Well now I am not sure if i want to make this or not because of class today, but I wanted to make a game similar to dnd on my computer. With that being playtested in class I may change my plans up and think of a new idea for a game.
Silly goose update
I ran into a little roadblock with the sizing of the cards. Right now I am trying to fix it and the game should be playable very soon. May bring in my two games at once which would be this and my clicker game. I look forward to bringing it in class.
Update on Clicker game
The game is now almost playable. I have added way more features than the original game that I had made. It should be playable by the time we get back from spring break. Mainly right now I am making sure all the code I used functions correctly. So soon I will be working on making it look more pretty.
Play test- Color Game
Whats the most frustrating moment you played. Id say it would be that you dont have a lot of time to look out for the better color combinations.
Was there anything that I wanted to do that I couldn’t? No everything was fine
If you can change or add anything what would it be? I would add more color theory thing and color combinations. I also think it would be a good addition if someone says a better color combination than the original you can steal it.
Whats the game narrative? The point of the game is to teach the players a fun way to learn color theory.
How does the game make you feel? Excited and it makes me look forward to playing it again.
Describe the game in three words? Fun, chaotic, colorful
Week 3 Game Reviews & Assigned Reading
Week 7 Questions
- What are the challenges a team faces when working on an educational game?
Teams must balance making the game fun, educational, and scientifically accurate. These goals can conflict because what is engaging for gameplay may not always support learning or accurate content. - In the case study, team members vetoed each other’s ideas. What were their issues?
The scientist rejected ideas that were scientifically inaccurate. The pedagogy expert rejected ideas that prevented students from accessing learning content. The designer rejected ideas that were not engaging or fun as a game. - What did the team learn from playtesting their prototypes?
They learned that some ideas that seemed good did not work well for players. Playtesting showed what was confusing, engaging, or effective for learning. - How does playtesting resolve conflicts among team members?
Playtesting provides real player feedback, allowing the team to make decisions based on how users actually interact with the game instead of personal opinions.
Color Game
I made an educational game based on the classic card game, War. The game teaches people the basics of color theory, including complementary, analogous, and triadic colors. The game is competitive as players have to yell to claim the cards and get the most, as the person with the most cards wins.
Week 2 Game Reviews & Assigned Reading
Week 4 Question Set
- what learning games have you played? can you categorize them by the theory of learning types: behaviorism, constructivism, constructivism or social nature? if you played more than one which was the most effective?
I have played a lot of learning games – they might be my favorite type of games actually, especially when it comes to language learning these days – Duolingo, Mango, Busuu, Mavis Beacon (in middle school), kahoot, fact-matching/quizlet sort of things, I also played a lot that I can no longer remember the names of pretty much from pre-school throughout high school- I would say most games were behaviorist in nature; learning through a game-like atmosphere but still focused around the actual learning of material but a little more fun (like what Amy Bruckman was talking about – a few were social nature too I would say – I think behaviorism is the most effective in actually learning material for me at least - is gamification bullshit, what is ian bogost’s argument and do you agree? where have you encountered it outside of class and what was your experience?
Ian argues that companies often use “games”, but really just superficial game elements to different products/sights, as marketing strategies and they are really not effective, meaningful , and motivating as games can be. I think I do agree with this logic – I don’t think that every single games has to be this whole thought-out experiential and designed masterpiece, but really stupid or badly designed games shouldn’t be slapped together to gain viewership/sales, etc. I have definitely experienced these sort of “bullshit” games that really aren’t effective and make you more annoyed than engaged. In school, we used to play free games online that were often sponsored or education based and they were mostly super dumb, we played them anyways because of boredom but really they were not really effective or that fun. - What is a serious game and why aren’t they chocolate covered broccoli?
Serious games are more than serious topics disguised as fun games (or “chocolate covered broccoli”), they are generally for education, training, or raising awareness rather than simply fun and entertainment. Good serious games integrate the education into the gameplay – if the serious part is disguised users can generally tell, so incorporating it fully makes it more intentional and meaningful and if done well, it won’t taste like chocolate covered broccoli.
Week 7 Questions
Spoon Buffet
Keep Talking and No One Explodes
- I love a puzzle game and like high stakes competition games so this was something I really enjoyed, the learning curve compared to the time given seems difficult to overcome. Especially for people who have never used VR and have to get used to the mechanics, and it seems like having time to familiarize yourself with the different modules and puzzles would help immensely for this game.
- You are trying to keep yourself from exploding, so there is a countdown timer which is a fairly effective motivator for the right people, and there are also additional markers, like flashing red lights in the room, or strikes being counted on the bomb itself.
- I don’t know if it’s necessarily meant to be persuasive towards anything in particular. It feels more like an instructional, collaborative, team-building kind of game rather than persuasive. A game meant to test how you perform under pressure and take directions from others.
- To keep calm under pressure, and maybe make you more of aware of how you interact with others in a team setting, or how you react when taking directions from someone else. I haven’t really done a lot of VR gaming so a lot of the mechanics kind of stood out for me. It was a learning curve to figure out how to interact with the graphics themselves and then the objects inside the game, learning how to pick the bomb up and move it around, and then how to interact with the different modules.
- I was excited about the gameplay because I like games like that and puzzles, I wasn’t like tense or as stressed about the time limit as maybe the designers would want you to be, but I definitely still felt a sense of wanting to get the challenge done in time. I think I actually felt the most empathy for the people who had to give the instructions that seemed like the most stressful job.
