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9/11/25 (Week 3_MeredithB)Playtest: Arugment

Argument is a competitive/collaborative game in which players claim pieces by moving and jumping on other players.

  1. Was it fun?
    • I can see how it would be, but not a game I personally found fun
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • There was, The size of the game made us rely on each other to move pieces in order to play.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • About 5-10 minutes, it was nice because game pieces were color coded so that players could always tell what they were doing without having to look at the rules.
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The moving style was a little difficult to understand, even though it was on the game pieces. I think personally the unique shapes were cool, but hard to understand, especially with the circle board.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The visuals and colors of the board were cool, I enjoyed the visual aspects of the game.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • Being able to stack your own pieces easily, and more more freely.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • Change some of the movement patterns for the pieces, since they were difficult to understand and translate to a circular board
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • No, I am not a fan of collaborative games, and I didn’t find it super engaging enough to be willing to play it again.
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • Act 1 is learning the rules, which is quick and easy. Act 2, playing the game was easy enough but took a little since we were still trying to understand the mechanics of the game. Act 3, ending was the quickest, as the game ends as soon as a player has 6 stacks of game pieces.
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • It was collaborative in the fact that, due to the size/shape of the board, other players would have to move pieces for you. Competitive still in the fact that there could still be a single winner of the game.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The main metaphors were chess and rock paper scissors, however this was mostly due to the colors, the entire game was utmost stripped down to just mechanics. However the mechanic of having chess and rock paper scissors as a movement system was very cool.
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9/11/25 (Week 3_Meredith B) Playtest: Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is a collaborative game in which players must collect all of the lost artifacts and escape the island before it floods by using their abilities and teamwork.

Was it fun?

No, not for me. I can understand how some people would find it fun, but the lack of competitive gameplay and the lower stake gameplay made it less engaging for me.

  1. What were the player interactions?
    • In a collaborative aspect yes, we would each use each other’s abilities to move forwards and progress within the game.
  2. How long did it take to learn?
    • About 10 minutes, it was decently easy, however we had missing cards so we had to relearn the rules to include the cards after we printed some out.
  3. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • Nothing was frustrating, except missing cards that were crucial to gameplay. We were missing the cards that connect with the abilities of our game pieces, so we had to make more. 
  4. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The idea of the game was fun, and using one of our teammates’ abilities, the pilot, who can move anyone, allowed us to play the game quickly and survive.
  5. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • I would have enjoyed it if the game was competitive which would add a mechanic of stealing the treasures from other players. I would also want to un-flood certain sections of the map, however that may have been a gameplay mechanic that we missed.
  6. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • I would add an option for competitive play, which is a stealing or sabotage mechanic to make the game more competitive.
  7. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • No, but that is because I am not a huge fan of collaborative games, with tabletop games. I can understand how some people would find this game engaging, however it was not for my personal taste.
  8. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • Act 1: This was learning the rules, still the quickest section however there was a roadblock due to the missing the cards. Act 2: The middle lasted the longest since its the actual gameplay, where we would move across islands and grab cards in order to get the artifacts and best the game, this section took about an hour. Act 3: The end was easy, as we used certain classes’ abilities in order to skip sections and get to the end quicker, which is where we got on the helicopter and left.
  9. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • Collaborative aspects were the fact we could trade and share cards in order to collect the artifacts, and each character’s ability works together. There were no competitive aspects within the game, except the fact we had different abilities as players, but that’s about it.
  10. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    • The metaphor was an island obtaining artifacts. It was done really well, every epic had a mysterious vibe to it, or made to look like a treasure map. It looked really good and the theming was done well, as it was prevalent through the whole game. The cool mechanics were the moving and flooding based on locations and character abilities, and the water rise level was cool.
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9/11/25 (Week 3_Meredith B) Homework

Khaos Kitties is a collaborative game in which  a few scandalous kitties cause the most destruction, up to global takeover,by teaming up and using abilities/technology.

Alien Activist is a collaborative game in which Mutiple Aliens Protect humans from getting invanded by debating and protesting other alien races from acting humans.

SpaceRace is a collaborative game in which players race through a shifting asteroid belt, avoiding obstacles and battling rivals] by teleporting and using hovercrafts..

Towering Troubles is a  collaborative strategy tower defense game in which players defend a kingdom from invading monsters by placing and upgrading magical defenses, summoning elemental allies, and utilizing enchanted resources.

