Category: Game Design Studio 1

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Week 8 Questions

  • Question Set 1
    • what is the difference between a game designer and a game developer? A game developer does not design the game, but “they make a lot of the games you buy better” (pg. 74). The game developer helps perfect the game by suggesting often minor changes to the rules, mechanics, etc. The designer comes up with the idea and inspiration for the game, but the developer turns this into a finished product. 
    • what commonly occurs during the game development process? Initial playtesting, reviewing and editing the rules, blind playtesting, and settling on titles and theming. 
    • what are the challenges of balancing a game? Players should be able to feel like they all have a chance to win and that makes balancing a game difficult, especially when there are cards or mechanics that have drastically different rarities or power levels.  Additionally, the interactions between the components need to be balanced, not just the components themselves. You also need to consider a card or components value. You also need to consider the different strategies that players may use in the game and if there are special techniques that will dominate over others and win every time. 
    • what should every player of your game believe? Why? Every player needs to believe that they have a chance to win up until the end of the game. Games become uninteresting if you know that you are not going to win; it just feels like the game is dragging out and you want to get it over with. Players also want to feel like they have some sort of control over the outcome of the game. 
    • how can you avoid stealing players fun?Based on Dave Howell’s guidelines, “don’t kick a player out out before the game is over”, avoid kingmaking (including kingchoosing, kingmaking, and kingbreaking), “don’t reward the leader”, “include inherent declaration”, “a player’s ability to influence other players should fall between none and lots”, and “don’t force a reverse”. 
    • what 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules? Use no intermediary terminology, use real words, make no more work than necessary, add flavor (but not too much), make your text no smarter than your reader, discard rules that can’t be written, take a breath (aka break up your rules), go easy on the eyes (not too much bolding and capitalization), get your final version playtested, fix any errors that pop up after publication in the faq 
  • Question Set 2
    • how has play testing changed your game? Playtesting has made me realize quite a few critical flaws in my game rules and design that I wouldn’t have considered. For Garden Sabotage, I didn’t anticipate players planting plants that they didn’t want in their garden and I had no way for players to remove them. For The Lamp, a lot of the fun cards of the game went unused because I didn’t realize I had put too few spaces in the game. 
    • who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game? For Garden Sabotage test two, I would like to have some of the people in the class that are interested in garden games or sabotage games test them, because I think they are similar to what my target audience would be. 
    • who is the audience for your game? I haven’t taken much time to consider the audience for my games. But for Garden Sabotage, I think it could include people who are interested in plants and flowers and also people who want to be able to sabotage other players. For The Lamp, I’m honestly not sure what the audience would be. I think I need to take further time to establish an audience for both games. 
    • who should play test your game outside of class? Ideally, my target audience would be the playtesters of these games. Because quite a few of my friends and family are interested in plants, I think they would be good for a primary test of Garden Sabotage. 
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Garden Glory Test 2

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

not being able to plant out of season and not being able to harvest out of season. 

what was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? 

buff tokens are a smart touch. it helps you plant out of season. 

was there anything you wanted to do that you could not? 

no i thought the game was very well designed.

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

something with the bundle system. i found it too complex to the point to where i didnt want to pick any bundle cards up. 

What should be improved for the next version? 

the bundle system. 

Describe the game in 3 words.

Fun, Creative, Colorful 

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The Lamp Playtest – Game Maker’s Notes

  • What questions did your players have? If they could only go forward, if when you decide to stop playing you can change your mind, 
  • How quickly did they learn to play? The players seemed to learn pretty quickly. The only thing that took them a while to get the hang of was what the numbers on the die indicated (lamp on or off, and 1-2 orbs)
  • What kinds of interactions did the players have? Players didn’t really interact much in terms of the gameplay. They kind of reminded each other of the rules and mechanics at times and suggested when they might be getting a little too close to the lamp. 
  • What confused players? The dice and what each of the numbers meant
  • What made players excited? The mini lamp
  • What did your players enjoy doing? I think the players enjoyed the trading post cards although they didn’t really get to use them very often. I think they enjoyed being able to turn on and off the lamp too. The players also enjoyed having their own paths on the board, versus one path for everyone. I believe they also enjoyed the art. 
  • Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? Players wanted to be able to use the trading post cards more because there were so many of them and so few spaces on the board. 