- It doesn’t feel much like an activist game to me.
- Try not to blow up.
Be quick. Time is running out.
5,4,3,2,1.
5 game simulation ideas.
-Some sort of restaurant industry simulation, where you get to experience either being in the kitchen or a server, and get to deal with timed pressure scenarios, chaotic and dangerous surroundings, maybe intense authority figures, and a range of customers experiences that simulate real-life scenarios.
-A media literacy simulation where you are in charge of running a social media page, or like entertainment/news site. You are given options for things to post that could be light-hearted, humorous, feel good, real news, fake news, propaganda, or ads. So you can choose a specific vibe to curate on your site, or you could branch out and post a variety of things. But every time you post you get feedback, ratings, and an influence score from “viewers”. So it would track engagement, fact checks, and your growth.
-A game that highlights sensory issues with neurodivergence Players complete simple tasks but some players receive overwhelming instructions, some get conflicting rule, some can’t speak, or some must follow very rigid constraints. There could also be obstacles like amplified ambient sounds and noise, lights flicker, or NPC speech overlaps.
– A game that highlights how people of different genders, races, disabilities experience public spaces. Switch between perspectives within a populated city area during the day or maybe navigating city streets at night.
– A simulation that portrays either how certain people with privilege or influence can affect things. Or maybe its about the power of speaking out but when words are spoken certain avatars experience their words. Words expand into architecture, building bridges and pathways to move you forward and for other avatars words dissolve mid-air, echo but don’t land, build things much slower, or unstable architecture, make certain obstacles appear. - Fragment into static.
Spoons Card Game
Week 6 Simulation – Discussion Response
Thoughts on Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Playing Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes in class was a really interesting example of simulation through communication and cognitive task management. Since I played as the person with the bomb manual rather than the person in VR, the experience focused heavily on interpretation, translation of instructions, and clear communication under pressure.
What stood out most is how the game simulates real-world high-stress teamwork. The person with the manual has access to the information needed to solve the problem, but cannot see the bomb itself. Meanwhile, the VR player can see the bomb but does not understand how to solve it. The challenge becomes less about technical skill and more about how effectively players can communicate complex information quickly and accurately. Based on the complexity alone, I knew Mason was not winning.
This is similar to real-world professions where people must coordinate under pressure, such as emergency response, aviation, or medical teams. The game forces players to develop shared language and strategies quickly. Miscommunication becomes the biggest threat, which highlights how important clear instructions and teamwork are in high-stakes environments.
The game also reflects ideas discussed in Cognitive Task Analysis because players must break down complicated tasks into smaller steps and communicate those steps clearly. Even though it feels like a party game, it actually models real cognitive processes involved in teamwork, problem-solving, and stress management.
Five Simulation Game Ideas
1. Astrology Systems Simulation ; Cosmic Blueprint
Players generate a birth chart (roll dice to generate) that determines personality traits, emotional tendencies, and life timing cycles.
Planetary alignments influence how characters react to events like career opportunities, relationships, or stress. For example:
- Strong Mars placements make bold decisions easier but increase conflict.
- Heavy Saturn placements create early obstacles but stronger long-term rewards.
Players navigate life events while learning how their astrological placements shape different outcomes.
Simulation focus: identity systems and symbolic frameworks.
2. Cozy Living Simulation ; Slow Days
Inspired by IdleLife and Paralives, this simulation focuses on slow living and cozy daily routines rather than productivity or wealth.
Players manage a small life centered around comfort, creativity, and balance. Instead of chasing success metrics, the goal is maintaining a peaceful lifestyle.
Players spend time doing activities like:
- Gardening
- Cooking simple meals
- Decorating their home
- Reading, journaling, or crafting
- Spending time with friends or neighbors
Time moves slowly and seasons change. Overworking, social burnout, or ignoring rest will disrupt the cozy balance.
Simulation focus: emotional wellbeing, rest culture, and slow living.
3. Off-Grid Living Simulation ; Cabin in the Woods
Players move to a remote cabin and attempt to live sustainably without modern infrastructure.
Players must learn to manage:
- Water collection and purification
- Growing food and preserving harvests
- Wood chopping and fire maintenance
- Solar energy management
- Weather and seasonal survival
Unexpected events like storms, wildlife encounters, or crop failures require adaptation.
The game emphasizes patience, resilience, and learning practical skills rather than constant progression.
Simulation focus: self-sufficiency and sustainable living.
4. Memory Preservation Simulation ; Archive of the Ordinary
Players act as archivists trying to preserve everyday human memories before they disappear.
Instead of famous events, the memories are small personal moments:
- A voicemail from a loved one
- A handwritten recipe
- A childhood playground
- A favorite diner booth
Players choose which memories to record and preserve before they fade away.
If too many memories disappear, entire parts of the world slowly vanish.
Simulation focus: cultural memory and the importance of ordinary moments.
5. Algorithm Life Simulation ; The Feed
Players live in a world controlled by invisible recommendation algorithms.
Every choice—videos watched, articles read, posts liked—changes what information appears next.
Over time, the algorithm begins narrowing the player’s worldview. News, friends, and opportunities become filtered through the system’s predictions.
Players must deliberately break their patterns to escape the algorithm’s control.
Simulation focus: digital culture and algorithmic influence on identity and belief.