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.

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.

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.

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

1. Was it fun?
   • I would overall say the game was fairly fun; however, I don’t think it stood out as much as the other games we played in class.
2. What were the player interactions?
   • The game was similar to Pandemic in the way that the players interacted to try and beat the game before they all sank off the board.
3. How long did it take to learn?
   • Since this was the second game we played, it didn’t take us long to figure it out. Realizing that it was similar to the previous game we had participated in, I would say overall it took us no more than 10 minutes.
4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
   •  Honestly, the most frustrating moment of the game was trying to get to the treasure spot while also praying that one of the flooded spots didn’t get taken.
5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
   •  My favorite moment of the game was being able to trade with other players to get us closer to our goal of getting the treasure, and it sort of played out in the sense that we each were able to get a treasure piece.
6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
   • One thing I wish I could do, which would have defeated the whole point of the game, was to be able to cross diagonally.
7. 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 a magic wand to wave and could change anything from the experience, I would have liked to expand the game with a grander goal in mind; however, we did play on easy mode, so if the water levels were higher I think that might have changed my opinion on the game and it’s purpose and how much I found it entertaining.
8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
   •  I would play this game again simply because I feel like I didn’t give it a fair enough turn, and we did not complete it till it’s full of potential however I would also like to add that this was the second game that we played in the last 45 minutes of class, and my brain was dead for most of the game after Pandemic.
9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
   • Analyzing the game Forbidden Island in the three-act structure starts off with the First Act of setting up the game and getting to know each of the characters’ objectives and how that plays out throughout the narrative of the game, having the theme in mind as rescuing treasures, all the while trying not to let the entirety of the island flood. The second act or the struggle for victory, takes place deeper in the game where the Dynamics keep switching, and the goal is to not let the Island sink. Also, the game feels like it could take place in silence or in a very quiet room, which can easily make the players bored. The third Act, which is the push for victory, where each of the players must stand on Fool’s Landing, is a little bit more exciting than the rest of the game, but the more I think about it, I don’t know how compelling this game was.  It ultimately avoided the “kingmaker effect” where a losing player can impact victory. However, I do think it is a nice touch because it requires players to work together to succeed or fail as a unit, which then pushes the idea of a shared outcome. 
10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • I don’t think this game was as competitive in the same way as Pandemic, which also ultimately avoided the idea of any frustration or big feelings with the players; however, yet again, it is collaborative, it is just not as compelling.
11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The game’s metaphor is ultimately telling The Narrative of escaping an island with treasure before it sinks; this narrative continues throughout the entirety of the game.  I would say the biggest part of the mechanics is the idea of the water level rising, as well as tiles completely being removed from the game, cutting down the size of the board the players have to work with.

1. Was it fun?
   • I thoroughly enjoyed the game pandemic, though it was a little Annoying to set up at first.
2. What were the player interactions?
   • Basically, all the players interacted by trying to beat the game before the game beat the players. More times than not, there are more ways to lose than there are to win, so it required a lot of teamwork. Communication was the biggest interaction between players as far as how we can all use the mechanics of the game to our benefit and sort of foreshadow and strategize each turn.
3. How long did it take to learn?
   • I would say it probably took us a good 20 minutes to learn just because there were so many mechanics to add on to the themes, like there was a hand limit of seven, also the idea of the flights and how cures work, and the infection rate increases while trying to get rid of outbreaks and epidemics.
4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
   • Honestly, the most frustrating moment of the game was probably when I had my little rage moment trying to collect enough cards to trade them in for cures but also part of me wanted to wipe out all the epidemics before finishing the game.
5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
   • My favorite moment of Pandemic was honestly strategizing with my other players on how we could trade and meet up with each other in the same city as well as how each of us could take on our own City so that we each had our own cures.
6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
   •  Honestly, the only thing I would add, which is outside of the game structure and games in general, was the ability to sort of go back or reverse a turn because there were a lot of times where we didn’t 100% think the outcome through when there was a better way of going about it.
7. 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 a magic wand, I would try to find a way to remake the game, but from a Gateway game perspective, using Luck instead of strategy, I think it would be interesting to see how the mechanics, meaning, and theme shifted, and honestly, a different theme in general would be interesting to see how it went into play.
8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
   • I would definitely play this game again and have already considered asking my friends to come to the library to play it with me.  I think what makes this game so addictive is that competitiveness; however, it is not everybody for themselves, it is everyone else against the game and I think that brings an added power of teamwork.
9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
   • As far as the beginning structure or act one of the game, it all starts with the setup, as far as where infection starts on the board and who each player will take part in, and all of the added rules to send players’ characters, as well as divvying up all of the epidemic cards. The second act, which is the idea of the struggle and push for victory, comes into play when players use strategic moves and trade to their fullest advantage, ultimately coming up with more cures. The third act, or the push for victory, comes into play when all of the infections on the board have depleted. You’re down to your final set of cards, looking to get the last of the cures, when the whole gameplay intensifies, which can also come across as a euphoric phase for the players. This is where all players’ emotions are heightened.
10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • I would honestly say the collaborative aspect of the game is very prevalent in trying to beat the game, especially when reaching the third Act. As far as the competitive aspect between players, I don’t really think that is prevalent in the game.
11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • Overall, the game’s metaphor is the idea of an expanding pandemic, which is the realm the players live in for the entirety of the game. Of the couple of game mechanics I mentioned earlier, I would honestly say the one that stood out the most was the cures because that was the biggest way for the players to beat the game. 

