REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Monopoly (The Simpsons)

What made the experience fun or not? No, Monopoly is not my favorite game. The spin on it is definitely interesting, but makes the chances pretty unfair. I was playing as the 1% and I had 10x more properties and money than anyone else.

What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? Maybe if I was playing as the minority I would be more motivated to get more money and more properties.

Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game? I wouldn’t say persuasive because it was very unfair for some players. I mean I could say it is persuasive in the terms of actual reality, because some of the roles are real world struggles.

The McDonalds Game:

What made the experience fun or not? I think it could be fun, the instructions are a little unclear though on how to navigate and get around the game. Although, I like the graphics and the concept of it. Reminds me of heyday in a way.

What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? Keeping the business alive and not going bankrupt, Managing the farm, the the cow factory, to the restaurant, to the corporate office. Managing all 4 can become a challenge so I think that becomes a motivating factor.

Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?

I think the game is maybe trying to get you to want to go to McDonalds and make you think they have a good process behind their business. They want you to trust the business and buy more burgers from them.

CoolSpot:

What made the experience fun or not? No I think it seems kind of frustrating, the controls look hard to use and hard to see, probably from it being so old. I think if you know how to use the controls though it looks like a lot of fun and a good challenge.

What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing? Moving forward on the map, killing the shell looking things, collecting more coins and points. The free roam aspect is kinda cool too you can go backwards.

Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game? Yes I think the goal is to make people want to buy 7 up , not really sure what the little bean thing is looks like the mascot maybe, but I think if you enjoyed the game your more prone to buy the drink.

Calvin Ball:

Was it fun? Yeah, because it was energetic and a bit chaotic

What were the player interactions? They were the whole game really – the game was nothing without what people said or did with each other – what people do impacts how you play the game

How long did it take to learn? Instantly, because it is up to the people to create how it works

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Some of the rules that players come up with are not helpful to the ease of the game so that’s frustrating

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? It’s energetic and mind-engaging which makes it enjoyable because people are laughing and having fun

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? People often forgot the rules others came up with so if there was a way to ensure that players do what other players have called as the rules would make it more chaotic and feel like a game though

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Maybe start the game with a premise or a type of ruleset that you need to go off of so it’s a little more directional

Is this a game you would play again? Perhaps, cause you can do whatever you want

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. It begins with the ball and nothing else, then rules start accumulating as you throw the ball around, then it ends whenever poeple decide it ends

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? It’s mostly collaborative because of needing people to create the mechanics but people can turn it competitive (like mason) if they declare themselves the winner

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? There isn’t really a metaphor other than create whatever you want – the mechanic of do whatever mechanic you want is a unique mechanic in and of itself

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku
no rules but for choice
people making stuff up
no rules every rule

Get Over It:

Was it fun? Sort of, it’s a frustrating sort of fun where it’s addictive to try and finish the game

Player Interactions: It’s a one player game so no interaction really

How long to learn: Pretty quick, just one mechanic

frustrations: the one mechanic makes it hard to win or get to the “end”

favorite moment or aspect: watching somebody else play it

anything you wanted to do but couldnt: nope, because i wasnt doing it

what i wanted to change: I feel like the point of the game is to be frustrating and simple so i dont really want to change anyting

Play again? no not really, maybe just to see if i could beat it but not too intriguing to me

3 act structure: The beginning where the dude sits and doesn’t move, trying to get farther on the map, giving up when you don’t get far enough

collaborative/competitive: it’s just competitive with yourself

metaphor and mechanics: the “metaphor” is a dude in a water bucket trying to move up a mountain with a pickaxe to move, which is also the mechanic – moving by gripping the ground with the pickaxe

haiku:

bro in a bucket
can’t move except for pickaxe
frustration increased

Painstation

Was it fun? I did not play it but the video looked extremely not fun

What were the player interactions? There are two players and they are trying to get the ball into the others goal or something and in turn not let that happen to them cuz of PAIN

How long did it take to learn? since we just watched a video of it i wasn’t quite sure how it worked except for you instantly learned the consequence by the dudes screaming in pain

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I don’t like the idea of inflicting that much pain loll

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I didn’t play it (just watched) and enjoyed none of that video

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? play it without pain

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? have an option to play with no pain

Is this a game you would play again? NO, i don’t play games to be physically abused

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. No pain, much pain, end with too much pain

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? it’s purely competitive so that you don’t get electrocuted or whipped

