Game Analysis 10/16- Harmony Jablon
Rules for Power!
Game Prototype Responses – Harmony
5 Themed Game Ideas
Theme: Chakras
- Chakra Crusade- This is a collecting card game where the goal is to achieve balance by gathering chakra sets. Each player must collect five cards of each chakra color to reach total harmony. The first player to complete all chakra sets wins.To add strategy and interaction, there are action cards that can alter other players’ progress. For example, an action card might block a chakra, steal one from an opponent, or temporarily disrupt their balance. This creates both competition and tension as players race to complete their chakra collections while managing obstacles from others.
- Balance- This is a collaborative game, where all players must help the board reach total balance, by aligning all their chakras. During the game, players take turns taking actions and drawing cards that will either help them align the chakras or cause problems that alter their progress. Players win whenever all the chakras are aligned, or if the deck runs out and the players do not align all chakras then they lose.
- Spiritual Journey is a dice and movement game where players travel along a path toward the Crown Chakra, collecting chakra tokens along the way. Each turn, players roll dice to move forward, landing on spaces that present different outcomes such as challenges, setbacks, or energy boosts. When a player successfully overcomes a challenge or lands on an energy space, they earn a chakra token that represents balance in that area. The goal is to collect all seven chakra tokens before reaching the Crown Chakra. The first player to arrive at the Crown Chakra with all their chakra tokens wins the game, completing their spiritual journey to harmony and enlightenment.
- Chakra Crash is a competitive head-to-head game where players begin fully enlightened, with all their chakras aligned. The goal is to maintain your own balance while disrupting other players’ chakras using action cards. Players take turns playing cards with abilities such as “Meditate to be safe from attacks until your next turn” or “Use Heart Chakra to heal a lost chakra.” Once players are out of chakras they are out of the game, and whoever is left with whatever chakras they still have, wins the game.
Chakra-enga- this game is a version of jenga, and is a collaborative game, rules are the same as regular jenga. But there are special blocks with chakra labels on them and all players must gather all the chakra blocks to win without making the tower fall, but if it falls players lose.
Game response – King of Tokyo
Was it fun?
Yes, I thought it was a fun game.
What were the player interactions?
Player interactions were adjusting points and health wheels, moving their player in and out of Tokyo, rolling dice, and collecting/ spending energy points.
How long did it take to learn?
It did not take long to learn at all, but we also had it explained to us instead of reading the instructions.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The most frustrating part was the luck of the dice, since it was all luck you could base your actions on. It was hard to plan a strategy or anything “stable”.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Even though the dice were the most frustrating, I thought it was the coolest aspect of the game because you could only do actions according to the dice.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
There were times I wanted my character to leave Tokyo, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t being attacked. Then even when I wanted to leave Tokyo, I was still taking damage.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
The only thing I would like to see in this game is more character, and how the game would go if there were more players. Obviously, the game would have to be altered to meet this like having more spots in Tokyo, and more characters.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
Yes, because our game was quick because I reached 20 points, but normally the game runs longer and is more competitive. I would like to play the game to experience different strategies and outcomes.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act of the game is setting up the game, choosing characters, and starting your first dice rolls. This helps introduce the game to the players. The second act is when characters start battling for Tokyo and start losing/ gaining points, hearts, and energy cubes. Players start to gain leads and die off at this point in the game. The last act is when stakes are high and players start making risky decisions to try and survive, and then finally when the last player is standing or someone reaches 20 points they are then the King of Tokyo.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
The collaborative aspects of the game would probably only be trying to stop others from winning either by points, killing each other off, etc… The game mostly focuses on competitive aspects of the game which would be harming (taking hearts away) other players, gaining points, buying cards with benefits, and being in/out of Tokyo.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
The game’s metaphor is monsters trying to take over Tokyo by eliminating other monsters, and seeing who will be the King of Tokyo. The game’s mechanics that stood out were rolling the dice, moving characters in and out of Tokyo, and the personalized score boards with adjustable heart health and points.
Game Response – Citadels
Was it fun?
Yes, I thought it was a very fun game.
What were the player interactions?
The player interactions were picking characters, doing role calls (which I thought was a very cool aspect), and collecting gold.
How long did it take to learn?
