I would do differently for different versions, I would have to agree with Amber on sticking to the same overall aesthetic and the new features she mentioned. For myself, however, I think I would spend a bit more time considering what the Vengeful Water Spirit cards would say, so there’s more aspect to knowing the concepts we learned in Game Design. 

happy cardsDownload
sad cardsDownload
waterspirit cardsDownload

Game Mechanics: 

Players will collectively roll a die as a group, and communicate their feelings and thoughts according to what type of card they get from the three types. Based on their roll, being a 2 or a 6 or what color lily pad they land on. The game only ends once players reach “happiness” 

Player Goals: 

To discuss emotional experiences with fellow classmates, while also practicing your understanding of concepts mentioned in Game Design classes with Professor Ames. 

Literally (in the game rules): get to happiness. 

Gameplay Sequence: 

When the game is set up, with the gameboard in the middle, and three piles of both happy and sad cards, one player will roll the die for the whole group (players can alternate amongst themselves who rolls the die each turn) with the role player will then move the duck the number of spaces as indicated on the die EXCEPT IF YOU ROLL a 2 or 6. If you roll a 2 or 6, pick up a Vengeful Water Spirit card and follow/discuss the card . DO NOT MOVE. However, If you land on a dark green space, pick up a happy card (the smiley face 🙂) and if you land on a light green space, pick up a sad card (the teardrop) after this is performed a few times – the game is over when you reach happiness.

Game Board & Components:

Our game board is both literally and figuratively a pond, where the one end of the board is depression and the other end is happiness. You want to move towards happiness so you use your duck to hop along the lily pads. The duck represents the whole group’s progression from depression to happiness. This definitely needs improvement in future versions since the current method of movement was confusing to players.

The different colored lily pads indicate the different cards that you need to pick up, with the light green being the sad cards and the dark green being the happy cards. 

The other components of the game are the happy, sad, and vengeful water spirit cards. The happy and sad cards ask thoughtful questions to try to arouse meaningful discussion amongst the players. The vengeful water spirit cards are specifically game design oriented questions, that are more so based on memory recall, versus a meaningful emotional discussion. 

Rulebook and Playtesting 

Rulebook Sample:

Cry Me a Pond RulesDownload

Playtesting Notes: 

The biggest lesson we learned from playtesting was that we need to work on a better way to balance the amount of times you get an Ames Vengeful Water Spirit card amongst all of the other cards. With the original rules and board set-up, it was nearly impossible for players to come across the vengeful water spirit just because they weren’t rolling the right numbers. There were also two few lily pad spaces on the board and it made the game go a lot faster than intended. So both the number of spaces on the board, the movement amongst the spaces, and how likely it is to come across the vengeful water spirit are all factors that we will need to improve upon in future versions. 

Game Maker’s Play Test Notes – Cry Me a Pond

  • What questions did your players have? Players started asking questions about the movement of the duck, especially when we started to modify the rules a bit to make the game go slower. They were also not entirely sure about the path of movement and what lily pad to go to next. 
  • How quickly did they learn to play? The players learned pretty quickly because a lot of it was simple discussion-based cards 
  • What kinds of interactions did the players have?  Players engaged in really good discussions with each other, as was intended. 
  • What confused players? What space to move to next, 
  • What made players excited? The idea of the Ames water spirit card 
  • What did your players enjoy doing? Players seemed to enjoy answering the questions and listening to other players’ stories and answers. 
  • Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? I think the movement more than anything, but also players didn’t like the game design-related questions as much (kind of reinforcing the concept of the game though). 

Game Reflections: 

Sara: I overall believe that this game has genuine value from its creation, and from its concept and playtesting. I really enjoy working with Amber, and being able to knock out a game really quickly that combines our sense of humor, and love for game design as a whole has been really enjoyable.

 With the concept creation we also had a lot of fun, and found humor and lightheartedness in making our very appreciated professor into a silly vengeful water spirit. I also think that the value that came from playtesting was that others understood and appreciated the concept of letting loose and feeling your emotions, while also understanding the importance of how game design works is like a combination of both malicious compliance with Professor Ames in making a game, but also a nod to his hard work in getting us to appreciate the concepts of game design. 

Amber: I’m honestly pretty proud of this game. While it first the crazy concept of it started out as a joke, it seemed to actually be a feasible empathy-based and educational game. I really wanted to make a game that captured my feelings of being so emotionally overwhelmed with everything going on and then at the end of the day having to still go home and work on design projects (like game design..). We definitely didn’t make this game out of hate for game design, but out of love, and the feeling of unfortunately feeling too burnt out to make a game that we are passionate about and proud of. 