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The metaphor i think would be the intrigue and suspense of getting hurt – the pain consequence is the most significant outcome of a mechanic

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
don’t let the ball fall
ping PAIN pong PAIN zap zap zap
play again at your risk

Townscraper

Was it fun? Yes, this was the most fun game we played today

What were the player interactions? no interactions since it’s a single player game

How long did it take to learn? a few minutes, figuring out the details of the mechanics

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? initially it was a little frustrating not knowing how to delete the structures but then i figured it out

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? the little noises were very satisfying, the design of the buildings was super cute and it was just relaxing

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? choose what type of building

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I kind of wanted to see my little town inhabited with people moving around the streets and navigating the streets i created

Is this a game you would play again? Yes, it was simply super satisfying and cute

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. There’s not much of a structure, but basically you start with a blank canvas and start placing squares of homes and continue placing them until you want to stop

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? it’s neither collaborative or competitive, you just set your own wishes and boundaries of game time

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Metaphor is unstressfully building a town on water, the mechanics are clicking and changing color – you let the programming of the game do the rest

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
sploosh splash water village
satisfying little game
cute homes to relax

Cow Clicker

Was it fun? Well, i didn’t really get to play it so no i did not think it was fun, the idea behind the game is intriguing however

What were the player interactions? no interactions just a cow, or rather lack of a cow now

How long did it take to learn? instantly, all you do is click

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? you have to wait is probably the frustrating aspect

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? the cute lil cows

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? actually play the game

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? see the cows in actions

Is this a game you would play again? No, it’s pointless game, tho a good critique

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. A cow, cow is clicked, person waits, clicks again

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? neither really

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? the metaphor is a cow in a field, the mechanic is just clicking and waiting and clicking again

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
Click cow wait click click
wait wait wait click click click click
wait years no click cow

Bad therapist

1. Was it fun?
   1. I thought I would like the game more than I actually did, it was okay.
2. What were the player interactions?
   1. It was sort of like Cards Against Humanity, except with images.
3. How long did it take to learn?
   1. It took about 5 minutes to learn and understand the game. The directions were very simple and easy to pick up.
4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
   1. The game was only frustrating when my card wouldn’t get picked.
5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
   1. My favorite moment was being the therapist and deciding whose card was the best.
6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
   1. Something I wanted to do but couldn’t was to have more cards that could be universal to all of the opportunities and situations.
7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
   1. If I had a magic wand to wave and could change anything, I would make the diagnosis cards broader and relatable to every situation.
8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
   1. I don’t think I would play this again simply because this game’s creators were the creators of exploding Kittens and I despise that game and overall don’t think their games are good.
9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
   1. The 3 act structure in this game is followed by the therapist selecting their question card and situation card the next axt is the struggle of the other players choosing their own cards then lastly the 3rd structure is having the therapist read aloud and choose their favorite card.
10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. This game is moreso competitive in that it requires the other players to compete to find the best answer to fill in the situation
11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. I don’t know if the game has a metaphor but the mechanics are the hand limit and how many cards you can place as well as how many cards can the therapist use.
12. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Boring as ever, Would not play this game again. Why is this a thing?

Play 9

13. Was it fun?
    1. I really enjoyed this game.
14. What were the player interactions?
    1. The player interactions involved taking the number a player discarded and using it for your deck.
15. How long did it take to learn?
    1. The game took me about 20 minutes to fully pick up.
16. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. The most frustrating moment was when you would take a card out of your hand blindly to place in the discard pile and you actually needed it.
17. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. My favorite moment was when I ended up with the most negative points in one round.
18. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    1. I wanted to be able to have a little more freedom in my pick but I understand why the game is the way it is.
19. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    1. I honestly wouldn’t change the game I found myself really enjoying it as is.
20. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    1. I would play this game again I found it very engaging and I found myself invested in this game.
21. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    1. The three-act structure follows from the moment when you flip your first two cards, then deciding which cards you want to play on. Then gets to the heat of the second round, where you have 2 cards left to flip or swap, and you can’t pick up and swap unless you’re sure. Lastly, it’s down to the last card, where everyone sees who has the fewest points wins the round.
22. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. The competitive aspect of the game is trying to get the least amount of points every round to win.
23. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. The metaphor is about golf, and the mechanics are pick up, put down, and pick up and play. 
24. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Dynamic itself, Fun to play at every age, Lowest score will win