It took awhile to understand, and we struggled the most with the characters and what to do with extras. But after we got the hang of it the game flowed well.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The most frustrating part was when you got to pick your character last, and the person who picked before you knew what character you were because there were only two to choose from.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I liked being able to pick my own character, and planning what cards I should be collecting. I also really liked the role call aspect, I thought it added a fun touch.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
There was nothing I really wanted to do that I couldn’t.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
I would maybe add two or three more character cards. I know there were extra for a harder version included, but I think it would add some more randomness/ guessing when targeting players.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
Yes, because I thought it was very engaging and enjoyable, and the group I was playing with was very competitive and made it fun.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act is the game set up, everyone first gets a hand of cards with districts that they could possibly build, and gets a feel for the flow of the game and all the characters actions. The second act is when people start building their districts, planning strategies to try and win, and stopping other players from taking their turns/ building districts. The third act is when players are getting close to building the set amount of districts, and finally one who reaches that amount first wins.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
The collaborative aspects of the game would probably only be trying to stop others from reaching the goal of districts, but this game is more competitive than collaborative. The competitive aspects are reaching a district goal first, destroying districts, assassinating characters (losing a turn), swapping cards, and stealing gold. All of these aspects create tension between players.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
The metaphor is about power and influence in a medieval kingdom. Players take on shifting roles of different characters, each representing a way to gain wealth, gain control, or sabotage other players. The act of building districts stands in for constructing a city and proving dominance in the kingdom. The mechanics that stand out are building districts, choosing characters, and using character powers to interfere with other players actions.
Game Idea Rules – POWER
- Setup
- All players get 2 character cards that say what they can do throughout the game, and remaining cards get put into a pile in the middle. Then they all get 4 dollars to start the game, and the rest of the dollars get put into the middle of the game.
- Objective(s)
- The objective of the game is to be the last player standing, and overthrow all your opponents. By collecting dollars, BLUFFING, and spending dollars to “overthrow” your competition you can win.
- Actions players take
- All players can perform ONE action per turn, and there are basic actions without using a special position. These actions include: collecting 2 dollars per turn, and spending a total of 8 dollars to overthrow someone.
- Overthrowing: Once you have overthrown another player, they must flip one of their cards, that they choose, up and keep it there the remainder of the game, and this card is dead and cannot be used.
- Calling Bluff, an action anyone can perform after any player’s action is called bluff, but cannot be done to another player if it is not their turn performing an action.
- If you call bluff and they are NOT bluffing, one of your character cards becomes dead
- If you call bluff, and they ARE bluffing one of their character cards becomes dead and cannot be used.
- But, each player is equipped with 2 characters that have different actions they can perform:
- Lawyer: Can call a person’s bluff without losing one of their cards.
- Banker: Can take more than up to three dollars per turn
- Politician: Can go through the extra deck of cards and swap one character for another
- CEO: Can overthrow someone during their turn for 4 dollars
- Businessman: Can block someone’s “overthrow” to themselves
- All players can perform ONE action per turn, and there are basic actions without using a special position. These actions include: collecting 2 dollars per turn, and spending a total of 8 dollars to overthrow someone.
- Ending the game (win, lose states)
- The ending of the game is when there is one person left who is not overthrown, and that is the winner. Players are only out of the game if both of their cards are flipped.
- Examples
- During your turn, you would say “I am the Banker, so I am going to take 3 dollars” and if weather or not you are bluffing you can take the 3 dollars, UNLESS someone calls your bluff.
- If you ARE the banker, you would flip your card and reveal you are not lying, so your opponent who called you out would lose one of their positions, and flip one of their cards face up for the remainder of the game
- If you are NOT the banker, you would flip whatever card you would rather lose, and since you lied and was caught you only have one position the rest of the game.
- During your turn, you would say “I am the Banker, so I am going to take 3 dollars” and if weather or not you are bluffing you can take the 3 dollars, UNLESS someone calls your bluff.
Game Response – Splendor
Was it fun?
Yes, I enjoyed playing Splendor.
What were the player interactions?
The player interactions were collecting gems and cards to react to a point goal.
How long did it take to learn?