For future iterations, I think we could definitely add more discussion cards. I think we could lean into the happy and sad a little bit harder, besides some of the more general questions that we asked. Like we mentioned earlier, the game board design also needs some work, particularly in the layout and the number of spaces. The rolling of the dice is also a kink to be worked out eventually. 

I also think it would be interesting to play around with the idea of the pond flooding or drying up, so that it affects the board’s spaces. We originally wanted to make Ames have laser eyes that would dry up the pond and you would have to “cry” (really just talk about your feelings) in order to make the pond fill back up again, thus allowing you to move. I think it would be worth it to revisit this concept in some fashion. 

Finally, I think there is an alternate timeline where we could have this game not just be relevant to game design students, but we could still have some kind of general “monster” that people want to avoid. Maybe the monster is asking math or history questions.. 

Posted on

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Game Review

I played this game with Amber while we were on break!

Most Frustrating Aspect?

I will say only this: The NPCs are way better and harder than they were before. But Amber ended up winning, so I was happy Rosalina LOST.

Favorite Moment or Aspect?

As a fan of the Mario Party Games, it was nice to “come back” to a game that was familiar in the basis of its mechanics, but exciting to see what is new as well. I enjoyed being able to know what I was doing, but also be pleasantly surprised by new features. I think my favorite new feature is the graphics and how Nintendo tries to keep it fresh, but also spice it up a bit. For instance, in the first few games, Bowser was pretty awful and difficult to deal with. Now he rarely shows up for the whole game, and his “Negative Prizes” are never that bad.

Anything I wanted to do that I couldn’t?

In the game, it seemed like it was easy for everyone else to get a lot of coins, and it didn’t feel like it was just luck. (I’m not good with money anyways..)

Magic want to set, control, or change anything?

Now I don’t know if this is controversial, but I believe the price of the game overall is the first step of playing it. (Obviously) but I played this game with Amber, who got it for christmas, and I really wanted the game, but I don’t have a spare $60 to drop on a game, especially now that I know someone with the game.

Improved in the next version?

I want more chaos, and I really want the game to feel super engaging in terms of fighting over things. Yes, we can fight the NPCs, but I want the game to be just as questionable of who really won as it was in the older games.

Games Message?

It’s like monopoly, but less capitalism…maybe..

Describe the game in three words:

Party, Stars, Minigames.

Posted on

Professor Ames’ Game – Eskapu: Playtest

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

While there are a lot of moving parts to getting the game started and getting into the meat of the gameplay, besides considering that, I think the most frustrating thing about the playtest was trying to understand the consistency between players. It felt like “two steps forward, one step back” kind of deal, as when I would purchase a vehicle, someone else would blow it up (thanks Collin >:P) I think that is more an inconsistency with not establishing a sense of the goals at the get go, but other than that I didn’t find any serious frustrations.

  • What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? 
  • I enjoyed that the concept really dives deep into the idea of the complications behind fleeing a country. It seems straight forward on paper, and then when you sit down and play you start to realize “shoot, I can’t do this because ___ stopped me!” Which really made me stop and think about what I was doing while playing.
  • Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I want to do a playthrough of this game where everyone is genuine and serious about the playthrough, focusing on “finishing” the game. I think if we gathered a bunch of people to play and made a podcast while playing it, that would be fun!
  • If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Set the goals from the beginning and write them down so we all know what is going on. That way there isn’t any overlap like I mentioned.
  • What should be improved with the next version? I want more ways to attack others, and I think a really neat feature would be to have spontaneous events, like if you roll a die, bombs can be dropped, or supply crates!
  • What was the game’s message?: ESCAPE! Basically, haha! This game’s message was about awareness of what power people can give depending on what role they play. In the real-world execution of this, the concept of power is truly a terrifying ability, especially in a war-torn country.
  • Describe the game in 3 words: ESCAPE, TEXTURES (WowWee), and BOMBS!

I would like to also say that this is my second playtest of this game. I played it maybe a year ago, and the tiles were cardboard, and a lot of the features in the game were not yet implemented. I would say looking back in comparison, I had a lot of fun being able to do more! I hope I can play it again!

Posted on

Sara Estus – Reading Response (Week 7)

  • What are the challenges a team faces when working on an educational game?

The challenge of creating an educational game as a team is the difficult task of creating a game that is both engaging in a sense of teaching the player something they might not be familiar with, while also maintaining a sense of entertainment, fun, and keeping players engaged throughout the game in solid execution of both mechanics and content.

  • In the case study, team members vetoed each other’s game ideas, what were the scientists’, pedagogy expert’s, and designer’s issues?