OTrio for tic tac toe

25. Was it fun?
    1. I really enjoyed playing the game.
26. What were the player interactions?
    1. The players interacted by preventing and placing three in a row without the other players noticing.
27. How long did it take to learn?
    1. It took about 5 minutes to learn
28. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. The most frustrating part is when you can play one last turn, but you’re stuck on how to beat both players when either of their next moves lets them win.
29. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. My favorite moment of what I played was winning when your opponents don’t realize it.
30. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    1. I wanted to be able to have a master block move so that I could stop either of them.
31. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    1. I wouldn’t change anything it was so fun as is.
32. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    1. I would play this game again because it flows so easily.
33. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    1. Just the whole building of the game follows the 3 act structure from the foundation.
34. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. It is a competitive game that runs like tic tac toe, trying to win while trying to stop the other team from getting ahold of the win.
35. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    1. Im not sure this game has a metaphor, but the mechanic that stands out is that you need three in a row of the same color and shape or same color and progress of shapes.
36. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Easy environment. Portable for on the go, Twist on a classic.

Cow Clicker

1. Was it fun?
   1. I would say watching the gameplay was fun and mindless.
2. What were the player interactions?
   1. The player clicks the cow to milk it then dispenses the milk into the cartons until full, then goes down the assembly line.
3. How long did it take to learn?
   1. Literally, it was so self-intuitive that it took less than 2 mins to learn the game.
4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
   1. The game is so mindless, other than not having an end to it that is the only time I am frustrated.
5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
   1. My favorite moment was honestly watching as the milk was placed into the cartons and filling up the cartons.
6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
   1. I wanted to have more animal options like a chicken.
7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
   1. I would add other animals so you had to go around and equally gather resources from each animal.
8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
   1. Yes, I would play again because it is so brainless.
9. Analyze the game using the 3-act structure.
   1. The three-act structure is followed by the click to gather the milk and then the placing of the milk into the carton, and then the assembly line continues the process and you gather cows the longer you play.  
10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. This is a solo game that invites the user to collaborate with the system to accomplish tasks.
11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. The clicking was definitely the biggest mechanic, which is easy enough to zone out to place.
12. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. The game was calming, I would for sure play again, easy on the eyes.

Townscrapper

13. Was it fun?
    1. Yes I enjoyed the calming nature of it.
14. What were the player interactions?
    1. Players clicked on the screen to build towns.
15. How long did it take to learn?
    1. It took 2 mins to learn and decipher.
16. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. Literally nothing, I was zen the whole time.
17. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. Building the town was the best aspect of what we played.
18. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    1. I wanted to be able to control what I built. Like when I placed things, I couldnt tell what it was gonna build. 
19. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    1. I would be able to control what sort of building I was creating when I clicked so I had options.
20. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    1. Yes this game was a soothing experience for the brain to just turn off and click.
21. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    1. The objective starts as a click and then progresses with building the towns and choosing colors, then the game continues until you decide the end.
22. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. I would say this one-player game fares more collaboratively as in if you have other people watching, they can advise you.
23. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. I would not argue that the game has a metaphor, but I would say the mechanic comes with the click and choosing the color to build on.
24. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Mindless and Brainless, Colorful objects on screen. One cohesive game.

Calvin Ball

25. Was it fun?
    1. Yes
26. What were the player interactions?
    1. The players came up with their own rules to play the game.
27. How long did it take to learn?
    1. I would say it requires an explanation before you play so not long.
28. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. When Mason decided he was the winner.
29. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    1. Trying to hit the monkeys was my favorite.
30. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    1. I wanted to have the ball more.
31. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    1. I would have a rule where people had to pass to me.
32. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    1. I would play again because you could make the game whatever you wanted.
33. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    1. I don’t think this kind of game follows the 3 act structure.
34. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    1. I think there is a competitive aspect to what we played because there was no end and you could keep going with whatever part you wanted.
35. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    1. Just throw the ball, and there are no specific mechanics unless people come up with their own.
36. Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
    1. Fun and exciting, as little or as many. Age does not matter

Townscaper

Was it fun? I feel like it was

What were the player interactions? No other players, but the user would interact with the area to create buildings.

How long did it take to learn? Almost immediate

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? No frustrating moments

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? It had to be the asmr sounds while clicking everything

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I’d just add it a menu to change the building options

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why. Yes because it’s a simple and yet fun game to play.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. Click, build, repeat

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? I’d say there’s none honestly. It’s a very simple and straightforward game.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Just clicking the screen stands out.