Potential changes

  • Make sure that next time I have the ON and OFF dice instead of a 1-6 die, like I originally intended
  • Include reminders on the board itself to let players know what the number on the die means for collecting orbs
  • Make the board bigger
  • Create more opportunities to collect trading post cards 
  • Add functions to the trading post cards that allow you to distract players with the new light source
  • Create opportunities where players will move backwards as well, such as when the light is off or when someone plays a trading post card
  • Clarify that when you choose not to roll anymore you cannot change your mind and go back into the game
  • Create more ways to earn points
  • Change the shape of the board path a little bit
  • Maybe incorporate action dies or cards that affect turns 
  • Add more opportunities for player interaction
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Evelyn’s Counterfeit Couture

Overall, I really enjoyed this game and I think it is my favorite of your playtests yet.

  • What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Running out of money to buy some fashion items and there being no minimum price when you sell one of your pieces. 
  • What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I really enjoyed how the values aren’t attached to the cards so each game will be a bit different and it’s more replayable. 
  • Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wanted to have more control over the personal auctions when I place something up for sale. 
  • 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 experience of the personal auctions to both be able to impose restrictions on the minimum price but also keeping the secretiveness of what the true value of the card is. 
  • What should be improved with the next version? Maybe clarify that the auctions go around in a circle; I was a tiny bit confused at first. I would also explore some different alternatives to the way that the private auctions work. Additionally, I would explore how people can get restocked on money throughout the game board. 
  • Describe the game in 3 words. Strategic, suspenseful, intuitive
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Playtest Review – Sara’s A Box for my Trinkets

I loved this game and all of your little trinkets! I think it has really good potential!!!

  • What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Not having super clearly defined rules about the actions you can and can’t take on your turn. Also the fact that having players offer to trade with you meant that you might have to give up a random trinket that you want to keep. 
  • What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I loved all of the different trinkets in the game. It was super fun pulling them out the bag and seeing what I got. 
  • Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? It would be nice to have a feature where you could trinkets without it being entirely luck-based. It was a little frustrating that it was almost just based on what you pulled out of the bag, although I still like that. Maybe having a little marketplace could help, but you don’t want to make it too easy to obtain trinkets at the same time. 
  • 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 so that players could totally randomly grab items from the bag or items to trade. I think pretty often people will try to cheat by feeling what item or memorizing the location of it in their trinket box so they don’t have to give up what they want. 
  • What should be improved with the next version? Overall I really loved this game, but some suggestions I have are to clarify what actions you can take on each turn, clarify the rules about trading in trinket cards and getting new trinkets, clarify swapping and trading rules (can players pick what they get to trade when another player wants to trade). You could also explore the idea of some different actions like forcing two players to swap trinket boxes. You could also have a marketplace where players can buy select items from there. 

Describe the game in 3 words. Fun I Spy-like Collecting

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Catan Review

What were the player interactions?

Trading, Negotiating, Blocking

Was it fun?

Yes

How long did it take to learn?

15-20 min

Would you play it again?

Yes

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

  1. Setup and build initial settlements.
  2. Conflict starts to arise from resources and trading.
  3. The final starts when strategies start to unfold and someone wins the game

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

Trading resources and building / scoring

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

Metaphor for resource management and community building. The trading and building stand out to me.

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game reviews

anansi’s web of tricks

  1. the rules not being on the cards and having to look in the rules over and over again.
  2. it was like uno
  3. no
  4. no
  5. more cards, suits
  6. cultural, fun, trickster

word relay

  1. nothing was very frustrating.
  2. the fast pace.
  3. no
  4. more ways to get points to make it more even points wise.
  5. more points
  6. fast, fun, intuitive

dillon’s game

  1. knowing how to start and how the damage parts work
  2. i don’t think i had a favorite moment , maybe going into the negatives of stats for fun.
  3. no
  4. have more points possible for skills and have more health.
  5. how the damage system works.
  6. challenging, dnd, interesting
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JAM SESH and WORD RELAY

JAM SESH

Game Overview

In Jam Sesh, players collect musical notes and build chords to create a unique song. The player with the best song at the end of the game wins!

Components

  • Note Cards: 35 cards (5 of each note: C-1, D-2, E-3, F-4, G-5, A-6, B-7).
  • Chord Reference Cards: 15 cards showing examples of basic chords (e.g., C Major, D Minor, G7) that players can build using their collected notes.
  • Song Sheet: A sheet where players write down their collected notes and chords.
  • Dice: A six-sided die to determine actions.

Player Count

  • Players: 2 to 6 players.

Setup

  1. Shuffle the Note Cards and place them face down in a draw pile.
  2. Lay out the Chord Reference Cards face up for all players to see.
  3. Give each player a Song Sheet and a pencil.
  4. Decide on the number of rounds to play (e.g., 5 rounds).