The scientist focused on the game’s effectiveness in communicating accurate scientific content. Their main concern was that some of the game ideas might oversimplify or misrepresent the science, reducing the educational value of the game. However, the pedagogy expert was primarily concerned with how well the game would facilitate learning. Especially when it came to some game ideas, which would not effectively promote the desired learning outcomes or would fail to engage students in critical thinking and problem-solving. And the designer was concerned about the game’s playability and the overall user experience.

  • What did the team learn from playtesting their prototypes?

Playtesting helped the team understand how well the game ideas were meeting both the educational requirements and the players’ engagement needs. It gave valuable feedback on whether the games were fun, engaging, and whether they hit the learning goals as intended.

  • How does playtesting resolve conflicts among team members?

Playtesting provided the team with concrete data, such as how players reacted to different aspects of the game through the educational, engaging, and experience aspects of the game’s design. This feedback helped resolve conflicts by giving team members evidence on which to base their decisions, rather than relying solely on subjective opinions. It also gave each team member a sense of whether their contributions to the game were executed properly.

Posted on

Sara Estus – Simulation Game Reviews

Full Spectrum Warrior: As a person who doesn’t play shooter games, I think for its time, FSW is a really interesting and involved way to resolve a need for team cooperation and basic army tasks, such as how they move from different spaces and focus on the whole teams lives, rather than the comparison of (at least what I know) about games like Call of Duty, where it’s every man for himself. Giving a whole review on graphics and implications seems a bit unfair due to the judgment of time and what we have in terms of quality today. However, for 2004, the graphics and mechanics are top tier. I hope those who were made to play it enjoyed the experience, even though a realistic game about war isn’t exactly what I would consider fun.

SIMULATION GAMES: (Personal)

Stardew Valley: Though many wouldn’t first consider Stardew Valley to be a simulation game, this game has a super special place in my literal SOUL. I can NOT recommend this game enough for anyone, because it just brings so much comfort and joy in a way games like Animal Crossing and Sims could otherwise not. To explain the game briefly, players begin the game as a worker in a corporate office job, they are feeling really dissatisfied with life and want to experience something more. SO (skipping a lot of details) players inherit their grandfather’s farm and must begin bringing life back to what the farm once was. This game goes on luck, income, spending, and other factors like farming, fishing, mining, and combat. It is a really sweet game, and a lot of hardcore fans will go into depth on how to play and what to do, but really the game just takes a little googling, and some relaxing!

Surgeon Simulator: I think for many of us, this was our first experience with a straightforward “Simulation Game” as many Youtubers at the time tried the game out, long before many of us could play it. The game wasn’t so much focused on being a “perfect surgeon” but more a humorous view on how poorly things can go so quickly.

Posted on

Sara Estus – 5 Simulation Game Ideas

  1. VR Life improvement game, In this game, users will be able to go through a series of books that touch on various topics that some may not have the chance to learn, such as changing a car tire, tying a tie, and basic first aid, as well as how to make (various foods) This VR gives the idea of “hands on” without needing to rely on the help and coaching of others. The books allow users to choose from various tasks based on their personal goals, and then the “game” begins by putting users in a virtual setting where they will begin. Think of it as Duolingo, and Cooking Mama, but you don’t deal with a pesky bird, and no mom will be disappointed in you for messing up!
  • Plant Meditation, This VR game essentially allows the player to become a plant in simulation. They get to choose what plant they are, what color pot they are in, and a general location in the world, as well as the time of day and season. This game uses sensors to track heart rate and breathing and will give players the ability to unwind and meditate. The goal of the simulation is to have calm breathing, thoughts, and be still, once users match this state, their plant will slowly grow, begin to flower, and thrive.
  • To be with Fauna, This VR game allows players to experience forests and nature through the eyes of various animals. There is no solid goal in this game other than to walk around, see the sights and observe different animals and plants. Players can also switch between animals to get unique views, like going from a black bear to a hawk.
  • Depression Nap, this game creates a simulation of what it can be like living with extreme depression. The player starts the game by waking up in a dimly lit room that is almost completely trashed. Throughout the game, players will slowly get achievements by cleaning the room, reaching out to friends, and generally trying to get life for the character back in order.
  • A walk-through life, this is a collaborative game where various people will essentially record a day in their life and allow users to experience a different life, culture, and situation through the eyes of others. Think of this as a playable “A Day in the life” video. There can also be a feature where multiple choices are made so players have a more choice based experience depending on what interests them.
Posted on

Sara Estus – Playtest Review “Mindful Memorial Services” by Amber Holt

First, I want to say this is a clever and thought-out game. Amber is always very thorough with game rules and mechanics, and tying her abilities into something she is passionate about, like sustainability.

1.) What was most the frustrating moment or aspect?

