Category: Game Ideas

Posted on

5 Games that can take place on campus – Bryce Mathews

  1. An interesting campus-wide game can be an assassin-type game. All players are given a mark, whether that be a specific target or a general description of a target. They are tasked with eliminating that player and taking a possession of theirs to prove the deed was done. After a certain number of rounds, or after a large percentage of the players are eliminated, the stakes can be raised. Bounties can be placed on the players with the highest eliminations, challenges to eliminations (you have to eliminate your target in a specific building) can be imposed, and the remaining assassins can fight their way to victory. 
  1. An idea for the entirety of campus could be a series of games similar to Mr Beast’s “Beast Games”. In one game in particular, groups of people are tasked with nominating a leader, who will then be tempted to betray their team for their own benefit. If the leader betrays the team, then they can receive a reward and stay in the game, while their subordinates are eliminated. This concept adds layers to the game being played and adds to the cooperation and “conflict” aspects of the game. 
  1. I personally believe that the floors in the dorm hall need more decoration. So I decided to make a game out of it. All floors are tasked with deciding on a theme for their floor, and are given a budget to make it happen. After a set amount of time, faculty, and a designated student from each floor votes on the winner. 
  1. An outbreak game would be an interesting way of getting students to collaborate, think critically, and explore ways to solve problems. A zombie outbreak infects one student, who has to infect as many other students as possible. Rules would be in place that prevent students from disrupting class, running in buildings, or disturbing others. For example, infections can only take place outside, and zombies must wear a red cloth. As the game continues, events could take place to enhance the experience. 
  2. A game that turns campus into a RTS (real time strategy game) could unite clubs, fraternities, and even the uncommitted together. Students are categorized into groups, with control over a building like Madison hall, or the rec center. The goal of each group is to maintain and expand their territory, eliminating the competition that they face in the process. At the end of the event, the groups with the most territory win.
Posted on

Homework: 5 game ideas that can take place on campus

  1. Blind, Deaf, and Mute scavenger hunts around campus.
    • Requires a disability of some sort for teams to work together to find and do all the tasks before the clock runs out.
  2. Just Dance, but all the dances are previous Greek Week Airband Dances.
    • Taking Just Dance to the next level, except we are taking RMU Greek Week Airband Dances and making the user dance without music, and matching that dance to the song used.
  3. Haunted Bouncy House obstacle course on Nicholson Lawn.
    • Think Temple Run, but within the Bobbymania verse and their bounce houses to connect them all. This takes place around dusk, being chased by Romo, and you have to escape his obstacle course.
  4. Fortune Teller Bingo.
    • Make a Fortune Teller out of paper with a custom bingo of your own creation, and match the cards to something on the fortune teller.
  5. Fortune Teller code cypher to decode messages based on what numbers come out of your fortune to diffuse a bomb or escape.
    • Create a paper Fortune Teller around clues and riddles with a cypher code the user has to solve in order to diffuse a bomb or escape a room.
Posted on

Homework: 5 game ideas that can take place on campus

  1. Blind, Deaf, and Mute scavenger hunts around campus.
    • Requires a disability of some sort for a team to work together to find and do all the tasks before the clock runs out.
  2. Just Dance, but all the dances are previous Greek Week Airband Dances.
    • Taking Just Dance to the next level, except we are taking RMU Greek Week Airband Dances and making the user dance without music, and matching that dance to the song used.
  3. Haunted Romo Bouncy House obstacle course on Nicholson Lawn.
    • Think Temple Run, but within the Bobbymania verse and their bounce houses to connect them all. This takes place around dusk, being chased by Romo, and you have to escape his obstacle course.
  4. Fortune Teller Bingo.
    • Make a Fortune Teller out of paper with a custom bingo of your own creation, and match the cards to something on the fortune teller.
  5. Fortune Teller code cypher to decode messages based on what numbers come out of your fortune to diffuse a bomb or escape.
    • Create a paper Fortune Teller around clues and riddles with a cypher code the user has to solve in order to diffuse a bomb or escape a room.
Posted on

Five New Ideas for Serious Games

“Under the Surface” puts players in the role of marine biologists, tackling ocean decline. By studying marine life and tracking pollution, players witness the impact of human actions and learn how small changes can protect ecosystems. This game emphasizes environmental awareness and the importance of conservation.

“Echoes of the Past” delves into forgotten historical narratives. Players piece together lost stories, revealing biases in historical records and highlighting the importance of diverse voices. Through detective work and interactive storytelling, players confront historical events shaped by conflict and displacement. This game promotes cultural preservation and challenges traditional historical perspectives.

“Bias Breakdown” tackles media literacy. Players navigate a digital news landscape, learning to identify bias and misinformation. By taking on roles within the media, they understand how algorithms and narratives shape public perception. This game aims to teach critical thinking and awareness of media influence.

“Prison Pipeline” addresses systemic injustice. Players follow the lives of young people, making choices that illustrate the impact of socioeconomic disparities on their futures. This game exposes the consequences of racial and economic bias within the criminal justice system, highlighting how policy affects real lives.