It did not take very long to learn, we played a game similar to the rules of building/collecting and “buying” so it made it easier to get the hang of.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The most frustrating part was if you and another player were looking to collect the same card/gems and they got to it first or the gems ran out.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
My favorite aspect was “buying/trading” gem tokens/ cards for other, better cards. I liked thinking ahead to my next move(s) and strategically collecting cards/ gems.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to take three of the same gem, but we could only take two. I understand that it wouldn’t be as interesting if there wasn’t this restriction, so I didn’t get too mad about this.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change or add anything, I thought this game was created well and had necessary rules for the game to be enjoyable.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
Yes, because I would want to try different techniques and see how hard it would be to collect other cards/gems that I didn’t the first time.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act is the set up of the game with the cards and gem tokens, and all the players starting with nothing. The second act is when players start collecting their desired gems and setting goals to collect specific cards for points, and in this process they begin to work towards 15 points. Lastly, the third act is when players close in on 15 points, and concludes when a player reaches the goal, and everyone tallies their card points to determine the winner.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
There is no collaboration between players, the focus is all on competition. Players compete by racing to collect specific cards before their opponents can claim them, and racing to reach 15 points first to win the game
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
The game’s metaphor is building wealth through gem trading and development over time. A key mechanic that stood out is the collection and use of gem tokens. Unlike the cards, which can only be claimed once, the gem tokens remain reusable throughout the game. This mechanic highlights the ongoing flow of resources that players could continually use to increase their wealth.
Game Response – Photosynthesis
Was it fun?
Yes, I really enjoyed playing the game, and the visuals were also enjoyable.
What were the player interactions?
The player interactions were rotating the sun part around, placing trees, taking turns/ passing the player token around.
How long did it take to learn?
It literally took us a whole hour to learn how to play. We could NOT understand the written instructions so after 45 excruciating minutes we looked up a video.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The instructions was the most frustrating part of the game, besides that it was very enjoyable.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
My favorite part of the game was the whole concept and how you had to grow your tree with light points. I thought it was very cute and creative.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to buy and grow my trees all in one turn but you had to do those actions in completely different turns, and we have a limited amount of turns, so you have to play strategically.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
I would change the instructions. They were very hard to comprehend, and I don’t know if it was very wordy or disorganized, but we had a hard time. I would also add a key with all the parts labeled.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
Yes, because I ultimately enjoyed the experience and I want to try different strategies to get the most points.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act was the set up where we all picked our tree type and we set up our first trees on the board, and established who went first (the youngest player). Then the second act was us starting to plant trees, rotating the sun around the board, and starting to gather points by chopping trees. Lastly the third act is when the sun goes around the board for the third time and players add up all their points from the chopped trees, and their remaining light points.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
There wasn’t much collaboration, but it also didn’t feel like strong competition, since there are no direct interactions between players that affect each other’s status, but the only aspects of competitiveness were blocking trees so others can’t score points and the point system as a whole because the one with most points wins.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
The game’s metaphor is the natural process of photosynthesis, represented through the growth and life cycles of different types of trees. The mechanics that stood out most were the strategic placement of trees on the board, the personalized player boards used to purchase trees and track light points, and the rotating sun, which controlled the pace and flow of the game.
5 Collaborative Games
- Chef Check is a collaborative cooking game in which players take on the roles of unique chefs who must collaborate to prepare a full 3 course dinner by collecting ingredients, spices, and kitchen tools while protecting their supplies from mice that roam the kitchen and steal food/supplies.
- Virus is a collaborative takeover game in which players take on the roles of different illnesses and work together to infect the patient and overwhelm their system before the doctor can cure them, using germs, infections, and other methods of spreading disease.
- Evolve is a collaborative evolution game in which players take on the roles of early homosapiens, each with unique knowledge and ideas, and must work together to develop tools, share discoveries, and advance society in order to create an evolved world before extinction from disease, climate, or other threats.
- Witches is a collaborative survival game in which players take on the roles of witches who must work together to survive and ultimately overcome the men trying to burn them at the stake by creating potions, casting spells, and crafting magical tools.
- Wonderland is a collaborative adventure game in which players take on the roles of characters from Alice in Wonderland exploring the whimsical and chaotic aspects of Wonderland, and must work together to navigate strange characters, challenges, and shifting landscapes by using riddles, knowledge, and tools the game provides them.
Reading Question Sets
Question Set 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 want the mechanics of the game to focus on how you can use your environment to your benefit or just simply interact with it. Including things that would affect the player the size of a nanometer would be light/heat rays, water molecules, and other particles that would hurt or benefit the player.
- Who are you making games for? My target audience for the games I make would probably be older children and young adults.
- Who will be your play testers outside of class? My roommates, boyfriend, and boyfriends roommates will probably be my play testers outside of class.
