Week 6 – Prototyping, Presenting and Test

Playtest for: Zoomiez

1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
   • Luck was not on my side, I kept rolling odd numbers, so I kept having to take a treat.
2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
   • My favorite aspect was that everyone is striving to reach a goal, but players can choose to interfere with another player’s journey. If you want to play the game safer, collect more treats, but you are able to play aggressively too.
3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
   • I wanted more sabotage options, or more ways to cause mayhem during the game. I think mechanics like that make the game more competitive and funnier.
4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
   • I brought up the idea that there should be a laser pointer card that distracts the other players from reaching the top of the tower, preventing them from playing. This was already changed during the playing process, but I also wanted the risky jump card to be a 50/50 split, so even numbers allow you to jump while the odds don’t.
5. What should be improved with the next version?
   • The only thing I’d say is more diversity in the card options, improving the gameplay. This would also allow for some interesting interactions between the players.
6. Describe the game in 3 words
   • Simple, Relaxing, Funny

Game Maker’s Play Test Notes

1. What questions did your players have?
   • “Is the round timed” “Do we take turns building?” “Are the dashes on the board the points you earn?” “Is this a race?”
2. How quickly did they learn to play?
   • Since the rules are fairly simple, it only took a game or two for them to understand. Little things need more clarification though, so that interfered with their learning capabilities.
3. What kinds of interactions did the players have?
   • The players were racing against each other, constant competition. Once somebody wins, they yell “ahoy!” When it came time to determine who won, players also started arguing on who finished first.
4. What confused players?
   • The pieces that they had to use. They had to refer to the info card. Sometimes, they would struggle with the instructions.
5. What made players excited?
   • The thrill of the race, along with the simplicity of the rules. People kept going for the harder cards, so they were excited when they earned the maximum amount of points.
6. What did your players enjoy doing?
   • They enjoyed the ship building; they thought it was interesting. Players even recommended more pieces to add.
7. Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?
   • The benefit is for the faster-handed people, so they suggested I add elements to raise the stakes. There was a lot of player discourse between who build their ship first, so it was recommended that a judge was present.