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. Click and build your town. Expand the town. Create your imagination.

Aleah Dudek

Getting over it

Was it fun? I think it could be fun, but I can see how it will get really frustrating. Getting to a certain point and then falling back to right where you started would be really hard.

What were the player interactions? The player interactions was the person trying to get the character in a pot up the mountain with a singular hammer. If you messed up or fell, you wouldn’t lose, but you would just go back to a lower point from where you were at.

How long did it take to learn? A good bit, Mason said the mechanics were pretty confusing to learn based on the iPad he was playing on.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Probably falling off the cliff after getting to a certain point, or getting the hammer where you want it to go.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I liked the challenge of it. It almost motivates you to do better in the game in a sense.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Maybe if there were upgrades, like if you got to a certain point you would get an easier hammer to climb with.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be? Same thing as a said the question before, maybe adding upgrades. I wouldn’t take anything away from it.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why No I wouldn’t play it because I do get very frustrated easily with these types of games. I would probably last only 5 minutes.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

Set up: I think the set up was alright, the graphics were pretty good and colorful , and I liked the 2D effect.

Confrontation: Is when you would reach a certain point up the hill.

Resolution: You make it up the hill and finish climbing up the hill.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? I would say you are collaborating with yourself in trying to get the guy up the hill. The competitive aspects I would say is when you fall and trying to get right back up the hill.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? It isn’t about winning its about how life is so unpredictable with some of the challenges we face. You can’t skip the tough parts in your life because that’s what makes life better, getting frustrated, sad, and mad, helps you evolve as a person and master what you are trying to accomplish. The mechanic that stands out is the hammer movement because that will determine the way you swing to where you are going to go next.

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

Effort does not guarantee success.
Failure feels personal and cruel.
Persistence becomes the real victory.

Calvin Ball

Was it fun? Yes I liked how spontaneous it was. Would definitely be more fun with more people.

What were the player interactions? Yes all the players were throwing , tossing, chucking, depending on the rules.

How long did it take to learn? Instantly there is no rules except the rules you make up.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I wasn’t frustrated overall thought it was fun that it was quick and spontaneous it could have went on forever.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I like that everyone had significantly different rules and it made it super challenging, but a fun challenge not knowing what was going to come next.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Nope because if you didn’t like the rule you can make a rule to get rid of it.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be? Nope same thing you can change or add anything you want. You can add throwing a chair if you really wanted to.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why Yes I think it would be so fun with a group a people outside in a bigger space.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

Set up: The classroom with my classmates, one ball, no rules, rules added eventually.

Confrontation: When multiple rules are in play as the game is actively going on.

Resolution: Someone eventually makes a rule determining who will win.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? Applying all the rules together with one another while actively adding and subtracting rules from the game would be the collaborative part. The competitive part would be if some rules are easier for others than some or once someone calls the winning rule.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

I would say you never know what life is going to throw at you because you are throwing a ball around while not knowing what rule the next person is going to say. The mechanic that stands out is the flexibility of them game.

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

Rules appear and fade.
We throw chaos into order.
Life makes up the score.

TownScraper

Was it fun? No I thought it was pretty boring. I can see how it would be relaxing for some, but me personally would get really bored easily.

What were the player interactions? You would click colors, structures, to add or subtract from your structure.

How long did it take to learn? Instantly it sort of doesn’t have rules.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I would only get frustrated with how bored I wold get. I get the point of it but I would need more sort of like Minecraft for it to be more interesting for me.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I mean the aesthetic was pretty and the noises were satisfying to listen to .

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wish there were more mechanics to it to like add people or animals. I saw birds but you don’t really get to choose to add those.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be? Make different structures available, animals, people, terrains maybe.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why No I would get bored within 2 minutes I like more action when I play games.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

Set Up: Overall aesthetic was cute and pleasing to look at and listen to.

Confrontation : Making a structure reach a certain point like having a huge building or bridge.

Resolution: there is none it’s an endless game. But I can say if you make a building and you reach the point of the building where you are happy then maybe that.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? The collaborative aspects was building upon different structures with one another. and the competitive aspects I would say is subtracting buildings or bridges when you mess up.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Letting go of perfection and creativity without goals. The mechanic that stands out is the color scheme you can do to me because that has more of a choice than the buildings have to me.

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.

I click and it grows.
The city surprises me.
Creation feels light.