I kept trying to guess what the deceased and the family wanted incorrectly in terms of burial type and I lost all my hearts mid-game. I did still end up winning the game somehow, but feeling like you have no chance to win is always not a great feeling.

2.) What was your favorite moment or aspect?

I loved the similarities in the game tiles being like Takenoko with the hexagonal tiles, and my favorite aspect was having to try and match with how the deceased and family wanted to be buried. Having a luck factor, along with trying to determine needs based on the few words stated on the cards was very enjoyable.

3.) Was there anything you wanted to do but couldn’t?

In terms of gameplay, I wouldn’t say there was anything in particular, but for organization, I wish there was a way to place the deceased cards into the tiles without having to put them in big piles as only a certain amount can fit in each plot.

4.) If you had a magic wand to wave, and could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?

After the gameplay, we discussed that it would be interesting to have another card pile that included ways people have died, that way it changed the desires of the deceased a bit, like if they passed in a fire, they likely wouldn’t want to be cremated.

5.) What should be improved for the next version?

I’ve always been a big fan of Amber’s art so I’m excited to see what style she decides to take the game. And as I said above, adding new cards like we discussed would be cool!

6.) What is the games message?

“Green Disposition”

7.) Describe the game in three words

Sustainability, Macabre, Desires

Thank you Amber for letting me playtest your game! I’m excited to see where it goes!

Posted on

Sara Estus – Game Prototype #1 Don’t judge a book by its Cover (Design Process and first playtest notes)

In a world where people are often easily stereotyped based solely on looks rather than the content of their character, Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover is a game that challenges this issue in today’s society. With digitally illustrated character polaroids and small cards that contain a short statement about a person’s life experience or story – players are tasked with stereotyping, assuming, and making generalized judgments on various real people to attempt to match a statement with the person who said it.

The goal of the game is to match all character polaroids, to their personal statement cards.

However, there is no true winner to this game, whether played with a single person, or a group of people – making judgments on others based solely on appearance is wrong, and this game is meant to spread awareness and provide players with a sense of empathy, as you don’t truly know what someone is going through.

Here are some photographs of my artistic approach, including drawings, final cards, and my process of gaining photos of people and their statements/stories:

RULES:

This is the game statement, and rules given to players along with a stack of fifteen character polaroids, and 15 statement cards.

Probably the most basic rules I have come up with in a game.

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS:

Using the image provided by the person I asked, I opened the image in Procreate and created two ‘copies’. Creating a basing sketch of their head shape, I then drew only the necessary loose details that were needed to make the sketch fit the person it was representing.

I chose to draw each person as I wanted to create a sense of consistency in the game, similar to the quick details we might get from a person when we pass them in a hall. Below is a quick time-lapse of my portrait for the game!

Next, let’s talk about the final character polaroid art that I printed out on cardstock:

For the final card design, I wanted the cards to feel old like you had found them in a box hidden away. I wanted the monotone colors of the drawings to embrace the feeling as well, so by choosing Polaroids it gives the feeling of “who are these people? And where are they now?” I also chose the have the drawings be almost cut out on top of the Polaroids to give it a unique flair.

The only details written on the cards are the names/nicknames of the people, as well as their age, and pronouns. I decided that these would be the only details you would receive as it is often the bit of information you can get from conversations about other people, and through basic ice breakers.

STATEMENT CARDS:

Still following the “aged” mood I was going for, these cards are printed on cardstock with a yellowed background with a typewriter font to add more mystery. The font I used was LTR NCND Variable which can be found on Adobe Fonts.

Now let’s go through my process of how I got permission to use people’s photos and statements:

I decided from the start that I wanted about 30 people, first asking my friends, then family, and then reaching out through social media. It was an extremely time-consuming process, as people were quite picky about which photo to use, and they wanted their sentences to be “cool” or “meaningful.” So much so, that I ended up having my last entry turned into me around 11 pm the night before the project was due.

The other factor that was quite tedious was drawing everyone. For those I was closest with, I wasn’t as worried about making it perfect, but for some, I devoted over an hour or so to the basic sketch. As you saw from my sketch time-lapse, I made the basic form and practically traced the details, this process didn’t always work as some images were further away than others, and drawing open smiling mouths can be tricky! By the end of the design process, I ended up only really getting 15 people to agree to the project, and to give me all the materials I needed following this prompt I shared: I need one nice photo of you, your name/nickname, age, and pronouns and then a single sentence/statement about something that has happened in your life, it can be happy, sad, weird, or a mix. I also clarified that other people will be reading these statements and that their real pictures will not be shown (I asked River and Amber permission to use the pictures they gave me, as shown above.)

Following this, let’s talk about the first playtest!