Question Set 2
- Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules? A game that comes to mind is the game WAR with a traditional deck of cards. The only rules are whoever has the highest card takes both and whoever runs out of cards first loses.
- How do you define what a game is? I define a game as any type of play weather that involves cards, dice, imagination, etc… A game also consists of a set of rules to follow with multiple solutions to a specific goal.
- What features can make your games more intuitive? Having clear and consistent rules would make my games more intuitive for the players. Also, having a clear goal along with simple controls/ pieces/ cards for a player to easily understand and interpret.
Question Set 3
- What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming? My gateway game, specifically speaking of card games, is probably 500 Rummy. For me, it was easy to catch on and smoothly play. I normally use 500 Rummy to introduce card games to others because it is pretty easy to explain and understand.
- What features do gateway games share? Gateway games all share features like simple rules, short playtime, and low complexity. All these features are in gateway games so players aren’t overwhelmed,
- What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for on your own? Kingmakers Noblesse Oblige, BattleTech’s Heat, Set’s Set Making, Magic’s Card Tapping, Battle Cattle’s Cow Tipping Rule, xXxenophiles Popping, Bohanza’s Hand Order Rule, Mississippi Queen’s Paddlewheels, Time’s Up?’s Communication Breakdown, Domino’s Constant Shuffling. After reading, I realized that I need to aim to include rules that spark imagination, drive interaction, and make players want to play immediately. These mechanics feel like they shape the experience themselves, becoming part of the story rather than just a process.
How does luck and strategy factor into game play? Luck and strategy factor into game play because the player has to play their luck strategically. For example, poker is very luck heavy, but the players have to strategically think about how their cards work with the cards presented, and they have to strategically bluff/gamble with whatever cards they were dealt. It adds an unknown aspect and luck can let any player have the chance to win.
Game Response – Forbidden Island
Was it fun?
I didn’t really like the game, but to be fair we were in a rush to get a round in before class was over. So, I don’t think the game got a fair chance.
What were the player interactions?
Like pandemic, players had to communicate with each other to try and beat the game. They had to interact to figure out the best moves to make, use their character abilities, and cards that they should trade/save.
How long did it take to learn?
It did not take too long to learn because it was very similar to pandemic, which we played right before, so I would say maybe 10 minutes for setup and direction reading.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
There were no frustrating moments to the game. Everything was pretty easy to understand, set up, and play.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
My favorite aspect was the visuals of the game. I enjoyed the theme of the game, along with the tiles, cards, and little statues that went along with the theme.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
There was nothing in the game that I can think of that I couldn’t do.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
I think it would be nice to add a board to organize everything and include small markers for the “water level” (how many Forbidden Island cards you draw), rather than using the piece the game currently comes with. I think this would add to the visuals and vibes of the whole game.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
I would like to give this game another chance because I think I could enjoy it the same way I enjoyed Pandemic.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act was establishing/ understanding everyone’s roles and special powers. Along with the set up of the tiles of the forbidden island and what parts are already sunk. The second act is unflooding parts of the island, collecting treasure, and making our way to the helicopter/landing tile. The third act is collecting all the treasure and escaping the forbidden island before the island floods, but we did not get to finish the game to reach the third act.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
The collaborative and competitive aspects of the game were very similar to pandemic where the players have to collaborate and use each other to try and ultimately beat the game. As for competitiveness the players are just competing against the game, but there wasn’t as much immersiveness in this game compared to pandemic.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
The game’s metaphor is escaping an island before it sinks, while also collecting treasure along the way. The mechanics that stood out were the flipping of the tiles and the movement options (front, back, and side to side). Without these mechanics, the game would lose both its tension and purpose.
Game Response – Pandemic
Was it fun?
Yes, I enjoyed the game, but I had my doubts because at first the setup was annoying and trying to first understand the rules, actions, and characters.
What were the player interactions?
There was a lot of player interaction throughout the game. The main objective was for the players to work together to beat the game itself, but since there were more ways for the game to win than for us to succeed, each turn had to be played strategically. This required constant communication between players to decide on the best possible moves for each turn.
How long did it take to learn?