Getting Over it

Was it fun? I’d say no

What were the player interactions? No player interactions

How long did it take to learn? I’d say a couple of minutes to get used to the controls

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? The fact that you will fall and have to restart

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? Actually getting good and making progress

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No

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

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why No, just a frustrating game but I feel like that’s the point

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. Climb, Climb higher, fall

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? The competitive aspect would be to climb up the fastest without fail.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The mechanic of the bad controls and trying to climb up a hard mountain

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. Climb up the mountain. Continue to climb the mountain. Fall down. Repeat

Pain Station

Was it fun? It looks fun but obviously painful

What were the player interactions? Shocking each other

How long did it take to learn? Seconds

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

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I’d play it because it’s a very unique game

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything. from the experience, what would it be? No

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why I’d 100% play it

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.Play game, feel pain, make other player be in game

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? No collaborative aspect but a very big competitive aspect. The competitive aspect will be to hurt the other players and not yourself

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The pain apect

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. Play the game. Feel pain. Give pain.

Calvin Ball

Was it fun? I enjoyed it, very simple game with minimal items needed to play

What were the player interactions? The interactions would be throwing the ball at one another and creating rules for each other.

How long did it take to learn? Seconds

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? The most frustrating part would be if there’s too many rules.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? My favorite moment is when we realized you can just end the game by saying you win.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Nothing

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why. Yes because it’s a simple and fun game to play.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. Get ball, make rule, throw ball

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? I’d say there’s no competitive aspect, but it’s collaborative in the way of making rules together.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku. It’s a fun a simple game to play. Fun to add rules. Easy to learn the game.

A Review of Game Design 2

• Was it fun? Yes, probably one of my favorite classes. 
• What were the player interactions? Commenting on each other’s posts, playtesting each other’s games, providing game feedback, playing games together, etc. 
• How long did it take to learn? Somedays I feel like I am still learning things about the points and the rules, but overall, not very long because the point system is fairly simple. I still feel like I don’t understand the multipliers though. 
• Would you play it again? Yes, but please don’t fail me. 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The game’s metaphor is that game design is structured like a game to learn the principles of a game. If it has a rule set, it’s a game. I really like the character sheets and the multipliers.  
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I think I just needed more motivation to really focus on making a solid game. Because you can get points from so many different things like commenting, posting reviews, and coming up with game ideas, I felt less motivated to spend a lot of time making a game, but that is also partially because I have been so busy this semester. I essentially wish I had more drive and time to make a really good game, but that isn’t necessarily game design’s fault. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? Everything!!!!
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Not that I can think of
• 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 somehow incentivize the competition a little bit more. I think last semester was a lot more competitive in terms of the leaderboard and that made it really fun. This semester, it kind of feels like everyone is just in survival mode and doing what they can, not caring where they end up. 
• What should be improved with the next version? Refinements to the multipliers, and maybe more restrictions on the hidden achievements. I honestly hated trying to keep track of my own hidden achievements because it just became a lot on top of everything else 
• What was the game’s message? If you have a set of rules, it can be a game. 
• Describe the game in 3 words. Fun, educational, going-to-miss-it-ngl

Evan’s Cracking Jokes Game Version 2

I’m really glad that the glowsticks were switched out for the clickers!

• Was it fun? Yes, but to be completely honest, the second version wasn’t as fun as the first one. I do like the new clickers though. 
• What were the player interactions? Reacting to each other’s jokes by moving the noise maker clicker thing
• How long did it take to learn? I got this game almost instantly 
• Would you play it again? Yes I would 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? I’m honestly not sure what the metaphor is, but the standout mechanic for me is using the clicker to react to other player’s jokes
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Not being able to come up with a joke. The categories were almost a little too vague for me. I know that Evan doesn’t want it to become like Cards against Humanity with the kind of prompts, but I think more specific prompts can help people come up with jokes. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I really enjoyed spinning the clicker thingy. 
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wanted to be able to steal other people’s points if they couldn’t come up with a joke or the one that I tell in addition to their joke is funnier. 
•  If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Make it easier for players to come up with jokes 
• What should be improved with the next version? I would revise the points system. I think that people should be rewarded if they get more people to laugh. Maybe 1 point per person who clicked the spinner? I would also like to see if players are able to steal points from other players. Also, I would love for you to bring back the old joke categories that everyone helped come up with. I had a much easier time coming up with jokes for those cards. To avoid people being like “I don’t like this one, IDK”, you could have people draw 2 cards and pick their favorite category from those 2 cards. 
• Describe the game in 3 words. Comedy, satisfying clicker