1.) What Questions did your players have?

I had about five or so people play my game, and they approached it pretty excited, commenting on the art and unique concept. Early on players wanted to know who each person was, but I of course didn’t reveal this until all cards were matched respectively. A few players recognized some of the people who I drew, which didn’t add much to figuring out who said what statement, given most of the statements were pretty unique and broad. Also, two of my playtesters were in the game! They didn’t snitch on themselves either, thank you, Beck and Amber!

2.) How quickly did they learn to play?

Extremely quickly, and there was some unintended teamwork at play with a fairly large group. Following the basic principles of matching, agreeing on the match, and the I would check all of the cards, and set aside the correct matches.

3.) What confused players?

Players did seem to get a little annoyed after mismatching the same cards over and over, so mentally being able to keep track of who you matched with what card is key.

4.) What made players excited?

Players enjoyed finding out who did what, and the stories behind the people in the game. It was also fun to see the two players that were included in the game and see the reactions of other players to their statements.

5.) What did your players enjoy doing?

When they started to get the characters matched to the statement you could tell it was relieving and fun for players. They also enjoyed looking at the art and reading the statements since quite a few were fun and unique.

6.) Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

Yes, it took about 4-5 times matching and changing which card belonged to which character, I could tell players were getting a bit frustrated with starting over each round.

REVISIONS FOR VERSION 2:

Based on the feedback I received, I think version two will give players a bit more information on the character polaroids, such as “occupation,” “relationship status,” and “hobby” though this takes away a little bit from the concept of knowing nothing about the people shown, it still provides the same depth of empathy and “you truly don’t know what someone is going through” still stands. Doing this also may reduce the number of rounds players must do to completely match all the cards. Furthermore, as I suspected, players also wanted to be in the game. So I am considering taking it from fifteen to about twenty or twenty-five character polaroids and statement cards. Though this will add more to match, many of the people I will be adding in are different ages than those initially in version one. (Version one was ages 20,40, and 80, version two will be 5, 20, 70, and 100). This variety can make it easier to match cards as well.

I hope everyone enjoyed playing my game as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you to those who were involved in the design process and gave me feedback before first playtesting!

Posted on

Sara Estus – Week 4 Response

Game Reviews:

Observance: This game is a response to the July 28, 2007, rejection of the U.S. Senate to revise the Immigration Reform Bill. Though it could be considered outdated by the unknowing, illegal immigration is still a very impactful subject 17 years later. When I played this game with Amber, it was fun to figure out the rules, setup, and character backstories; however, after some time it begins to feel wrong when you think about the ‘lives’ you are playing with (literally). And even though I appreciated the reskin of “Battleship” having a game with such an emotional impact on a simple mechanic like “Battleship”, brought down to the chance of two die – made the impactfulness of how serious illegal immigration seem less serious.

All in all, I enjoyed the game, but I felt like I was more focused on ‘winning” than I was on understanding how illegal immigration works and what happens to illegal immigrants.

Serious Game Ideas:

  1. The Trash: This game is about minimizing the garbage you throw away each week. Typically, about one to half a bag of garbage is made per person for each person living in a household. But it is possible to break that number in half! By playing this game, users will learn how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost scraps, all while having an impact on how much litter they make. The goal is to halve the amount of trash thrown out, by the time two weeks have passed.
  • Sustenance: In this game players manage a farm or agricultural region, balancing the needs for food production with sustainable farming practices that minimize environmental impact and enhance biodiversity. Some ways may include composting, hydroponics, and not using pesticides.
  • We are Global: Players create a “profile” for themselves and are then matched with another person in a third-world country who is similar in age, gender identity, and interests. Players are then tasked with learning more about this person and their culture to understand the possible impacts of war, starvation, lack of education, etc.
  • The Shelters: This game is about spreading awareness of “full” shelters. Thousands of animals are euthanized each year due to no room at shelters.  It is the player’s job to spread awareness, gain donations, upgrade shelter amenities, and reduce euthanasia numbers by using fosters, creating adoption days, and preventing backyard breeding.
  • Compliment Race: Though this game seems simple and easy, the concept goes into the impact of self-love and appreciation for others. To play, players are given multiple cards from a huge stack that have different rules for who they must go up to and compliment. Players cannot compliment other players, and must try to find people, and genuinely make them feel good.

Podcast- Games for change Ideas:

Minecraft Education: Minecraft Java is one of my favorite games, it’s one of the few I can always return to, no matter how long I don’t play. Minecraft Edu, I also feel strongly about it, as I played it back in high school before it was even half the content it is today. I even had the opportunity to speak in other local high schools about the impact of STEM and Minecraft on students. So, this has a special place in my heart.

