Category: Game Design Studio 1

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Week 13 Question Set

Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s advice.

The best game I’ve made this semester is Skater Skirmish. Compared to my other games, this game stands out as the most complete. While some of my other games struggled to progress beyond the first prototype phase due to playability issues, Skater Skirmish managed to overcome these challenges. The concept was easy with players, and their responses encouraged me to refine it further.

What makes Skater Skirmish special is its accessibility. The gameplay is easy, making it enjoyable for people of all age groups who can move their hands. This inclusivity comes from its  easy mechanics and simple rules, which ensures that anyone can learn and play the game. I prioritized simplicity because a more complicated design would have kept younger players or those unfamiliar with board games from playing.

To continue, Skater Skirmish blends fun and strategy with ease. Players are engaged in a game of classic skate, with just enough change to the game to make it interesting. It’s a game I’m proud of because it represents my growth as a designer and a carpenter. By focusing on player enjoyment, I created something that works with a wide audience.

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Week 12 Question Set

  • Question Set 1
    • What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?
  • A working prototype is a functional game prototype that is playable, while a display prototype provides the artistic aspects of the game without it being functional.
    • What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail?
    • A working prototype is a game that functions as it should with all aspects of the game, and only needing further refinement based on what comes from playtesting. It can fail if the rules are unclear, or if there are elements missing.
    • What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu?
    • The game should be easy and intuitive to play, have a clear goal and rules, and the game should be complete enough to be clearly playable without much issue and interference from the creator.
    • What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game?
    • Be clear and focused on your goals, understand your audience, include a demo of how the game is played, and be professional.
    • Where might you pitch your game?
    • I could pitch my game at local skate shops or similar stores. On top of that, it can be pitched at competitions where brands set up tents.
    • What do publishers look for in a game?
    • How well the game functions, how well it will sell, how re-playable it is, and that the game has a good appeal to the target audience.
    • What makes a good set of Rules?
    • Rules should be clear and concise, and shouldn’t have to be questioned by the player for more than a few seconds. If rules are not clear, than that can sway a player from playing the game as intended.

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WEEK 6

Concept and Rule Set: Anansi the trickster
PROTOTYPE 1
• Theme: Inspired by Anansi, the trickster spider, with gameplay focused on outwitting opponents.
• Objective: Be the first player to discard all cards while using abilities and trick cards to sabotage others.
• Deck Composition:
• Number Cards: 30 cards across 3 suits (Trick, Trap, Action), numbered 1-10.
• Trick Cards: 40 cards with various actions (e.g., stealing cards, reversing turns, forcing draws).
• Wild Cards: 10 cards to match any suit or number.
• Character Cards: 10 unique trickster characters, each with special abilities.
• Turn Structure:
1. Play a card to match the top card on the discard pile by suit or number.
2. Play a Trick Card or Wild Card at any time.
3. Use character abilities at any time during a turn.
4. Draw a card if no playable options exist.
• Winning: First player to discard all cards wins.

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Final question set

  • Question Set 1
    • What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype? A working prototype is for playtesting mechanics and planning iterations whereas a display prototype is for presentation and concept demonstration.
    • What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail? Working prototypes are intended to receive feedback so it must have the central mechanics that make it playable. To be playable, the rules should be as clear as possible with defined goals and actions. A prototype could fail if it hasn’t been tested enough, has unclear rules, or has mechanics that are not fully interactive.
    • What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu? According to Dale Yu, a good prototype should have a clear purpose and focus on key mechanics. It should not overwhelm players with complex designs, rules, or mechanics but start off with simplicity. 
    • What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game? Before the pitch, one must know the audience. He also suggests starting by focusing on the core idea when pitching. Overall, aim for clarity and simplicity while also being prepared to answer challenging questions.
    • Where might you pitch your game? Conferences, kickstarters, investors, game accelerators, publishers, studios, developers, and more.
    • What do publishers look for in a game? Publishers look for a unique and engaging idea they have not seen before. They also keep in mind factors such as marketability, playability, scalability, and game maker reliability.
    • What makes a good set of Rules? Rules are the first impression of a game so they are evidently very important. It should use terminology that is consistent. It should anticipate rare scenarios while also supporting the core experience. Overall, they should be simplified as much as possible.