“Silent Signals” focuses on mental health awareness. Players learn to interpret non-verbal cues and provide support to someone experiencing mental health struggles. By mimicking the difficulties of communication, this game fosters empathy and understanding. These game ideas all demonstrate how games can be used to educate, raise awareness, and promote positive change, moving beyond simple entertainment.

Posted on

Anansi’s Web of Tricks Gameplay

Gameplay Mechanics

Setup

  1. Shuffle the deck and deal 5 cards to each player.
  2. Place the remaining cards in the center as the draw pile and flip the top card to start the discard pile.
  3. Each player selects a Character Card to play as, gaining access to their unique ability.
    PS; take note of your characters ability and USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

TURN STRUCTURE.

Players take turns performing one major action per turn, keeping gameplay quick and fluid:

  1. Play a Card: Match the suit or number of the top card on the discard pile.
  2. Play a Mischief Card: Use special cards to disrupt opponents.
  3. Use a Character Ability: Activate a unique skill to gain an advantage.
  4. Draw a Card: If no other action is possible, draw from the deck.

Card and Effects

  • Numbered Cards: Match by suit or number to discard.
  • Mischief Cards:
    • Steal: Take a card from another player. The victim draws 2 new cards (4 if it was their last card).
    • Forced Draw: Make a player draw 3 cards. If they play one immediately, you draw 2 cards as a penalty.
    • Vortex Shuffle: Shuffle and redistribute hands among up to 3 players.
    • Wild Distractions: Target one player to pass you a card of a specific suit. They draw 2 cards if they can’t.
    • Nullify: Cancel the last Mischief Card or ability used.
  • Mischief cards once played goes in the discard pile 
  • Character Abilities: Once-per-round powers that enhance strategy (e.g., swapping cards, skipping turns, or blocking Mischief effects).
  • Once the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw pile, leaving the last discarded card face-up. If the last card is a Mischief card, randomly select a card from the shuffled pile to replace it. Play continues until only two players remain, battling it out for the final victory.

Winning Conditions

“It’s a race to the finish! The first player to discard their cards is wins, but the fun doesn’t stop there. The remaining players face off in a nail-biting showdown. The goal is to not be the last player standing, as the final two players will compete for the ultimate victory.”

Posted on

Anansi Web of tricks Third Playtest: Final Observations and Adjustments

Third Playtest: Final Observations and Adjustments

Feedback:

The third playtest demonstrated the near-final state of Anansi’s Web of Tricks, showcasing its refined mechanics and balanced gameplay. The reception was overwhelmingly positive, with only a few minor insights to consider:

1. Dynamic Interaction:

• Players praised the high level of interaction throughout the game. Mischief Cards and character abilities encouraged strategic thinking and constant engagement between players.

• The combination of sabotage, strategic defense, and adaptability made every round unpredictable and exciting.

2. Replayability:

• Testers highlighted the game’s replay value due to the variety of character abilities and Mischief Card effects. No two games felt alike, which encouraged players to experiment with different strategies across multiple sessions.

3. Balanced Abilities:

• Adjustments made during the second playtest to balance character abilities were well-received. Players felt that no single character was overpowered and that every ability had clear strengths and weaknesses.

• For example:

• Anansi’s card swap was impactful without feeling unfair due to its once-per-round limitation.

• Fari the Hyena’s laugh mechanic now provided a consistent and enjoyable disruption to opponents, adding humor to the gameplay.

4. Reduced Downtime:

• The streamlined Mischief Card rules significantly reduced delays during play. Targeted effects (e.g., Steal or Wild Distractions) resolved quickly, allowing the game to maintain a steady pace.

Notes from Testing Across Age Groups:

1. Learning Curve:

• Younger players (ages 10-15) adapted quickly to the mechanics, especially the use of character abilities. The thematic connection between characters and their powers resonated strongly with this group.

• Older players (ages 25+) took longer to grasp the concept of character abilities, often defaulting to playing Number Cards or Mischief Cards during their first few rounds. However, after 1-2 games, this group also began to incorporate abilities into their strategies effectively.

2. Time to Learn:

• On average, it took 2 games for individuals to fully understand the interplay between card types, Mischief effects, and character abilities. Afterward, players found the game intuitive and engaging.

3. Group Dynamics:

• Testers noted that the game excelled in creating lively, competitive group dynamics. The mix of strategy and chaos kept all players invested, even when they weren’t in the lead.

Posted on

Anansi Web of tricks Second Playtest: Observations and Adjustments

Second Playtest: Observations and Adjustments

Feedback:

After the changes implemented following the first playtest, the second playtest revealed several positive improvements and areas for minor refinement:

1. Improved Game Flow:

• Players noted that the simplified turn structure (one major action per turn) made the game much smoother and faster.

• The pacing issues from the first playtest were largely resolved, with rounds progressing quickly without feeling rushed.

2. Balanced Offense and Defense:

• The rebalanced Mischief Cards and character abilities created a satisfying interplay between offensive actions (e.g., Steal, Forced Draw) and defensive strategies (e.g., Tiko the Tortoise’s ability to block Mischief Cards or Zari the Owl’s ability to draw and discard strategically).