Echoes of the Forest is a cooperative survival game in which players work together to survive in a mysterious enchanted forest by crafting tools, building shelters, and unlocking the forest’s secrets through exploration and puzzle-solving.

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Extra Game Response – Yuker

Yuker is a card game in which four players in two teams work together to score 10 points by winning at least 3 sets of a round using trump cards and just cards over 9.

Was it fun? Very much so

What were the player interactions? The players have to strategize and guess what the other players have in their hand so they can try to win a set.

How long did it take to learn? At least a round or so to get down the rhythm and then a lttle longer to understand the strategy fully

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? When people do dumb moves that mess up you taking the hand is frustrating

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I like guessing games and it’s satisfying when your strategy works out

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Not really, it’s a well thought out game that didn’t feel lacking

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? The way scoring is done is kinda of silly even though i don’t mind it but you could simply just write down the number of score

Is this a game you would play again? Yes, because I like card games and this is an intriguing fun team game where the point is to win (I also had a good partner so we won)

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. 1- the beginning where you deal and reveal the trump card 2 – playing 5 rounds (you have 5 cards in your hands) 3 – putting down the score and reshuffling the deck to start at 1 again

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? Collaborative because you are on teams and have to work together to win a round and try not to subvert your partners strategy and competitive cuz it is a definite winner at the end

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? There’s not really a metaphor for this game since it’s regular cards, but I like the mechanics of guessing and strategy for trying to win a hand with the highest card value.

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Homework Questions

Madison Hurst

[Game name] is a [category of] game in which [the players or their avatars] [do or compete or collaborate for some goal] by [using tools the game provides them].

Lights Out is a card game in which the players have to hold their card up on their face without seeing what it is and have to guess what number it is. The only trick is the person who is the farthest from their number will have a restriction or punishment (by adding the amount of cards to their deck they are trying to get rid of in order to win.) The tools needed is a deck of cards.

Heist is a board game/card game in which the players chosen con artist avatar have to compete against other players as they compete to get 1 million dollars out the bank by using various cards/game pieces that could help them or hurt them.

Battles of the Forest is a board game in which the players get to choose a unique/mystic animal that could potentially lead them to victory through their superpowers and by points systems. The game provides benefit cards and natural selection cards.

Cups is a board game that includes cup stacking in which the players have to stack the cups into a pyramid and back down in order to roll the dice and move their piece across the board. The faster you cup stack, the more chances you get to win.

Nothing But the Truth is a card game where the players have to say how much money was on the card they pulled, but they only issues is they could be lying. Each person is trying to get to a certain amount of money without getting caught by other players. If you are caught then you have to subtract the amount you said from your balance. The tools needed is a designed cards for fake money.

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Game Design week 3 homework

Aleah Dudek

Compass: is a puzzle-solving game in which the players’ avatars collaborate to reassemble a broken communication networkby placing signal towers, routing energy beams, and coordinating timing in real time.

Read Me: is a communication challenge game in which players work together to pass a secret message across the group by using only gestures, sounds, or objects (no talking) to transmit clues before time runs out.

Tip Toe: is a stealth-vs-guard game in which teams of players try to steal a hidden object by sneaking past “guards” without getting tagged — whichever team extracts the object first wins.

Campus Conspiracy: is a team-based mystery game in which players work together to solve a strange campus incident by collecting clues, interrogating characters (played by volunteers or pre-written prompts), and piecing together evidence before rival teams solve it first.

Human Pretzel: is a physical comedy and teamwork game in which teams of players race to untangle themselves into a perfect formation by following weird, escalating prompts from a “Pretzel Master” without ever letting go of each other’s hands.

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Reading Question Sets

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 would want the mechanics of the game to focus on how you can use your environment to your benefit or just simply interact with it. Including things that would affect the player the size of a nanometer would be light/heat rays, water molecules, and other particles that would hurt or benefit the player.
  2. Who are you making games for? My target audience for the games I make would probably be older children and young adults.
  3. Who will be your play testers outside of class? My roommates, boyfriend, and boyfriends roommates will probably be my play testers outside of class. 