How to Play

Starting the Round: Players take turns rolling the six-sided die and follow these actions based on the roll:

  • 1: Draw 1 Note Card.
  • 2: Draw 2 Note Cards.
  • 3: Trade 1 Note Card with another player.
  • 4: Discard 1 Note Card to draw 2 new Note Cards.
  • 5: Skip your turn and collect 2 Note Cards from the draw pile next round.
  • 6: Draw 2 Note Cards and then immediately discard 1 Note Card of your choice.

Collecting Notes and Building Chords

After drawing cards, players can add notes to their Song Sheet. Each note can only be added once per song. Players can also build chords using the notes they’ve collected by referring to the Chord Reference Cards.

Chord Building Example:

  • To build a C Major chord, a player needs to collect C-1, E-3, and G-5. They can write the chord on their Song Sheet as part of their song.

Creating a Song

After all rounds are complete, players create their songs using the collected notes and chords. They can write a title and describe the song’s theme or mood.

Scoring

At the end of the game, players share their songs. Scoring is based on:

  • Variety of Notes: 1 point for each unique note collected.
  • Chords Built: 2 points for each chord successfully built.
  • Creativity: 1 bonus point for a unique song title or theme.

The Game Ends..

The game ends when all of the note cards have been drawn!

Winning

The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Enjoy making music with Jam Sesh! 🎶

Word Relay

Game Overview 🪐

“Word Relay” is a team-based or single-player team word association game where players take turns saying words related to a specific category. The goal is to keep the relay going without repeating words or taking too long to respond.🏁

Number of Players 🔢♾️ 

  • 4 or more (can be played with larger groups)

Setup 🥱

  1. Divide into Teams(if needed) ➗: Split players into two or more teams. Each team should have at least two players.
  2. Category Cards ❓ : Prepare a set of category cards with various themes(Or use the 5 premade ones instead, this will affect the game time making it a shorter game), such as animals 🐸, food 🍱, movies 🎥, or countries 🇺🇸. Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a pile. (you have 5 minutes to make your cards if you dare 👹)
  3. Choose a Category 📄 : The first team draws a category card to determine the theme for the round.

Rules 📏

  1. Starting Player 1️⃣: Teams decide who will go first. The first player from Team A starts by saying a word related to the chosen category.
  2. Relay Turn 🔁 : The next player from Team B must respond within 8 seconds ⏱️ with a word that relates to the last word said. This continues back and forth between teams.
  3. No Repeats 🚫 : Players cannot repeat any word that has already been said in the current round.
  4. Time Limit ⏳ : If a player takes longer than 8 seconds ⏱️ to respond, their team loses a point.
  5. Challenge Rule 🟥🟦 : If a player believes that another player has said a word that doesn’t fit the category, they can challenge it. If the challenge is successful (determined by a vote or consensus), the challenged player’s team loses a point. If the challenge fails, the challenging team loses a point.
  6. Winning the Round  🎉 : The round continues until one team either fails to respond in time or repeats a word. The last team to give a word earns a point.

Points System 🌌

  1. Scoring Points:
    • Winning a Round 🎉 : When one team successfully gets the other team to fail to respond or repeat a word, they score 1 point.
    • Challenges 🟥🟦 : If a challenge is successful, the challenging team scores 1 point; if it fails, the challenged team loses 1 point.
    • Bonus Points 🤯 :
      • Creative Words 🧠 : Award an extra 1 point for unique or creative words (team votes).
      • Speed Round ⚡ : If a player responds in under 3 seconds, their team earns 1 bonus point.
  2. Losing Points 💔 :
    • If a player takes longer than 8 seconds ⏱️, their team loses 1 point.(womp womp)
    • If a team repeats a word, they also lose 1 point. (double womp womp)
  3. Tracking Points 🐾 : Keep a visible tally for each team to enhance competitiveness.

Winning the Game 🥳

  • Play until one team reaches a predetermined score of 10 points or play for a set duration (e.g., 15 minutes) and see which team has the most points at the end.

Enjoy playing “Word Relay” 🏎️

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Game Maker’s Play Test Notes Garden Glory

What Questions did your players have?

Where you you discard cards/tokens? What do all of the buffs do? Do the event cards carry over? Why are most of the plants summer cards?

How quickly did they learn to play?

They learned the game fairly quickly, reading through the rules once and refrencing it when they were confused

What confused players?

My old rules, The season tracker, turn structure.

What made players excited?

Trading(!), completing bundles, and using buffs.

What did your players enjoy doing?

I would say the players favorite part of the game play was the market phase where they could trade and sell their cards.

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

Players were confused at times, but never got frustrated. Perhaps some annoyance when they weren’t drawing the cards they needed for their bundles.