Spiritfarer: I have a few hours into this game and feel that I have experienced a lifetime of grief in the last 5 years. The impact of this game feels like a good discussion to have.

Papers, Please: First of all, this game is INSANE. The rich lore, the complicated mechanics of checking passports and papers for immigrating and visiting a country under dictatorship. This game has so much to offer and is truly a game people should play or watch a playthrough of. It takes a keen eye, a great attention span, and a willingness to take notes.

Plague: I have played this game one too many times, and now it feels wrong given my experience in the COVID-19 pandemic. But I feel that it can be a really rich discussion about the pros and cons of ruining and saving the world – whether you play as the cure or a disease.

Reading Questions:

  • What learning games have you played? Can you categorize them by the theory of learning types: behaviorism, constructivism, or social nature? if you played more than one which was the most effective?

As a child, I grew up with an old Windows 98 computer. It was chunky, and slow, and only worked well when you worked as slow as it did. I played a lot of games like the “Jumpstart” series, which went based on age, and learning basics that were taught in school. The games focused a lot on basic principles of problem-solving, like winning a race by building a cool car, but you had to solve math problems first, and when I was younger it was based on color coding, and motor skills. As an adult, I have played two behaviorism games, Kahoot and Quizlet, which both required me to think about my choices to pass or win. And lastly, a game that contained a social nature was surely Club Penguin. There were many instances where players could collaborate and play games to win in-game currency or go against each other.

  • Is gamification bullshit, what is Ian Bogost’s argument, and do you agree? Where have you encountered it outside of class and what was your experience?

I would argue that Gamification IS bullshit, it feels like a trend companies just jump into as an excuse to be “with the trends” As Ian Bogost argues, gamification reduces the complexity and richness of video games to a mere transactional system, where engagement is treated as a point-to-point system of rewards and punishments. Ian views gamification as a cheapening of the power of games—an attempt to commodify something that has far more potential. In my experience, gamification has often been included in fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s. Throughout the years they have attempted to make consumers play “Monopoly” to coax them into purchasing more, just for the reward of being a free small fry.

  • What is a serious game and why aren’t they chocolate-covered broccoli?

A serious game is a game that is designed for a more educational purpose other than just for entertainment though it can also be used for training or addressing real-world issues. These games use elements of gameplay to engage users and help them learn new skills, solve problems, or simulate complex scenarios. Serious games are not chocolate-covered broccoli, as when created correctly, they easily blend education or training with enjoyable gameplay. Instead of feeling like a forced or disguised educational experience

Posted on

Sara Estus – Reading Questions Response

Chapter 1 Reading – Critical Play Radical Game

  • How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of “Game” differ from Chris Crawford’s as well as the definition crafted by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman? 
  • While Mary Flanagan feels that games function more as cultural products, shaped by the designer and players to create a specific experience, stating that games are about how players interact with a system, being deeply influenced by cultural context and personal interpretation. Chris Crawford’s definition of games is vastly different, distinguishing between games and puzzles, emphasizing that games evolve and are shaped by the player’s actions, while puzzles are static and have fixed solutions, leading to the idea that games are dynamic, and rules can change based on the player’s decisions. However, Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman stated that a game is a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome. outlining six key components; system, artificial, players, conflict, rules, and outcome, presenting a more formal and structured approach to understanding games.

  • What is an Activist Game?
  • Mary Flanagan states that Activist games are characterized by their emphasis on social issues, education, and, occasionally, intervention. More so that the concept is a challenge on real issues, through the themes, narratives, roles, settings, goals, and characters; and less commonly, through game mechanics, play paradigms, interactions, or even the concept of winning to benefit an intended outcome beyond a game’s entertainment or experiential value alone.