Question Set 2

  1. Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules? A game that comes to mind is the game WAR with a traditional deck of cards. The only rules are whoever has the highest card takes both and whoever runs out of cards first loses. 
  2. How do you define what a game is? I define a game as any type of play weather that involves cards, dice, imagination, etc… A game also consists of a set of rules to follow with multiple solutions to a specific goal. 
  3. What features can make your games more intuitive? Having clear and consistent rules would make my games more intuitive for the players. Also, having a clear goal along with simple controls/ pieces/ cards for a player to easily understand and interpret. 

Question Set 3

  1. What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming? My gateway game, specifically speaking of card games, is probably 500 Rummy. For me, it was easy to catch on and smoothly play. I normally use 500 Rummy to introduce card games to others because it is pretty easy to explain and understand. 
  1. What features do gateway games share? Gateway games all share features like simple rules, short playtime, and low complexity. All these features are in gateway games so players aren’t overwhelmed, 
  2. What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for on your own? Kingmakers Noblesse Oblige, BattleTech’s Heat, Set’s Set Making, Magic’s Card Tapping, Battle Cattle’s Cow Tipping Rule, xXxenophiles Popping, Bohanza’s Hand Order Rule, Mississippi Queen’s Paddlewheels, Time’s Up?’s Communication Breakdown, Domino’s Constant Shuffling. After reading, I realized that I need to aim to include rules that spark imagination, drive interaction, and make players want to play immediately. These mechanics feel like they shape the experience themselves, becoming part of the story rather than just a process.

How does luck and strategy factor into game play? Luck and strategy factor into game play because the player has to play their luck strategically. For example, poker is very luck heavy, but the players have to strategically think about how their cards work with the cards presented, and they have to strategically bluff/gamble with whatever cards they were dealt. It adds an unknown aspect and luck can let any player have the chance to win.

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Game Response – Forbidden Island

Was it fun?

I didn’t really like the game, but to be fair we were in a rush to get a round in before class was over. So, I don’t think the game got a fair chance.

What were the player interactions?

Like pandemic, players had to communicate with each other to try and beat the game. They had to interact to figure out the best moves to make, use their character abilities, and cards that they should trade/save. 

How long did it take to learn?

It did not take too long to learn because it was very similar to pandemic, which we played right before, so I would say maybe 10 minutes for setup and direction reading. 

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

There were no frustrating moments to the game. Everything was pretty easy to understand, set up, and play. 

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

My favorite aspect was the visuals of the game. I enjoyed the theme of the game, along with the tiles, cards, and little statues that went along with the theme.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?

There was nothing in the game that I can think of that I couldn’t do.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be?

I think it would be nice to add a board to organize everything and include small markers for the “water level” (how many Forbidden Island cards you draw), rather than using the piece the game currently comes with. I think this would add to the visuals and vibes of the whole game.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why

I would like to give this game another chance because I think I could enjoy it the same way I enjoyed Pandemic.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

The first act was establishing/ understanding everyone’s roles and special powers. Along with the set up of the tiles of the forbidden island and what parts are already sunk. The second act is unflooding parts of the island, collecting treasure, and making our way to the helicopter/landing tile. The third act is collecting all the treasure and escaping the forbidden island before the island floods, but we did not get to finish the game to reach the third act.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

The collaborative and competitive aspects of the game were very similar to pandemic where the players have to collaborate and use each other to try and ultimately beat the game. As for competitiveness the players are just competing against the game, but there wasn’t as much immersiveness in this game compared to pandemic. 

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

The game’s metaphor is escaping an island before it sinks, while also collecting treasure along the way. The mechanics that stood out were the flipping of the tiles and the movement options (front, back, and side to side). Without these mechanics, the game would lose both its tension and purpose.

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Game Response – Pandemic

Was it fun?

Yes, I enjoyed the game, but I had my doubts because at first the setup was annoying and trying to first understand the rules, actions, and characters. 

What were the player interactions?

There was a lot of player interaction throughout the game. The main objective was for the players to work together to beat the game itself, but since there were more ways for the game to win than for us to succeed, each turn had to be played strategically. This required constant communication between players to decide on the best possible moves for each turn. 

How long did it take to learn?

It took awhile to set up the game, and understand the actions to play and what we could do with our characters, but ultimately it took around 20 minutes to finally get a rhythm going. 

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

The most frustrating part was when we made one decision, only to realize later that another choice or possibility would have been better. But that’s a part of the game and made it interesting.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

I really enjoyed the collaboration because it pushed us to think carefully about every move and plan together in order to beat the game. It created a competitive aspect, not between the players, but between the players and the board. My team and I became fully immersed in the experience.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?

