Category: Game Reviews

Posted on

Week 2 Questions, Game Ideas, and Game Review

Alana Tush

Question Set 1

  1. What Mechanics would you like to use for a game with a theme that revolves around being the size of a nanometer?
    • I guess some sort of biology game that has little trinkets of protiens, atoms, bacteria, etc.
  2. Who are you making games for?
    • I am making games for someone who is interested and curious about how the game works and who can make suggestions for how it can be better.
  3. Who will be your play testers outside of class?
    • My friends and boyfriend

Question Set 2

  1. Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules?
    • hide n seek, tag, red rover, four square
  2. How do you define what a game is?
    • Mechanics and rules, pieces and graphics, theme/ story
  3. What features can make your games more intuitive?
    • having a card game, for example uno, that has many different variations. I would assume mostly everyone in our generation knows how to play regular uno, but having a new variation is more exciting and fun, while still having the same premise.

Question Set 3

  1. What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming?
    • My gateway game was brick breaker on my moms blackberry phone 😉
  2. What features do gateway games share?
    • Gateway games share easy instructions that can be explained to young kids and still be fun for adults to play (family games).
  3. What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for with your own?
    • Kingmakers noblesse oblige, battletech’s heat, set’s set-making, magic’s card tapping, battle cattle’s cow tipping rule, xxxenophile’s popping, bohnanza’s hand order rule, mississipppi queen’s paddle wheels, communication breakdown, constant shuffling. I would say to have 2 or more of these mechanics in a game to make it more interesting.
  4. How does luck and strategy factor in to game play?
    • luck is something beyond your control, it might help you or hurt you. Strategy is making plans and decisions during game play that might further your winning status.

Game Ideas thats can be played using cards

  1. War (card game) with different characters with an emotional status. The card would have a character with a “happy meter” on the side of them. The higher happiness of the two cards down wins.
  2. Uno with shapes and letters
  3. Cards with random items that can be found in a classroom. The first person who finds the item and brings it back to the table wins a point.
  4. Playing darts but you have to flip a card over and try to hit that number
  5. The card game spoons, but the items that need to be grabbed are in a different room. Everyone has to run and try to get there before all the items are taken, and you are out.

Bohnanza Review

  1. Was it fun? Yes, the game was very entertaining. When you got the right amount of cards to harvest and get coins, it was exciting. It was still exciting though to make trades and barter for better bean cards.
  2. Is it interactive? Yes, this game is very interactive. Everyone wants to see the cards you reveal to make a decision whether to offer you a better bean card or to opt out of trading.
  3. Was it easy to learn? This game was fairly easy to learn. Once we played through the deck of cards once, we were all understanding of the premise.
  4. Would you replay the game? Yes I would replay this game, our group actually played another round instead of starting a new game because it was fun.
  5. Applying the three act structure-
    • act 1- reading the rules to the game and setting up the mechanics (dealing 5 bean cards to each person, setting the field cards on the correct side). Playing a practice round to get used to the premise of the game.
    • act 2- the competition begins.. Trading the bean cards is where all the competition takes place. The people who need the certain bean cards offer something the active player needs to further their status in the game to win.
    • Act 3- At the end of the bean game, everyone is looking how many coins each player has, and tries to sabotage the other players by not trading with them. If you make the decision not to trade, that could mean they wouldn’t get anymore coins to potentially beat you in the game. Everyone harvests their beans to get the max amount of coins at the end of the round.

Posted on

thoughts on dominion

  1. it was fun but the turns got very redundant because we weren’t using any curse cards so it was just a lot of buying and not a lot of playing action cards to win.
  2. the interactions were very minimal between players because their wasn’t any attacking and not a lot of us really used the action cards curse their was no need in how we ended up playing.
  3. it took us probably about 30 minutes to understand the basic rules( after Ames explained them to us in simpler terms) and about an hour to actually smoothly move from turn to turn.
  4. i would love to play again. their were many parts that we didn’t end up using so i would love to play another game with all of the cards and rules in full swing.
Posted on

Sara Estus – Fluxx Review

1.) Was it Fun? Yes and no, I feel like Fluxx is one of those games where you enjoy it because everyone is in the same boat as you, panicking because you don’t know how to play, if you are doing anything right, etc. I feel like if I fully understood the game, I’d enjoy it and feel the actual challenge of it. But all in all, I think it’s a good game for the purpose it serves – to explain the value behind rules.

2.) What was the interaction? It’s always confusing at first. Like most games, you sit and read the rules for about 5 minutes and then play the game, but Fluxx feels like you have to keep going back to the rules to understand anything of what you’re supposed to do. After you THINK you have it right, it’s still confusion, with a hint of anxiety.

3.) How long did it take you to play? In this session we did not come to a winner, so we never really got to judge what it felt like to play a round. In my experience, however, I found it could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 50 minutes of play.

