What Makes a Good Game?
While there are several important factors to a game, such as competition, strategy, and luck, there are two aspects that, when combined together, are what universally make a good game.
The first aspect is mechanics. Mechanics are the physical actions that the players take throughout the game. For a game to be enjoyable, the player needs to be able to understand the mechanics and how they work. Clarity of rules is crucial for this. Mechanics can be either fun in themselves, or they can be fun when combined with metaphor.
Metaphor is the second aspect. Metaphor is the story going on within a game. It can be something as simple as in chess, where the metaphor is that the players are two opposing medieval armies at war. It can also be something more complicated, like Monopoly, where the players are opposing landowners seeking to drive the others to bankruptcy through high rent payments. The importance of metaphor is that it makes the gameplay hold a deeper meaning.
Returning to the example of chess, the mechanics are moving pieces across the board in certain ways, and moving to the same space as other pieces to knock them off the board. These actions are simple, and amusing enough, but it is when the metaphor is added that the game comes together. The story behind the game, even if it is never spoken of, infuses the game with more meaning than it would have otherwise. The players are not merely moving a piece, but commanding members of their army. They are not knocking a piece off a board but capturing an enemy combatant.
When metaphor and mechanics are combined, the actions the player takes carry more meaning than they would otherwise. The players are thus transported into a different world for the time of the game. It is this sense of transportation to another reality, created by the combination of mechanics and metaphor, that truly makes a good game.
What makes a good game?
A “good” game changes in certain aspects depending on the type of person playing, however there are usually consistent aspects that make a game objectively good. Personally I find games that are more chance based to be more fun, and therefore “good”, mainly because I suck at strategy games. However, someone whos strategic probably hates chance based games and dont think they are good at all.
For the vast majority of games, an enticing metaphor usually leads to a good game. Having a story, reason, and world that is created out of the game is one of the primary components that I think about when judging a game. A good game also has easy to understand rules. This means that no matter how simple or complex the game is, the rules are easy to follow, making the transition from learning to playing smooth. Overall there are subjective and objective guidelines on what makes a good game, but I’m sure as I continue to play more these might even change.
Weekly Animations 4/8/2021 Harrison Klehm
Weekly Animations 4/1/2021 Harrison Klehm
Weekly Animations 3/25/2021 Harrison Klehm
Animations 3/18/2021
Weekly Animations Harrison Klehm 3/11/2021
Weekly Animations 3/4/2021 Harrison Klehm
5 Game Ideas – Collecting
Midnight Snack
Midnight Snack is a competitive card game in which players must collect as much food from the kitchen as possible without waking mom. Players take turns drawing and playing cards. If you wake mom you’re out.
Night Bandits
Night Bandits is a competitive board game in which raccoons must steal as much stuff from the neighborhood as possible without getting caught. The raccoon who collects the most things wins.
Attic Panic
Attic Panic is a competitive card game in which grandchildren must collect all of the items grandma asks for from her attic. Players take turns discarding, drawing, and playing cards. The first person to find all of the items wins the round.
Dragon’s Den
Dragon’s Den is a competitive board game in which knights must steal as much treasure as possible from the sleeping dragon. The knight that brings back the most treasure wins. Players take turns rolling the dice, moving pieces, drawing cards.
Splat
Splat is a competitive team board game in which teams compete against each other to collect the most territory. The teams take turns laying traps and making moves to make spots on the board their team color. This is a paintball warfare type of game.
5 Game Ideas – Lost
Forest
Forest is a collaborative survival board game in which a group of teens must work together to escape the woods while being chased by a murderer. Players take turns drawing and playing cards to hopefully make it out of the woods alive.
Ski Trip
Ski Trip is a collaborative board game where after a skiing accident players must safely make it down the mountain while combating the harsh elements. Players take turns moving pieces and playing cards to survive the nights. WIll you make it to the bottom of the mountain?
Tunnels
Tunnels is a competitive board game in which players must be the first one to reach the end of the tunnel. Players must play cards to move forward or stop other players from reaching the goal.
Zero G
Zero G is a collaborative board game in which a group of astronauts are lost in space. Players must work together to complete tasks and safely make it back to earth.
Daydream
Daydream is a competitive card game in which players must navigate their way through their own imaginations. Players can sabotage other players or get rid of their own cards. First person to get rid of all of their daydreams first wins.
Tsuro review
Tsuro is a game where players have 3 tiles in their hand at all times and play the tiles in order to move their pawn, however, if you run into someone else or your tile leads you to the end of the board, you are killed and the remaining players continue to battle it out.
collection game ideas
1. Chef’s Kiss is a game where each player picks 3 cards from the recipe deck, which will become their goal for the rest of the game. Each recipe card has listed ingredients to make the dish. The game board is set up similarly to Life, where you travel the board and try to land on grocery stores that sell the ingredients you’re looking for. First to have all the ingredients to their 3 recipes win.
2. This virtual reality based game uses the camera on your phone to show you objects to hunt for. On the phone are displayed hints of where these objects are hidden. Once all the objects have been collected, you then move on to the next level.
3. Six or more players are needed for this game. Players start the game with $3500 in game dollars. These initial dollars are used to bid on the 365 days of the year. The goal is to collect the most days of the year. After each day is bought, these players “own” their days and create rules and celebrations for each day that all players must follow. Collect the most days of the year to have an advantage and win the game!
4. This is a card game where one player lays a card down, and if this card is a club, the player who drew it takes the card. If the card flipped is not a club, then nothing happens and the turn is over. When the next club is drawn, that player takes every card below the club, as well as the club. Once the deck is gone, whoever has the most cards win.
5. This is a two player game where you split half the deck between each player. There are then 4 chips that represent each ace in the decks. Each turn, the players flip a card from their own deck and the higher card takes both cards flipped. This is continued until an ace is flipped. When an ace is flipped, that player takes a chip. The goal is to collect all 4 aces.
Collection Games
Zoo is a board game in which players try to collect an animal from every part of the zoo by rolling dice to get around the zoo and having the required amount of cards to collect the animal
Gear Up is a board game in which players try to collect all of their equipment the fastest by spinning the spinner to move their piece across the board and collecting each piece of equipment one at a time
Whoville is a board game in which the players compete to collect as many Christmas decorations from the Whos before the sun comes up by rolling dice to move and landing on spaces to collect the decorations
Bake a Cake is a card game in which players try to collect all of their ingredients that are listed on a recipe by having 5 cards in their hand at all times, having to discard a card to the player on their left and drawing cards from the pile until some one bakes a cake
Guess Me is a board game in which players have to guess what thing is being described by listening to 5 clues, guessing the answer first, and rolling a dice to move on the board
Review for Persist
For this game we had to fill out a scorecard where we had to rank our top three life values out of career, health, relationships, and leisure. The higher the ranking – the more cards needed to reach the life value. The game is very similar to Cards Against Humanity. It’s a really easy game to play and it’s really funny. I really enjoyed this game and I would play it again.