Category: Game Design Studio 1

Process for making chocolate covered strawberries

ingredients-

• washed and dried strawberries
• milk chocolate melting wafers (chocolate used for coating)
• decorative colored melting wafers

1. Put a cup of water into a small pot that is able to hold a metal bowl in it, but not touching the water
2. turn the water on low and add your milk chocolate, stir continuously as the chocolate melts to avoid burning it.
3. Grab each strawberry by its leaved and dip into the melted chocolate— place on a lined baking sheet
4. once all strawberries have been dipped, wait for them to dry and melt your decorative colored chocolate melts
5. transfer colored chocolate into a bag and cut a tiny hole in the corner, now you can drizzle it onto the strawberry
6. Refrigerate the dried chocolate strawberries with a paper towel lining the dish to combat condensation on the strawberries

Process for making cannoli dip

ingredients-

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Cream together ricotta and cream cheese until it is smooth and fluffy
2. Add in the powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix until well incorporated
3. Fold in the mini chocolate chips
4. Refrigerate

Best served with waffle cone chips, Nila wafers, and/or gram crackers.

Since group never got the chance to playtest out game in class. I printed out the game board that Alana made and the players cards made by Lauren, and I had a few Co-workers play it. Here are the notes I took during the game:

What questions did your players have?

• How do Reward Tokens work exactly? Some players were unsure about when and how to best use the tokens.
• What happens if we run out of Survivor Tokens? There were questions about what teams could do if they lost all their players early in the game.
• Can we contest the other team’s answers? Some players wanted the option to challenge the opposing team’s answers or question choices.

How quickly did they learn how to play?

• Players generally picked up the game fairly quickly, especially the basic mechanics of answering questions, using tokens, and moving along the board. It took only a few rounds for them to understand the flow of the game and how the strategic elements (like the checkpoints and Survivor Tokens) worked.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

• Team collaboration: Players worked closely with their teammates, discussing answers and strategizing about when to use Reward Tokens or how to handle the elimination process.
• Friendly competition: There were a lot of fun moments where teams tried to outwit each other, especially around the checkpoint rewards and when players started targeting weaknesses in the other team’s knowledge.

What confused the players?

• Timer pressure: Some players were confused about whether the timer was mandatory and how much time they really had to answer. It led to some rushed decisions.
• Reviving players: Some players weren’t clear on how to revive eliminated teammates using the Reward Tokens and when the best time to do so would be.
• Elimination rules: There was some uncertainty about how teams should handle the loss of Survivor Tokens and whether there were any comeback mechanics once a player was eliminated.

What made players excited?

• Checkpoint rewards: Players were excited by the opportunity to land on checkpoints and get additional rewards, especially when it allowed them to revive a teammate or take an extra turn.
• Comebacks: The ability to revive a player or skip a tough question generated excitement and kept the game feeling dynamic.
• Strategic moments: Players enjoyed moments where they could use Reward Tokens strategically to outsmart the other team, especially when they were behind.

What did your players enjoy doing?

• Discussing answers: Players loved the chance to collaborate and think through the questions together, especially when the answers were tricky.
• Using Reward Tokens: Using the tokens to revive teammates, skip questions, or move extra spaces added a strategic layer that players really enjoyed.
• Advancing on the board: Moving forward and reaching new spaces, especially checkpoints, was a source of excitement and motivation.

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

• Elimination process: Losing a Survivor Token and being forced to eliminate a player frustrated some, especially if it happened early in the game. It felt like the game could be over too soon for one team.
• Timer: The timer caused some stress, as players felt rushed to come up with answers, which led to frustration and sometimes poor decisions.
• Imbalance in trivia difficulty: Some players felt that certain trivia questions were either too easy or too difficult, leading to some uneven moments in the game.

Since group never got the chance to playtest out game in class. I printed out the game board that Alana made and the players cards made by Lauren, and I had a few Co-workers play it. Here are their reviews:

Review 1:

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
Losing a player early because of a wrong answer—it felt like it really hurt our chances.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Reviving a teammate after hitting a checkpoint. It gave us a big boost!