4.) Would you play it again? Only if Ames asked me to. No, just kidding, I think I would, but I’d want to play it again where I could sit and understand the rules. I think I just enjoy games that are quick to learn and not confusing, But I see why Fluxx is a popular game.

Posted on

Fluxx Game Review

Amber Holt

  1. Was it fun? It was fun, but definitely not my favorite first game experience. I think I would have to play the game a little bit longer to fully develop an opinion on it. 
  2. What was the interaction with the other players? This game had a lot of interaction with the other players. Some action and rule cards made you directly interact with the other players, for instance, taking one of everyone’s card from their hand, swapping hands with another player, stealing or trading a player’s keeper card, etc. A lot of the interaction came on the part that every player’s turn would ultimately influence the actions of the rest of the players since players can constantly play a new rule or goal card on their turn. This would alter the next person’s actions who would have to adhere to a new goal or rule card. 
  3. How long did it take to learn? Initially, the game didn’t take very long to learn because it employs simple game mechanics that a lot of other card games use such as drawing and playing cards each turn. However, it became increasingly difficult to understand what was going on because the rules would constantly change. 
  4. Would you play again? I would. I feel like I need to play it again to really decide how I feel about it. I also would like to maybe play with a group of people who aren’t already coming into the game hating it.
Posted on

FLUXX Game Questions

Was It Fun?

At first I didn’t think Fluxx was fun an that was mainly because I had no idea what I was doing. However, as the game went on and I started to catch onto the rules an get a feel for how the game works (you need to play dirty), I started to enjoy it.

What was the interaction?

This game involves a ton of interaction. The game forces you to interactwith your opponents a lot whether you are stealing cards, battling your keepers, or sabbatoging your opponents winning abaility.

How long did it take to learn?

This game is not supper hard to learn unless you are just reading the instructions. When I first started out reading the instructions it made me even more confused then when my peers were explaining it to me. After observing what my peers were doing for a few rounds, I was able to catch on very quickly.

Would you play again?

Yes, I would most certainly play this game again.

Posted on

Flux Questions

Was it fun? Yes. More fun this time around than any. I think as I understand the game more I start to slightly enjoy it more. What were the interactions between players? Friendly and all seemed to have a similar view on the game. How long did it take to learn? Many classes lol. And would you play it again? Yeah sure why not.

Posted on

Week 1 Questions, Fluxx Game, Game Ideas

Alana Tush

Week 1 Questions

  1. In my opinion, every game should have enticing rewards. For example, free gifts to use in the game to further your level. These rewards make the game more intriguing, therefore you want to play more. My favorite game right now is HayDay because it is a level based game and you get rewards once you level up. The game continues to get better each time you reach another level, so why would you not want to play?
  2. I have played: monopoly, candy land, clue, battleship, connect 4, checkers, jenga, sorry, hayday, tetris, snake, geometry dash, Minecraft, Fortnite, candy crush, subway surfers, solitaire, uno, gin rummy, blackjack. I currently play hayday and a few card games listed.
  3. I don’t think the three act structure applies to my favorite game because there is no conflict between players. Since there is no “beginning act” there is no struggle for victory or an ultimate ending of the game. Pacing is a critical part to how the story plays out in the game.
  4. It doesn’t matter if you start with the metaphor or mechanics of the game, you’re creating. For me, it is easier to start with the mechanics before I create a story of the game. Knowing all of the pieces I’ll need for gameplay. It is easier to adapt a story than to change all of the mechanics of the game.

Fluxx Game

  1. Fluxx was fun while it lasted, I think there are a lot of other card games that are more entertaining. The game requires a lot of reading and remembering.
  2. This game is very interactive because if you play a goal or new rule card, it changes the course of the game. For example, someone could be very close to winning with their keepers, but if the goal changes, they are no longer close to winnning.
  3. For me, this game was very confusing the first time I played, but the second time around I understood the goal of the game a lot easier.
  4. I would replay this game. Since it was easier the second time playing, maybe it will be even better the third time.

Game Ideas (that can take place on campus)

  1. Wheatley- hide n seek in the dark
  2. First to find Tucci
  3. Monopoly (board of the campus)
  4. Classroom silent library (game show)
  5. Old maid game but with professors on the cards
Posted on

Week 1 Game Design: Connor Locke

Question Set 1:

  1. In your opinion, what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?
    • I think that every game should have some sort of reward factor that increases the amount of dopamine one would endure. Dopamine is a highly addicting chemical, so if every game were to include a reward for doing something good, then people would want to keep striving for more rewards. The more rewards, the more dopamine, the more people will want to play. This is mainly why I like my favorite game Smash Brothers Ultimate. The game has a ranking system, so every time I beat someone, I rank higher on the leaderboard. There are also many different characters that allow for different approaches to the gameplay.
  2. List the games you’ve played and currently play.
    • Smash Brothers Ultimate, Team Fortress 2, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, CSGO
  3. Can you apply the three-act structure to your favorite game? What is it’s pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?
    • Since it is a fighting game, it is difficult to apply the three-act structure to my favorite game. However, it does have a small campaign mode with no true significance, so the pacing is short, and the acts are simply just different fights.
  4. When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic?
    • I always find myself starting with the mechanics rather than the metaphor. I always see the mechanics as the founding structure, so once the mechanics are established, I focus on everything else.
  5. Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?
    • It’s hard for me to point out someone specifically, since I don’t know too many people personally. However, I’d like to collaborate with someone that is creative and quick thinking. In this case, I can help the person project their ideas onto paper for us to start crafting.