    Chapter 3 Reading – Critical Play Radical Game

    • Go and Chess are examples of games that feature “perfect information”, what other games share that feature?
    • More examples of games that feature “Perfect information” are Tic-Tac-Toe, checkers, and Mancala.
    • Why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
    • Chance or Gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance in ancient cultures, due to the factor of the game sharing the principles of “fate and divine will.” Anthropologists and play scholars Csikszentmihalyi and Bennett noted that games of chance “seem to have emerged from the divinatory aspect of religious ceremonials.
    • When was the earliest battle between government/ religious groups and games? What modern games can you think of that have been banned or demonized?
    • The earliest battle between government/ religious groups and games can be traced back to Ancient Rome with gambling, though gambling was initially allowed in Rome, concerns about its social and moral effects grew, with leaders like Emperor Augustus who tried to stop excessive gambling by imposing restrictions and laws.
    • What is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?
    • A fox game is “a group of board games featuring unequal opponents, one player is the fox, or aggressor. Other players control or play the numerous geese, sheep, or prey the fox tries to eat while the fox attempts to avoid the traps his opponents set all around him.” A modern-day example of this (Sorry this is so funny) is Among Us, where one player is an imposter, and the others are normal crewmates. The idea of the game is to find the imposter before too many crewmates are murdered.
    • What was the purpose or intent of the game: Mansion of Happiness?
    • In the game: “Mansion of Happiness” “players compete to be the first to reach “happiness,” or heaven, a large square in the center of the board. Progress is attained through good moral conduct in the context of the home. Here, good deeds lead children and their play pieces down the path to “eternal happiness” and players must beware of landing on spaces that interject, albeit through chance, the setbacks of “vices” such as cruelty and ingratitude.”
    • Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surrealist movements play games? Why did Surrealists believe games might help everyone?
    • Surrealists emphasized the playfulness of Dada using chance and juxtaposition, but they were also concerned with the internal workings of the mind and encouraged a deep focus on the subconscious. Relying on the work of Sigmund Freud, and the importance of perceptions. This understanding pushed Surrealists to believe that games might help everyone by challenging the mind and how players perceive the world. However, Fluxus artists saw that games lay between the rational and the absurd, between mobility and fixed trajectories, and between logic and chance. And sought a new art practice, one that was open to humor, intimacy, player agency, and various aspects of performance.
    • Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WW2?
    • Changes in game mechanics, themes, technology, or social contexts can often signal profound shifts in games, whether they are physical, digital, or social. These changes may arise from new technological advancements, shifts in cultural attitudes, or responses to external circumstances, such as war.  With this, during WW2 pinball games were reskinned due to a shortage of metals, often, the machines would become completely non-electric, depending on plastics and wooden components. Artistically, during the war pinball machines contained patriotic art, rather than pop culture.
    • What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like Monopoly and Ping Pong?
    • By distorting the structure of Monopoly or removing its focus on profit, Fluxus artists sought to expose the artificiality and destructiveness of capitalist structures, pushing for a more playful and egalitarian approach to human interaction and creativity. Furthermore, Fluxus artists were not necessarily interested in the outcome of games but rather in the process of playing itself. This approach to Ping Pong de-emphasized competition and embraced the idea that art and play should be about exploration, interaction, and openness rather than winning or following traditional rules.
    • How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco, and Ruth Catlow using war games?
    • Lilian Ball often uses participatory art to engage audiences in reflecting on power and conflict through game-like interactions.
    • Marcel Duchamp uses chess as a metaphor for strategy, power dynamics, and competition, exploring the intellectual and aesthetic aspects of games.
    • Takako Saito creates interactive, unpredictable game-like situations that question traditional roles and the arbitrary nature of conflict.
    • Yoko Ono uses games to envision peace and cooperation over violence, with works like Play It by Trust promoting pacifist ideals.
    • Gabriel Orozco reimagines chess with expanded possibilities, symbolizing freedom and creativity in resolving conflict rather than being bound by fixed rules.
    • Ruth Catlow creates a reworked chess game called Rethinking Wargames that introduces pawns as resistors to violence, emphasizing the importance of negotiation and nonviolent resolution.
    • Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?
    • Player agency is crucial because it allows players to feel that their choices and actions have a meaningful impact within the game world. By creating a space (the magic circle) players can feel that what they say and do matters in terms of the outcome of the game. Agency also allows players to better reflect on serious matters that can promote learning.

    Posted on

    Sara Estus – Game Ideas (Empathy and ARG)

    5 Games that provoke empathy:

    • Talk to your plants: Players own a plant shop in the game. As they slowly start to get to know the visiting customers who purchase plants from the shop, they begin a special shelf with various types of plants like the ones each customer has purchased. With each plant being named after the customer. As the player gets to know each customer, the plants on the player’s special shelf will change, the plants can grow beautifully, wither, wilt, or bloom depending on how the customers are feeling. It is the player’s job to make each customer feel welcome and safe in the little plant shop and keep the plants happy and healthy.
      • Don’t judge the Book: Players are given a card with a sentence about something that has happened in someone’s life, but it is all completely anonymous. Players then are given various pictures of the people who wrote the sentences and must try to match the people with the sentences. This game is a play on “You never truly know what someone is going through.”
      • School Supplies: In this game, players are given $100 and a ticket with the age, grade, and likes of a child in K-12. Players must then purchase items using their best judgment. After purchasing the items and taking them to the school, players get a letter with photos going into the future of how these items have helped the children in need.
      • Stay with Me: Players are given a small booklet that tells the life story of an elderly person in a home. After reading about the person, they are tasked with visiting the person and keeping them, a company based on what they know. The goal of the game is to make friends and keep a well-deserving person happy. Extra points if you run some errands, make them a meal, get to know them even more, and visit often.
      • Comfort Food: Players are given a recipe card for a meal that someone has written. After buying the ingredients and making the food. The player will then hear the story of why the food was chosen as a comfort food for someone. Bonus points if you make the food and invite the person to join you for the meal.