No, I thought the game was overall good, and there wasn’t anything that I wanted to do that I couldn’t. 

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be?

If I HAD to add anything I would want a little more randomness/ luck included to the game. Like occasionally adding something that would give the players a little luck especially when playing on the harder levels. 

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why

YES! I would love to play this again because I enjoyed collaborating with people, it was like team bonding and it was different to be competitive towards something else besides another person. I also loved how involved/immersed everyone was, and I like when games bring that out of people.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

The first act is the set up and the pandemic. This is where your chosen character is introduced and where your first outbreaks begin. The second act is when the players start building research centers and cleaning up some of the places where there are outbreaks. This stage is also where epidemic cards can be drawn and add another level of difficulty to the game. Lastly, the third structure is when the game starts to reveal whether the players have successfully stopped the outbreak, or if they will be wiped out by the outbreak. 

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

The collaborative aspects of the game were having to use each other’s character strengths to try and beat the game, planning every step strategically, and communicating openly to decide on the best moves. The competitive aspect, on the other hand, came from the constant challenge of trying to outsmart the board itself, as the game always seemed to have more ways to win than we did.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?

The game’s metaphor is the world being overwhelmed by rapidly spreading diseases. The mechanics that stood out most were the drive/ferry, flights, and cures, since without these systems the metaphor would fall apart. These mechanics made it possible to represent the importance of finding solutions for the pandemic, which are essential to the game’s theme and playability.

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5 Card Game Ideas – 9/11/25

  1. Story sort of card game where different card piles dictate what you do in your game life and you pick them up in turns and can change your story per the rules

2. A card game revolving around colors, no idea what it’d be but that would be cool

3. some sort of memory game, not quite like a matching game but you have a hand of some sort and can mess up other peoples strategy or something like that

4. (I will admit my brain was not functioning since wednesday so chatgpt did help me jog my creative juices for this) the cards become the game board in a sense, changing the cards can determine what people have to do each turn

5. Like Racko but instead of numbers you are trying to fulfill some card set by the whatever picture/theme of the game (which would yet to be decided)

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5 Game Ideas involving Collaboration – Bryce Mathews

  1. “Summit” is a board game in which players work collaborate to reach the summit of a mountain by using climbing equipment and overcoming challenges.
  2. “Antivirus” is a computer-themed board game where players must work together to identify, and remove a rogue virus using clues, roles, and strategy.
  3. “Frostbite” is an apocalyptic board game where the Earth has frozen over. Players must adapt, befriend, or betray their way to the oasis, the only remaining location on earth fitting for humanity by using their skills, resources, and friends.
  4. “The House” is a horror themed board game where players must work together escape a decrepit house filled with unseen horrors by using their surroundings, pickups along the way, and their survival instincts.
  5. “Anarchy” is a political board game in which factions must compete for political power in what’s left of the city of “Petora”, using movements, information control, and, sometimes, whatever means are necessary to win.

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Game Review: Forbidden Island – Bryce Mathews

Was it fun?

After playing Pandemic, I was able to understand the vision of Forbidden Island more, and found it fun to play.

What were the player interactions?

Our group adapted pretty quickly and were able to focus on using each other’s abilities to move around the board and collect the treasures.

How long did it take to learn?

The learning curve was not long at all. That was because we had played Pandemic, which has a similar turn cycle.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

I am not sure if it was because we set the game too easy, or luck, but we had pretty much collected all the necessary treasures before the flood cards were drawn.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

I did like the stakes of the game. The idea that the island is flooding and sinking below us as we move made the game immersive and the stakes higher.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?

I wanted to move diagonally, but we found out that only certain roles can move.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be?

I would add more spaces, and maybe more treasures. It could be my bias coming straight from Pandemic, but the play-space felt small. It did not take many moves to reach each others or the treasures’ locations.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why

I would like to play this game. I not only to finish it, but see how difficult the game can be.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

The first act would be first setting on the island and familiarizing ourselves with our roles and capabilities. Since the spawns are random, we plan ahead and make moves to each other to swap cards. The middle act involves us moving to the treasure locations, shoring up flooded areas as we went. The final act would be attempting to reach the helicopter before the island flooded and sank (we did not get to that part yet).

