So as many of you may know I was preparing a mobile game for the final. Howver due to losing some of my final during the power outage and the remaining of it not working after the power outage. Given the time that I had to start over, I decided that I was going to put a hold on my mobile game for now, and execute a final board game version of the original “Shipping Craze” game. This was just a lot easier for time and sanity sake. However I still wanted to document the mobile game.
I am not gonna go over the whole game documentation because some of it is the same as my last game documentation
Short Summary
This game bring players the enjoyment of the opening package sensation and buying products that they normally wouldn’t buy, without spending their own money. The game is designed that players tap on the box as it comes down the conveyor belt, and they are then rewarded an amount of money that they can later spend at the store for items of their choosing.
Design Process & Thought Process:
- Game Design Document (GDD):Include a concise GDD outlining the game’s core concepts, message/purpose, rules, and mechanics.
Core Concept:
Shipping Craze is centered around the thrill of unboxing and impulse shopping without real-world consequences. Players tap on packages that travel down a conveyor belt to “open” them and receive in-game currency. This money can then be used to “purchase” a variety of quirky, fun, or aspirational products in a virtual store.
Purpose/Message:
- Deliver the psychological satisfaction of unboxing and collecting.
- Offer a dopamine-boosting reward cycle similar to online shopping.
- Promote mindfulness and stress relief through repetitive tapping and satisfying audio/visual feedback.
Rules:
- Tap boxes as they arrive to earn money.
- Use money to shop for virtual items.
- Collect items to unlock new store categories or limited-edition boxes.
- Avoid missing too many boxes, or a cooldown period may trigger.
Mechanics:
- Conveyor system: Boxes move at increasing speeds.
- Tap interaction: Tapping boxes grants random currency amounts.
- Store system: Purchases are made from a dynamic in-game shop.
- Upgrades: Players can unlock better “gloves”, faster belts, or more valuable boxes.
- Iterative Design: Showcase how you iterated on the game design, highlighting the challenges you faced and the decisions you made.
Iterative Design
Development Challenges:
- Pacing Issues: Early versions had too slow a belt, causing players to disengage.
- Store Fatigue: Without variety in store items, players lost interest in spending.
Iterations:
- Introduced tiered box types (e.g., standard, mystery, golden).
- Store refreshes regularly, including themed seasonal content.
- Adjusted tap sensitivity and box speed dynamically as player levels up.
Decision Highlights:
- Prioritized tactile feedback (sound + haptics) after playtesters described tapping as “addictive.”
- Simplified the store layout to reduce cognitive load.
- Game Mechanics: Explain the key game mechanics in detail, using diagrams or screenshots, or photos to illustrate them.
- Tapping Boxes
- Player taps boxes moving left to right.
- Each tap opens the box with a visual explosion + reward animation.
- Rare boxes give bonus money or special items.
- In-Game Currency
- Accumulates in real-time.
- Can be used to buy cosmetic or humorous items (e.g., “Gold-plated Pizza Cutter”).
- The Store
- Items are sorted into themes (e.g., Kitchen, Fashion, Gadgets).
- New store categories unlock based on purchase count.
- Upgrade System
- Earn passive bonuses (e.g., money per missed box).
- Visual upgrades to hands/gloves and conveyor aesthetics.
- Player Goals: Clearly define the players’ objectives and how they achieve victory.
Short-Term:
- Tap and collect money quickly.
- Buy as many quirky products as possible.
Long-Term:
- Unlock all store categories and rare items.
- Upgrade to premium conveyor systems and reach max efficiency.
- Compete on leaderboards or complete item collections.
Victory Condition:
- “Victory” is soft — tied to collection completion or max upgrades.
- Gameplay Sequence: Include images or videos demonstrating different stages of gameplay, highlighting key moments and player interactions.
- Startup screen
- Tapping in action (box explosion animation)
- Money accumulation feedback
- In-store browsing and purchase flow
- Upgrade screen showcasing unlocked features
(I will uplaod Pictures of those I can)
- Game Board & Components: Show good pictures of the game board and components, explaining how they guide or influence player actions.
Since it’s a digital mobile game:
- The conveyor belt acts as the game board. – I will uplaod screenshots of these later
- Components include:
- Boxes (standard, rare, themed)
- Store interface
- Menu
Rulebook & Playtesting:
- Rulebook Sample: Include a sample of your rulebook, demonstrating your writing and communication skills.
The rule book is the same as the original one, I never made the mobile modifications.
These would be some changes:
Welcome to Shipping Craze!
Objective:
Tap boxes as they arrive to earn money. Spend your cash on fun virtual products and complete your collection.
How to Play:
- Tap a box as it moves down the conveyor to open it.
- Earn random amounts of money for each box.
- Spend your money in the store to buy items.
- Rare boxes contain bonuses. Don’t miss them!
- Upgrade your tap speed, gloves, and more in the Upgrades menu.
Tips:
- Faster boxes yield higher rewards.
- Complete item sets to unlock bonus features.
- Missing boxes reduces your multiplier — stay sharp!
- Playtesting Notes: Share any notes or feedback from playtesting sessions, showcasing your ability to identify and address issues.
The mobile game was never fully play tested. However, i had many issues while developinng the game, it was a very large learning curve and there were may things that took me a long time to understand. For example it took me forver to get a working conveyor belt – that used to work prior to my files getting all messed up but no longer works anymore.
- Game Reflections: Discuss what you learned from the development process and what you would do differently next time.
I learned so much from this process:
- How long it takes to make a game like this
- How hard it is to learn
- How many thing have to be set up in order to make one simple move
- How easy it is to make a mistake
- How long it takes to build a building in Unity, it is not like drawing a picture
- How important it is to keep your files organized.