      Wrinkle: Stay with Me and Comfort Food: Though a few of these games are quite easy to implement into real life, I think mixing both games is a perfect way to not only hear someone’s story but also to experience the purest form of love and joy through another person – Food. Players can document their time with their new friends, and share recipes online for other players to enjoy. Fully documenting a heartfelt experience, while sharing delicious food online, bringing impact to culture, the importance of sharing stories, and of course building relationships. Though this could not be considered an ARG, I consider the issue of people expressing a lack of time, money, and resources to come into play – but I would ask players to consider that documenting stories of these people, and their culture is something many don’t do, and making it incredibly important to document regardless of other factors is the importance of the game.

      Posted on

      Sara Estus – In class game reviews

      Dumb Ways to Die:

       I played this game before we reviewed it in class. The original animated video became super popular in 2012 when I was around 11. From the perspective of someone who does have experience with trying to ride the wave of something popular they have done (the ducks), it’s nice to see a company using their popularity to create a well-developed game for people to enjoy. The gameplay is quite simple, with “levels” and speeds that the player must save the character from “dying in a dumb way.” All in all, a very fun game with a unique art style.

      Fake it to Make it:

      I had never heard of or played this game before we reviewed it in class. The concept of creating a game based on fake news and internet doom scrolling is interesting. I enjoyed how in-depth the game went on how users scouted out “viewers” to interact with the clickbait articles. It showed how much effort people put into just gathering views. The internet culture of today is complicated, and this game provides a new perspective on fake news and the impact of the articles.

      Cards Against Calamity:

      I had never heard of or played this game before we reviewed it in class. Creating a game that focuses on the impact of those in control is a difficult concept, but this game makes such a complicated matter into simple terms and mechanics. Though the game has a lot of reading and takes a moment to analyze the impact of each choice, it’s quite fast-paced and entertaining. What I enjoyed most about the game was the input the NPCs had depending on what the user did.

      Cast Your Vote:

      I had never heard of or played this game before we reviewed it in class. As someone who finally voted for the first time in the primary election this past November, I understand the confusion about who to vote for. I had wanted to vote for my local election earlier in the year but knew nothing about any of the people running. The concept of spreading awareness and teaching young adults the importance of using their resources to vote and understand who and why they are voting is incredibly important. Creating a slower-paced game that runs down the process step by step doesn’t seem like an easy task, but it is well executed.

      Posted on

      Sara Estus – Personal Game Reviews

      Farkle: I used to play this game for hours with my grandmother when I’d go over my grandparents house. Recently, she passed away and I now own the game. I played it again after quite a few years with my fiancé last night and here’s my take.

      The gameplay is super simple. You have six die, a cup, and a way to keep score.

      The goal is to get 10,000 points first.

      You can only start keeping score once you roll 500 points, with the 5 being worth 50, 1 is worth 100, and the other numbers only count if you have a set of three, such as if you roll six on three die, that is 600 points. When you roll the six die, you have to be able to keep at least one die to roll again, so If I roll, 5, 4, 4, 6, 3, 2 – I can only keep the 5 and now I have 50 points. Roll again, keeping only 1s, 5s, and pairs if you get them. But if I roll one last time with the one or two dice I have left and they aren’t 5s or 1s I lose all the points I accumulated, and it’s called a Farkle!

      My fiancé and I played about 4 times, once to just figure the game out (like I said it’s been years for me) but once we got it we got super competitive about it and really enjoyed it!

      If anyone would like to play Farkle please let me know!

      Mandalorian Monopoly: This is a game I received a few years ago when Star Wars released the popular show Mandalorian.

      It functions just like regular Monopoly but has some battling aspects and a special figure called “the child” (baby yoda for the non-star wars fans) The battling aspects have you fighting some of the main enemy characters in the show, tasking the player to roll a specific number on the die. If you lose the battle you must either give up a special card, go to jail, or pay the bank a specific amount of money.

      I enjoyed this version of Monopoly more than other versions because it has different money, called “Imperial credits” The money itself is a small plastic slab and it is much easier to keep track of. I also enjoy the battling aspect as it keeps the flow of the game differently, but makes players give or take depending on if they win. Also the simple complexity of the art and figures, including the money makes the game really cool!

      If anyone would like to play Mandalorian Monopoly please let me know!