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

Much like Pandemic, Forbidden Island has a large win and lose state. The goal is to collect all treasures and make it off the island safely. If we do not escape before the island floods and sinks, we lose. We were forced to collaborate to combine our roles’ skillets. Like pandemic, we did not compete with each other much.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

I believe that Forbidden Island had a similar mechanic to Pandemic: that working together often gets things done quicker. It would be difficult to collect the cards needed for each treasure individually, so the game incentivizes you to work together.

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Game Review: Pandemic – Bryce Mathews

Was it fun?

After understanding the flow of the game and its primary objective, the game was incredibly fun to play.

What were the player interactions?

Instead of working against each other, players had to strategize and plan their next moves carefully. Our group found ourselves planning, then splitting up to handle different infected regions of the world.

How long did it take to learn?

It took a good 15-20 minutes to understand the multiple actions, card interactions, and how each piece of the board affects the game.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

Even though we accidentally set ourselves on a n easier difficulty, it felt as though there was little stakes after a certain point. I never felt as though a loss was right around the corner (unless people made unwise decisions).

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

My favorite aspect of the game play was collaborating with team members to divide and contour the board efficiently and handle the new outbreaks efficiently.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?

No. The game felt balanced and intuitive after understanding the game’s mechanics and objectives. I enjoyed the experience overall.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be?

I would add more randomness to the game, something that different versions of Pandemic already did.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why

Yes. I found the need for collaboration to be a breath of fresh air. I have played few table-top games where players actually benefited from working together. I also found the setting, the art, and the overall stakes of the game very fun.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

The first act is the initial start and outbreak. Players find out what needs to be done and usually go to the most infected cities to curb the spread. In the second act, at least one epidemic card has been drawn, and players quickly change course to deal with the new outbreaks that have occurred, all while dividing tasks between themselves. In the final act, players either collaborate successfully and cure all diseases, or fail to stop them in time.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?

The most collaborative aspect was the role system. Differences in roles and their bonuses made players rely on each other for certain tasks. Some players could cure diseases more effectively, while others made it easy to travel to infected areas for quicker cures. Learning how we all could help each other out and executing the plan was a satisfying moment. We felt little need to compete, and it was stated in the rules that we were better of working together.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?

I believe that the game’s metaphor is one of people coming together to stop threats bigger than themselves. There was no way that players could win the game alone, or by working against each other. Each player had to use each other’s locations (city cards drawn), and specialist roles (which gave bonuses) to make an effective plan before the diseases spread too much.

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5 game ideas that involve collaboration

  1. Jack & Jill is a thriller video game in which the players (Jack and Jill) must collect all the souls (orbs) in her home of the previously tortured children by using one of the players and the childrens toys she leaves around her place.
  2. Spacecraft is a skill board game in which the astronaut characters must rewire their ship explodes by using multiple tweezers and motherboards to plug and unplug the correct wires to unarm the bomb .
  3. Night Owl is a timed board game in which the players must complete as many tasks to get across board before the sunrises by using tools they collect within the “collection” card deck and tasks from the “action” card deck.
  4. TikTAk is a party game in which players must go through their social media (preferably TikTok) to pull clips from their seen or shared videos to create an interesting narrative by using the madlib like paper to fill out what the players have come up with.
  5. Filtered is a digital party game in which one player selects a song, poem, quote (something from any of those different categories) to generate a warped version of by using a phrase scrambler to give you back the same information but something isn’t quite the same. Players must guess the users original category or material. Player with the most correct guesses wins.
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Game Response Questions – Argument

Was it fun? I think it would have been given more time and a little more brain space

What were the player interactions? Well, they mostly consisted of me helping the other players or else we probably could have played the game in silence

How long did it take to learn? Not too long, although you had to remind yourself of the rules during the game quite a bit

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? How close the pieces looked to each other so scrutinizing every move to make sure you could do it

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? It was a cool concept

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? not really, it sort of just worked well

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything

from the experience, what would it be? Perhaps make it easier to see the game board and differentiate the other teams pieces from yours

Is this a game you would play again? Maybe, I’d give it a shot with people who know how to play chess to cuz then strategy would come into play and be fun

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. Well there’s the setup, the gameplay, and racking up pieces at the end (even though we didn’t get to the end)

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? I wanted to play it competitively the whole time but we were supposed to work together to get all the pieces off the board, and if we fail we all lose.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? There wasn’t really a metaphor (other than on off shoot of chess). The different move and the fact that they were illustrated on the back of the pieces was cool