5 Campus Game ideas

  1. Campus racing to a specific location
  2. Campus flower finding race
  3. Manhunt
  4. Nerf Gun/Airsoft battles
  5. Custom-built sled racing (winter)

Fluxx Questions

  1. Was it fun?
    • Not entirely, the game is very long and ends up getting a bit too complicated.
  2. What was the interaction?
    • Some cards had direct interactions with other players, such as stealing cards and trading. Overall, every player ends up contributing to the rules, which is practically a group interaction.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • The concept of the game isn’t too difficult to learn, so it didn’t take me too long to know how to play. It was only probably 10 minutes it took for me to be fully comfortable with the mechanics.
  4. Would you play again?
    • Unfortunately, I would not. The game is too stressful, and the rules can be too confusing to keep up with.

Posted on

Fluxx -Colin Kenny

  1. Every time I played Fluxx last semester and this time, it has been a good mix of fun and chaotic.
  2. It was kind of awkward playing with people who didn’t know the rules. I liked playing more with Evan and Gideon who can enhance the game with their competitive spirit and chaotic energy.
  3. I think it only took me like ten minutes max to learn the base game when I played back in the spring.
  4. I definitely would always take up the opportunity to play again.
Posted on

Evan Schmetzer Flux/ Questions

The general overview of this time playing flux as opposed to last time was more frustrating due to the amount of rule changes this time as oppose to that last.

  1. This time playing even tho it was frustrating is was very fun
  2. It took about 30 minutes to re learn
  3. I would play it again but would like to have an extended period of time to do so.
Posted on

flux kelsey

  1. It was very fun but also frustrating because of the people I played with.
  2. the interactions were aggravating when people were slow. Over all everyone interacted well though.
  3. it was a lot easier to progress through, it was nice to not have to look over the rules and ask multiple questions. The game also when faster( if people would make decisions quicker)
  4. I would play again, rather it not be the zombies one because it’s fun to learn for game mechanics and rules.
Posted on

FLUXX Review

How long did it take to learn? When everyone playing is new to the game, it might get a a couple practice rounds to figure out. However, when at least one person playing has experience, it’s much easier.

Interactive? Very interactive – especially when rules keep changing.

Replayable? Very. There are so many different cards each game could be different. I feel like people might be too frustrated to play again haha

Was it fun? Yes!

Posted on

Flux Questions

Was it fun? Kind of! It was hard to catch on to all of the new rules, made it a slow play

Interactive? Yes! There was a lot of interaction from trading cards to playing actions just for yourself.

Was it easy to learn? No, I think the concept was easy to learn but the new rules took a minute to catch on to.

Re-Playability? Yes! Easy to replay

Posted on

Thoughts on Observance

I thought Observance was a cool game with easy-to understand mechanics. It actually heavily inspired me with my poaching game and gave me a good foundation to work with when I started writing up my rules.

Despite enjoying the game, there were a couple things that stood out as thing’s I didn’t like. I first of all wasn’t very impressed with the paper presentation of the game. I know that it probably exists somewhere in a finalized form and that it was free to print-at-home, but good quality materials makes games feel a bit more real. I also have never really been a fan of the battle-ship style announce and reply when it comes to trying to find where your opponent has things placed. I would have preferred a system that allowed me to see where the border patrol agents were, and subsequently would have allowed me to move around them. I suppose it makes sense that mexican migrants should be hidden to avoid detection, but it just pulled some of the immersion from my gameplay.

Things I liked:

I really enjoyed that the game wasn’t exactly balanced. It paints a picture for how difficult it actually is to cross the border from a migrant’s perspective. I wish for the sake of playability that I was able to have at least 1 or 2 more openings in the walls to increase my chances at winning, but that would take away from the story.

I liked the different search patterns, that the border patrol could do, it allowed me to stay in the game so long as Clay chose the wrong search pattern for where I was. I do wish I also knew where the green card was, if nothing else, because it would give me a slight advantage and a goal to work towards, instead of mindlessly throwing migrants at random spots and telling the border patrol where that person is.

Overall, I would def. play the game again and it did a good job at conveying a story of Mexican migrants essentially battling with the border patrol on the American-Mexican border.