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to use the Reward Tokens more strategically, but we didn’t have time to plan.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
Add a “challenge” option to question answers—maybe we could contest a wrong answer from the other team.

What should be improved with the next version?
More variety in the trivia categories, especially with tougher, non-pop culture questions.

Describe the game in 3 words?
Intense, strategic, collaborative.

Review 2:

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The timer made us rush, and sometimes we didn’t get to discuss the answers enough.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Landing on a checkpoint and getting an extra turn—it helped us catch up.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to help the other team, maybe with a “good deed” option to level the playing field.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
Make Reward Tokens more flexible, like allowing extra dice rolls or changing the turn order.

What should be improved with the next version?
The elimination process. Once a player is out, they have no role—maybe let eliminated players help in small ways.

Describe the game in 3 words?
Challenging, engaging, strategic.

Review 3:

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
Losing a survivor token after one wrong answer felt like a huge setback.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Reviving a teammate at a checkpoint. It felt like we had a chance again.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted a way to defend our answers or get a second chance if we were unsure.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
Add more variety to the checkpoints, like negative effects or rewards for the other team.

What should be improved with the next version?
The trivia categories need to be more balanced in difficulty.

Describe the game in 3 words?
Exciting, tense, strategic.

Review 4:

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
Losing a teammate early on—it felt like the game was over for us.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
Using Reward Tokens to revive a player or skip a question—it kept us in the game.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wished there was a way to sabotage the other team when we were behind.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
Remove the timer. Let teams take their time to discuss answers.

What should be improved with the next version?
Make the endgame more exciting—add a final challenge or twist to make it more competitive.

Describe the game in 3 words?
Competitive, fun, unpredictable.

What questions did your players have?

• “How do penalty cards work?”
• “Can we exaggerate or lie in creative ways?”
• “What happens if everyone guesses wrong?”
• “How do you win? Is there a score?”

How quickly did they learn how to play?

• Most players understood the basic rules quickly, though the specifics of penalty cards and how to use them took a bit longer to grasp.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

• Players had lively debates and discussions while guessing whether someone was lying.
• Lots of laughter and social bonding over the penalty cards, especially the funny tasks.
• There were moments of tension when players tried to catch each other in a lie or figured out who was bluffing.

What confused the players?

• The rules around penalty cards were unclear at first.
• Some players didn’t understand how much creativity they could use in telling lies or truths.
• The game’s point system and how to track progress was confusing, especially for competitive players.

What made players excited?

• Successfully guessing when someone was lying.
• Creative storytelling, especially when players told wild or funny lies.
• The unpredictability of penalty cards and the challenges they included.

What did your players enjoy doing?

• Telling stories—either truths or lies.
• Guessing whether someone was lying or not.
• Completing or watching others do the goofy tasks on penalty cards.

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

• Yes, having to perform the “penalties”

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
It was frustrating when I guessed wrong repeatedly, and I had to keep drawing penalty cards. It felt like my chances of winning were slipping away.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I loved the strategic element of trying to outsmart the other players with my guesses. The tension of guessing whether someone was lying was exciting.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted a clearer way to track who was winning or getting points. It was hard to tell if I was ahead or behind because the focus kept shifting between lying and guessing.

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 add a scoring system that tracks points for successful guesses and penalties, so players can focus on winning instead of just having fun with the lies.

What should be improved with the next version?
A more structured point system would help, so it’s easier to tell who’s winning and how penalties affect the overall score.

Describe the game in 3 words
Exciting, competitive, social.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
It was frustrating when penalty tasks were too simple or felt repetitive.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I loved the penalty cards that made everyone laugh, like imitating animals or doing weird dance moves. It brought so much energy to the game.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to make the most outrageous, hilarious lies possible, but the prompts sometimes felt too tame for my style. I wanted more creative freedom.

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 add an option to choose a “wild” prompt that forces players to be as outrageous as possible—something that would lead to really funny situations.

What should be improved with the next version?
I think the penalties need more variety. Some were just too easy, and I wanted more challenges that made everyone laugh and create funny memories.