• Players felt that they had meaningful choices each turn, contributing to a sense of control and engagement.

3. Card Readability:

• While the game mechanics were praised, players suggested improving the visual design of the cards for better readability.

• Specific Issues: Fonts for numbers and card effects were sometimes too small or overly stylized, making them harder to read at a glance.

• Impact: This caused minor delays during gameplay, particularly for new players unfamiliar with the card effects.

4. Character Abilities:

• Although the abilities were better balanced compared to the first version, some characters still felt slightly overpowered or underwhelming:

• Overpowered: Anansi’s ability to swap a card remained strong, particularly when combined with certain Mischief Cards.

• Underwhelming: Fari the Hyena’s ability to skip an opponent’s turn by making them laugh felt inconsistent in effectiveness.

Posted on

Ananasi Web of tricks(Version 2)

Version 2: Developing the Game

Changes Made:

  1. Streamlined Deck:
  • Reduced Trick Cards to 20 and renamed them Mischief Cards to avoid confusion with the Trick suit.
  • Removed Wild Cards entirely.
  1. Simplified Turn Structure:
  • Limited each player to one major action per turn:
  • Play a Number Card OR
  • Use a Mischief Card OR
  • Activate a character ability.
  1. Balanced Abilities:
  • Adjusted character powers to be fairer and more strategic:
  • Anansi: Changed from “swap hands” to “swap one card with another player.”
  • Tiko the Tortoise: Adjusted to block one Mischief Card per round.
  1. Improved Card Effects:
  • Mischief Card effects were focused on individuals or small groups, reducing group-wide disruptions.
  • Example: “Wild Distractions” was changed from forcing all players to pass cards to targeting one player.

Posted on

Anansi Web of Tricks, 1st version

Initial Version

The initial design included 30 Number Cards, 40 Trick Cards (now Mischief Cards), and 10 Wild Cards. Concerns were raised during playtesting:

  • Pacing Issues: Too many options per turn slowed the game.
  • Unbalanced Rules: Powerful Mischief Cards (e.g., Wild Distractions) targeted all players, disrupting flow and frustrating younger participants.
  • Unclear Design: Fonts and text placement on the cards needed adjustments for readability.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Cat Game (Looking For Opinions)

Some of you guys played my cat game and left some awesome suggestions. Here are some updates I’d like to add to it, and Character ideas I would like for people to have.

Character Ideas:

  • King Cat (White Siamese)(can smack anyone they want down one level, only once)
  • Ragdoll Cat (Prone to falling over, but can discard other disadvantage cards)
  • Black Cat (Best luck in the whole game!(Can pick 2 cards from activity )
  • Orange Cat (Can steal out of anyone’s deck, but cant see which card they get)
  • Trash cat(Can steal one treat from one person each turn)

Character cards will always be picked randomly (Need more character Ideas, feel free to tell me if these need changed too!)

New Ideas:

Instead of Treats moving you up a level, you can spend/eat your treats on different items and abilities to help you move up a level.

Card Ideas:

  • Cat Fight- Two Players roll dice, whoever gets bigger number gets to pick something out of other players hand
  • Laser Pointer- Distract other players (need an idea for the rest of this)
  • Vacuum Cleaner- Everyone looses treats (Play Immediately)
  • Eat your treat- Forced to discard 3 of your treats (Play Immediately)
  • Biskets- Benefit card

Posted on

Collecting Games

Hungry Hungry Chopsticks

In this game, it has a base sort of like hungry hungry hippos. In the game though, you have to put the small balls in your corner by picking them up with chopsticks. You must pick up the ball and not roll it back to your side. The whole point behind this game is for it to be funny to watch people try and pick up spheres with chopsticks.

Mega Jacks

For a while, I have wanted to create a very large jacks game. Jacks is a simple game that involves you bouncing a ball and grabbing small metal “jacks” before the ball hits the ground. To make this big, you would need a ball roughly the size of a dodgeball, and jacks that are similar sized. When it comes to collecting games, this in an interesting take on a classic game.

Luck of the Lottery

This game is a traditional board game, but the catch is that the only way to collect money is by “scratching” a lottery ticket after each turn. These lottery tickets would just be not scratched on one side and scratched on the other so you may reuse them. Most of the cards would be losers, with some giving a bit of money and some giving a lot.

RMU Runners

This game is more or less a joke (for legal reasons). In this game, all of your players start in one room. You each draw a card from a standard deck of cards to determine order in which you go. If your turn is up, you must run around campus and take parking tickets off of peoples cars so the police force does not administer more tickets. The key is going first because you will have to run farther to find tickets when close by ones run out. The player with the most tickets at the end of the round wins, and you play to the first person to win three rounds.

Ground Hog Hunt

The aim of this game is to collect photos of groundhogs. All players will meet at the Gazebo, and will start the round with a timer for 5 minutes. Each player will run off and attempt to get photos of groundhogs. The player with the most photos of separate groundhogs at the end of the 5 minutes wins. Photos taken withing 5 feet of the groundhog rewards double points for that photo. If you manage to capture a groundhog, you instantly win the game (legally never said this).