It took awhile to set up the game, and understand the actions to play and what we could do with our characters, but ultimately it took around 20 minutes to finally get a rhythm going.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The most frustrating part was when we made one decision, only to realize later that another choice or possibility would have been better. But that’s a part of the game and made it interesting.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I really enjoyed the collaboration because it pushed us to think carefully about every move and plan together in order to beat the game. It created a competitive aspect, not between the players, but between the players and the board. My team and I became fully immersed in the experience.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
No, I thought the game was overall good, and there wasn’t anything that I wanted to do that I couldn’t.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
If I HAD to add anything I would want a little more randomness/ luck included to the game. Like occasionally adding something that would give the players a little luck especially when playing on the harder levels.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
YES! I would love to play this again because I enjoyed collaborating with people, it was like team bonding and it was different to be competitive towards something else besides another person. I also loved how involved/immersed everyone was, and I like when games bring that out of people.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act is the set up and the pandemic. This is where your chosen character is introduced and where your first outbreaks begin. The second act is when the players start building research centers and cleaning up some of the places where there are outbreaks. This stage is also where epidemic cards can be drawn and add another level of difficulty to the game. Lastly, the third structure is when the game starts to reveal whether the players have successfully stopped the outbreak, or if they will be wiped out by the outbreak.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
The collaborative aspects of the game were having to use each other’s character strengths to try and beat the game, planning every step strategically, and communicating openly to decide on the best moves. The competitive aspect, on the other hand, came from the constant challenge of trying to outsmart the board itself, as the game always seemed to have more ways to win than we did.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
The game’s metaphor is the world being overwhelmed by rapidly spreading diseases. The mechanics that stood out most were the drive/ferry, flights, and cures, since without these systems the metaphor would fall apart. These mechanics made it possible to represent the importance of finding solutions for the pandemic, which are essential to the game’s theme and playability.
5 Game Ideas Using Cards
- Bullsuit- Like the card game Bullshit, this variation would focus on suits rather than ranks. Instead of going in numerical order, players would take turns claiming to play a certain number of hearts, diamonds, spades, or clubs. Since it’s harder to track suits than numbers, this version adds an extra layer of difficulty and bluffing.
- Match Four- In this game, each player is dealt four cards, and the remaining cards form a draw pile with the top card flipped face-up to start a discard pile. Players take turns drawing one card from either the draw pile or the discard pile and then discarding one card face-up. The goal is to collect four cards of the same rank(numbers/face cards), and the first player to achieve this immediately wins the round. If the draw pile runs out, the discard pile is shuffled to create a new draw pile so play can continue. For longer play, players can keep score by awarding points to round winners, and the first to reach a set number of points wins the game.
- Chips– This card game is played with a standard deck and a set of chips, with one player acting as the dealer while the rest take turns guessing the value of the top card. On each turn, a player makes a first guess at the card’s value; if correct, the dealer must place that card’s value in chips into the player’s pile. If the guess is wrong, the dealer announces whether the actual card is higher or lower, and the player makes a second guess. If the second guess is correct, the dealer takes that card’s value in chips from the player, but if it is still wrong, the player instead pays chips equal to the difference between their guess and the actual card’s value. Each revealed card is placed face up so players can track what has already been played, and if the dealer avoids losing chips for three consecutive turns, the role of dealer passes to the next player. The game continues until the deck is exhausted or the players run out of chips.
- Power– This card game is built around bluffing and power plays using money. Each player starts with two cards that represent different real-life positions, such as a Politician, Banker, Lawyer, CEO, or Journalist. These cards determine which roles the player can claim to be. On their turn, a player can use the action of the role they claim, whether they actually have that card or not. For example, the Banker might collect extra money, the Lawyer might block someone from taking money, the CEO could demand money from another player, and the Politician might remove another player’s influence. Since players can lie about their roles, others may call them out, and if the bluff is exposed, the liar loses a card, but if the challenge fails, the accuser loses a card instead. Players spend money to “overthrow” opponents, aiming to knock them out of the game by removing their positions. The last player with a surviving role wins.
- Grocery Run!- Similar to the game Sushi Go! Grocery run would have the same actions of starting with a certain amount of cards, picking one and laying it down, then passing the hand to the next player until the hands are gone. This continues until all cards have been played, simulating a fast-paced “shopping trip.” Unlike Sushi Go!, where the goal is to score the most points, the objective in Grocery Run! is to build the cheapest grocery cart. Each card represents different grocery items with varying costs, and players aim to minimize their total spending while still managing their cart wisely. Special coupon cards add an extra layer of strategy, allowing players to reduce the cost of certain items or cancel out expensive ones. At the end of the round, players tally up the value of their carts, and the lowest total wins.