Describe the game in 3 words
Hilarious, social, unpredictable.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
I got frustrated when people kept guessing that I was lying, even though I was telling the truth! It felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I enjoyed the moments when I could share funny or embarrassing stories and see the group’s reactions. It’s a great way to bond with people.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wish there were more options for players who always tell the truth, like earning points or rewards for being consistent.

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 add a rule where truthful answers get rewarded in some way—maybe by letting them skip a penalty or gaining extra points for sharing a good story.

What should be improved with the next version?
The game needs to encourage more storytelling from truth-tellers. Maybe prompts could be more varied or allow players to make their responses more personal.

Describe the game in 3 words
Fun, social, lighthearted.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
It was tough when my lie was too obvious, and everyone immediately guessed it. It’s hard to gauge how far to push a story without it sounding unbelievable.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I loved when I managed to make a perfect lie that no one saw through. The satisfaction of pulling off a convincing story was awesome.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted more variety in how we could lie—maybe something like “half-truths” where you can mix some real details with false ones for a more strategic approach.

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 add a “challenge round” where if someone guesses wrong, they have to face a mini-game or perform a task, instead of just drawing penalty cards.

What should be improved with the next version?
The penalty cards felt a bit too much at times. It would be nice if they were lighter and more tied into the theme of the game rather than just random actions.

Describe the game in 3 words
Clever, unpredictable, social.

What questions did your players have?

• “What happens if everyone guesses wrong?”
• “Can we lie about anything, or does it have to be the prompt?”
• “How do the penalty cards work?”

How quickly did they learn how to play?

• Players picked up the rules quickly, within a few minutes of explaining the game.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

• Players engaged in lively discussions and debates while guessing whether someone was lying.
• There was a lot of laughter and teasing as players tried to spot the lies.
• Some players bonded over hilarious penalty tasks or shared personal stories.

What confused the players?

• The rules for penalty cards and what they had to do were sometimes unclear at first.
• Some players were unsure how much they could exaggerate or elaborate in their stories.

What made players excited?

• Successfully guessing when someone was lying.
• The challenge of coming up with creative, believable lies.
• The unpredictable nature of the game and the funny penalty cards.

What did your players enjoy doing?

• Telling creative lies or funny truths.
• Guessing whether others were telling the truth or lying.
• Watching others complete the goofy penalty tasks.

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

• Yes, some players found it frustrating when they had to act out silly tasks during penalty rounds while others guessed. It felt awkward and detracted from the flow of the game.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
At times, it felt like people were too shy or reserved to tell fun or wild stories. I love when people get into the spirit of things, but some players were too careful, and it slowed the game down.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I absolutely loved the conflict that happens when everyone is making guesses. It’s so funny to see how different everyone’s opinions are. Plus, the penalty cards add a lot of humor, and everyone gets involved.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to be able to interact more during the round when someone else is telling their story. Maybe a “group discussion” moment where everyone can share their thoughts before making a guess would be fun.

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 add “wild card” prompts that throw everyone off. For example, a prompt that says, “Choose someone to tell a truth or lie,” could mix things up and keep the game unpredictable.

What should be improved with the next version?
Encouraging more boldness in answers would make it more exciting! Maybe adding a “truth dare” mechanic where players have to choose between a truth or a crazy dare would push people to take more risks.

Describe the game in 3 words
Social, funny, surprising.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
It was frustrating when I spent a lot of time trying to analyze the player’s behavior or tone, but I still guessed wrong! It felt like a guessing game based on very little information. I wished I had more tools to judge whether someone was lying.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
The tension when everyone is about to reveal their guesses is the best part. Everyone is waiting for the truth, and the anticipation really builds, especially if the liar has played it well.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to be able to ask follow-up questions or dig deeper into the stories, but there wasn’t really time for that with the game moving quickly. Some kind of “interview” mechanic would be interesting for the next version.

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 add a mechanic where players could “inspect” each other’s body language or facial expressions in a mini-game of sorts. Maybe if you make a correct guess based on behavior, you get an extra point or reward.

What should be improved with the next version?
The guessing could use more depth. Maybe allowing players to make guesses based on how well they know the person telling the story would make the game feel more strategic. Right now, it feels too much like pure chance.

Describe the game in 3 words
Deceptive, fun, strategic.