Horrible Therapist

• Was it fun? Yes! 
• What were the player interactions? Responding to the problems at the therapist and deciding what cards were the funniest or the most fitting
• How long did it take to learn? This game was a pretty instant learning experience
• Would you play it again? Absolutely, and I better! 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? You are a bad therapist and you have to help people’s absurd problems. I really liked that you were almost building a comic strip. 
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Reading some questionable cards in front of Professor Ames
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? Being very good at it lol
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Not that I can think of!
• What should be improved with the next version? It would be funny to have some improv or recreations of some of these scenes for immersive gameplay 
• Describe the game in 3 words. Fun, shocking, wow! 

Trial by Trolly 

• Was it fun? Yes, I really enjoyed this game! 
• What were the player interactions? Players had to try to “one” up each other by making the other team’s track seem worse so that the conductor would run over them instead. You also had to try to convince the conductor to not run you over so there was a lot of verbal manipulation as well. 
• How long did it take to learn? This game’s rules and mechanics were simple to learn, but I kept getting hung up on if I wanted the cards to be the “worst” or the “best” since some of the cards were placed on our own track and others on the other players’. That might just be a me problem though. 
• Would you play it again? Yes, I would! I think I would have a good time playing this with a group of friends. 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The game’s metaphor is about the trolley problem, where you have to debate the moral dilemma of running over the people on one train track. A metaphor I really liked was that the player teams changed every round. 
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I kind of wish we could have mixed the teams up a little bit better, because even though you had a different team almost every round, I never got to be on the same team as Sara. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? The cards were very funny and I enjoyed debating on which ones to choose. 
•  If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I want there to be a physical train to run over the people!!
• What should be improved with the next version? Physical train, maybe better ways of shuffling the player teams?
• What was the game’s message? Can’t always please everyone (not really but that’s what I got out of it)
• Describe the game in 3 words. Absurd, funny, different 

From games for change:

“Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. Gris will grow emotionally and see her world in a different way.

GRIS is a serene and evocative experience, free of danger, frustration, or death. Players will explore a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score. Through the game light puzzles, platforming sequences, and optional skill-based challenges will reveal themselves as more of Gris’s world becomes accessible.”

Notes from online

• Gris = grey in French or Spanish 
• Colors represent the stages of grief
  • Denial – grey 
  • Anger – red 
  • Bargaining – green 
  • Depression – blue 
  • Acceptance – yellow 

Review

• Was it fun? Yes! I love puzzle platformer games like this and it was super easy to become immersed in the gameplay. 
• What were the player interactions? While you don’t interact with other players, your character is able to interact with various objects which are integral to completing the puzzles. I especially enjoyed interacting with the little cute creatures in the forest. 
• How long did it take to learn? The mechanics of this game were super easy and quick to learn, but I think it would have been different had I played on a different platform. Based on the demo we played during class, the tablet version seems a lot harder to control the girl, which makes sense for the game. On the Switch, I had no issue moving her. 
• Would you play it again? Absolutely, I haven’t finished the game yet, but even when I do complete all of the main objectives I can already see myself going back to complete some of the smaller puzzles and challenges that I missed along the way. 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The game is about a girl that is going through the process of grief. The game starts out with little to no color and no character abilities, but as you progress through the game you unlock more colors and abilities. Each of the colors is representative of the stages of grief, and that is one of the standouts for me. The fact that the character abilities that you unlock are representative of that specific stage of grief and the things that you experience during it, it is so beautifully poetic. 
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Once you get past a certain point, you can’t go back to the area you were just at. For instance, I was exploring the world a little bit before completing one of the puzzle challenges, but then I fell down a big hole and couldn’t return to finish that puzzle. As a completionist, I was not very happy about this, but I respect why the game developers chose to do that. I read online that I can revisit this at the end of the game so at least there’s that. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? Honestly, everything. The game so cohesively goes together. The soundtrack and the visuals make the game such an immersive experience and at times it is very emotionally moving. The game doesn’t have any words that tell you about the process of grief, but you are able to feel it in your soul. 
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wanted to go back and finish those earlier challenges!
• If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Absolutely nothing! 
• What was the game’s message? The game is about a girl who is navigating through the process of grief and sorrow
• Describe the game in 3 words. Beautiful, moving, breathtaking 

Also here is a gallery of screenshots I took, just because it is so pretty and I need to share: