Left Behind Study
Rock N Roll Em Study
Maize Runner Study
Gone Fishin’ Study
Left Behind
Setup:
Pieces included: 1x Prisoner 3x Guards 1x Board
To set up the board, begin by placing the BLACK prisoner piece in the middle of the light blue 3×3 grid, that is where the prisoner will begin the game. Place the 3 guard pieces in the 3 red squares around the board. Before the game starts, players must decide which pieces they will be and can be decided amongst themselves, or with a single die.
Locations:
The light blue area is where the prisoner spawns into the game, guards may not enter the light blue area. The prisoner, though, is allowed to move one space diagonally rather than vertically and horizontally in the light blue area if he chooses to do so.
The grass area (courtyard) is a special area that can help the prisoner. Since this is an outside area, the prisoner may move one extra space if he chooses to do so. The guards cannot move any extra spaces inside of the courtyard and they continue to move normally.
Playing the game:
Once the pieces are on the board, the prisoner will go first by moving either 1 or 2 spaces in any direction other than diagonal. The prisoner may only move in one direction though (EX: If you are moving right on the board 1 space, your second space must also be in that direction.
Once the prisoner has moved, each guard takes their turn moving 1 space in any direction (INCLUDING DIAGONAL).
Goal: The goal is for the guards to intercept the prisoner before he leaves the prison on the top right of the board. Once the prisoner gets to the handcuff space, the prisoner wins the game and the guards lose (unless “No Man Left Behind” is called). If the guards get to the prisoner before he escapes, the guards win the game.
The game will be played best 2 out of 3 rounds (or however many sequential rounds you would like to play). If the prisoner makes it to the exit space before the guards and he believes he can make it back to the starting space before the guards catch him, he may return to the starting place for a chance to win the entire game. This must be stated by calling out “No Man Left Behind”.
For the sake of the game not being impossible (which the point of the game is to make it extremely hard for the prisoner), guards may not enter the three surrounding spaces next to the handcuff space.
Rock N Roll Em
Rules:
Each player will take turns going in a circle asking the group a Rock N’ Roll related question on the cards.
Players may decide who goes first, as it does not have an effect on game play.
Once a player asks the question, a 30 second timer will be set for the group to answer the question. If time runs out, the card will reward no points to anyone.
If a player answers correctly, they will keep the card until the end of the round which will determine how many points they have.
The player with the most cards at the end of the round, will win.
If a player answers a question wrong, another player can take the opportunity to steal the question for themselves. (Timer does not reset). If they do this and get it right, the player gets to take a card from their opponent. But if they attempt to steal and they get it wrong, the next player to steal the same question gets cards from both players who attempted to answer it. (This can stack to as many players that attempt to answer).
Crackin’ Jokes
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
I honestly didn’t get frustrated playing this game, since it’s Evans.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I enjoyed cracking the glow sticks and listening to what people came up with.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted some jokes to be something where the whole group had to tell a joke.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
N/A
What should be improved with the next version?
Lightsabers instead of glowsticks, hope Evan sees this one.
What was the games message?
All about having a good time and cracking jokes with your friends.
Around The World
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
It makes it hard playing with a larger number of people due to play speed.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Group participation cards made the game fun when everyone was doing something together.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
N/A
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
More lively design.
What should be improved with the next version?
I think that there should be less blank spaces, a few are fine but the less the better.
What was the games message?
Learning geography instead of in High School.
Hues and Cues
What was the most frustrating aspect?
Good luck if you are colorblind…
Favorite Moment of the game?
The description of colors, can definitely be creative with this one.
Was there anything I wanted to do and couldn’t?
N/A
If I had a magic wand to change, add, or remove anything?
N/A
Improved for next version?
I think the overall design can be improved on, but other than that it’s a great game.
Games message?
Guerilla paint marketing
Game in 3 words?
Artsy, engaging, group fun
Barrel of Truth
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
When the prompt isn’t as funny as others, but it’s part of the game.
Favorite Part of the game:
Some answers are very unexpected, which makes the game fun.
Magical Whimsical Change:
N/A
Suggestions:
Special rounds to add a little more to the game, pretty simple as is.
Message:
Be expecting real honesty
3 Words:
Funny, social, Mind free
Dyl’s Game
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The most frustrating part was my starting hand.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
My favorite part was when the game switches up really quick, makes it unpredictable.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
No
If you had a magic wand to wave, and could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
I can’t really think of many things to add to the current game, feels right the way it is played.
What should be improved with the next version?
More characters.
Describe the game in 3 words.
Fun, Competitive, Quick
Week 7 Response
- Read:
- Brian Winn, Carrie Heeter, “Resolving Conflicts in Educational Game Design through Playtesting“ Innovate: Journal of Online Education Volume 3, Number 2, December 2006
- What are the challenges a team faces when working on an educational game?
Balancing the content with being fun but also educational, differing team goals, and the occasional communication errors with your team.
- In the case study team members vetoed each others game ideas, what were the scientist’s, pedagogy expert’s and designer’s issues?
Concerns over scientific accuracy, concerns with educational effectiveness, and the enjoyment of the game.
- What did the team learn from play testing their prototypes?
They identified the issues of the game, gained insight on player engagement, and definitely improved game mechanics.
- How does play testing resolve conflicts among team members?
It can provide objective feedback, helps the team align their goals, and it helps to reduce misunderstandings by showing what is and isn’t working.
Gone Fishin’
Gone Fishin’ Rules
Setup:
Each player selects their choice of rod and players collectively agree which location they want to fish at (Each Location has different types of fish to catch). Shuffle the deck of fish cards and place 5 at each “honey hole” on the map.
Game Play:
To start the game, roll a 6 sided die in order to determine the order of play. Each player will roll their dice and if they roll the correct numbers corresponding to their rod, they get a chance to pick a fish from the “honey hole” they choose. You must pick which honey hole you want to fish from before rolling your dice. Some cards have no fish on them and you may catch a “junk” item which does nothing.
If you catch a fish you get to put it in your cooler. You may only have three fish in your cooler at a time. If you want to continue fishing once you have 3 fish in your cooler, you must release a fish back into the wild (discard pile). This must be done strategically since you may release a fish and catch a worse one.
Winning The Game:
The way you win the game is by catching the biggest fish for that type of species.
EXAMPLE: You have the largest crappie and bass of all the players, so you get 2 points.
The player with the most amount of biggest fish wins, so it is important to try and catch multiple big fish and not just a singular one.
Simulation Games
Fishing Simulator: In this game, you are required to catch the biggest fish in order to receive points. Each player has a different rod with different ways to catch fish. After a few rounds, the player with the biggest fish wins.
Tax Fraud Simulator: In this “game”, there is a mock tax form that you must fill out. The opposing player (government), must find which items are incorrect on the form and have been lied about. Players alternate turns until one player can get away scot-free 3 times.
Time Travel Simulator: Players operate a time travel agency, sending agents to different eras to complete missions like retrieving artifacts or preventing disasters. The board is a timeline, and actions in one era ripple forward, altering future events or resources. Random “paradox” cards add chaos, forcing players to adapt. The goal is to earn the most tokens (completing challenges) by mission end.
Martian Simulator: Players are crew members of a colony on mars, simulating life in a harsh extraterrestrial environment. The board represents the colony, with areas for farming, mining, and research. Players roll dice to determine resources and face challenges like solar flares or alien wildlife. Cooperation is pretty important, but a traitor mechanic adds tension. Winning comes from surviving a set number of days with a self-sustaining base.
City Sim: An urban planning simulation where players compete to build the best city. Each player manages a grid-based city, allocating funds to infrastructure and public services. Weather events and population challenge players to adapt. Points are scored based on citizen happiness.