Question Set 2

  • Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s outline.

Counterfeit Couture is a competitive game about buying and selling fashion items of hidden value at high-stake auctions. The goal of the game is to end with the highest net value as you win expensive pieces and sell off less valuable pieces. From bluffing to bidding, invest in your fashion collection and watch your net worth grow! The game is intended for ages 8+, with 3-6 players, and a game experience of about 45-90 minutes. 

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Questions from Book

  • Question Set 1
    • What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype? A working prototype is “…intended for evaluation by playtesters and potential publishers” and display prototypes have “… finished art and components, intended for the eyes of distributors or chain buyers” (p. 108). Display prototypes are solely focused on aesthetics and may not even have finished rules. 
    • What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail? A working prototype must include everything needed to play the game, not include anything that hasn’t been thoroughly tested, be solely about the gameplay, playable, legible, and user-friendly. In general, if you don’t follow these rules, your working prototype may fail. 
    • What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu? You should try to make a good first impression, with a clean and nice design (doesn’t need to be totally finalized, obviously). Everything needed to play the game should be there and organized neatly. 
    • What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game? Pitch yourself first before you pitch your game, come prepared and do your homework, get to know the company you’re pitching your game to, don’t let rejection deter you, don’t have a too big or too small ego, recognize the chances are very low but not impossible, know the selling seasons, submit multiple submissions, be careful with agents and marketing companies, have a good prototype and branding 
    • Where might you pitch your game? Mass market game publishers such as Hasbro, speciality game publishers, etc.
    • What do publishers look for in a game? According to Michelle Nephew, publishers are looking for a fun game, minimized set up time and rules, strategy, an interesting theme, an immersive experience, themes and rules relate, good rules and mechanics, inventive rules and components, easy to make components, compatible with the publisher’s other games, right target market, a good title, potential for expansions, can be made in multiple languages, easy for demos, and is collectible only when necessary. 
    • What makes a good set of Rules? A good set of rules should include lots of subheadings, including items such as, overview, components, setup, gameplay, card types, end game and winning, examples/other variations, and credits. 
  • Question Set 2
    • Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s outline.
    • Garden Sabotage! Is a competitive game about curating flower gardens and sabotaging others with bugs. Just when you think you are close to completing an objective with a plot of flowers, a bug may come and eat something! The game is intended for players 10 and up and gameplay is about 30-45 minutes long. 
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Week 8 Questions

  • Question Set 1

o   what is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?

A game developer carries out the game designers plans for the game. The developer codes, and makes the mechanics while the designer creates the metaphor for the game  

o   what commonly occurs during the game development process?

play tests, trial and error, revisions

o   what are the challenges of balancing a game?

Trying to make the game fun to play and winnable but not impossible to figure out and get to the end goal

o   what 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules?

1.     Use no intermediary terminology

2.    Use real words

3.    Make no more work than necessary

4.    Add flavor (but not too much)

5.    Make your text no smarter than your reader

6.    Discard rules that can’t be written

7.    Take a breath

8.    Go easy on the eyes

9.    Get your final version play tested

10. Fix it in the FAQ

  • Question Set 2

o   how has play testing changed your game?

It has changed the specific details in the rules so people don’t outsmart the game and get more points

o   who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game?

Tori because i know shes honest and she has good ideas

o   who is the audience for your game?

Families

o   who should play test your game outside of class?

A family with kids

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fruit salad makers notes

What questions did your players have?

they didn’t have many, really only how you can make your salads with the different colors. also when you can use the action cards and what exactly you do.

How quickly did they learn how to play?

each section took like 5 minutes to learn so they learned pretty fast.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

using the action cards and building their salads.

What confused the players?

how to build salads. if you can mix salads colors and how certain cards behave in salads

What made players excited?

the action cards.

What did your players enjoy doing?

stealing peoples cards.

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

grasping the build phase.