Was it fun? Yes

What were the player interactions? We couldn’t see our cards but had to tell the other players what was in their hands

How long did it take to learn? A little while but not too long

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Trying to figure out how to tell the other players what they have without giving too much away or not being able to remind the other players what was already told to them

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? It was like a card game but with fun graphics so I enjoyed it (and I like cards so that was good)

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? be able to use the wild cards as just wilds when we played the second round

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Being able to use the wilds differently

Is this a game you would play again? Yes I would, Why, because it was fun and engaging

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure: Honestly it was less of a 3 act game in my opinion, it felt like one continuous action for some reason

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? Collaborative was the entire game really, we couldn’t win on our own and only won as a team and how well we all performed and got scored on that.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? You are firework pyrotechnicians trying to save a firework show; I really like not being able to see your own hand, made it infinitely more interesting

ALEAH DUDEK

Argument :

Was it fun? It was fun I think it would be more fun playing competitively.

What were the player interactions? Yes almost every turn.

How long did it take to learn? Only a few minutes I liked how easy it was to understand.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I didn’t find the game frustrating at all , but I can see how it would be if it was the competitive version.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I liked the different match making and the different ways you have to move the pieces.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No

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

from the experience, what would it be? I wouldn’t change anything I think it’s a nice simple game that could be played over and over again.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why I think it was fun, can be relaxing , but also competitive.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

Act 1 : The set up was to set up your pieces either in order or random and move them accordingly to how the certain symbols moves along the board and try to get the 3 stacks in order to collect points.

Act 2: The rising action could be to make the matches and collect more and more in order to win or screw people over potentially.

Act 3 : If you wipe all the pieces off the board or have the most stacks you win the game or everyone wins the game if playing the collaborative version.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? The collaborative aspects is helping each other out moving pieces to one another to get stacks and wipe more pieces iff the board. The competitive aspect is making your way over to other peoples pieces to steal their pieces in order to give yourself more stacks.

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

I would think the games metaphor is rock paper scissors because some pieces over power other pieces to make stacks and collect stacks for yourself or one another. The mechanics I would say is also Rock paper scissor because we used that to determine who went first. Also the way the pieces moved in order to get around the board and the colors of the pieces.

ALEAH DUDEK

Forbidden Island:

Was it fun? It was alright the mechanics were kind of boring , but the theming was pretty.

What were the player interactions? Yes we had to collaborate the entire game almost, but we could make personal decisions.

How long did it take to learn? Not long like 20 minutes.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I wasn’t really frustrated, I guess the only thing is is that it was a little too easy to beat.

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I liked the theming and the suspense of it.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Not really, but I wish it was trickier.

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 cards such as to deflood or more actions to move.

Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why No it was kind of boring it is definitely a one and down game.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

Act 1 : The board is laid out in different locations making it more adventurous, the tiles representing different parts of the island. The characters choose their abilities and their “powers” throughout the game. The objective is to save the island from sinking while collecting treasures. You are in danger of pulling sinking cards destroying the island while trying to save it.

Act 2: More tiles flood and disappear, making the map shrink. The water level meter may rise from bad flood card draws. Key tiles needed for treasures may flood, threatening to end the game early. Players have to sacrifice actions and resources to keep them intact. Players must coordinate their moves carefully.

Act 3: The last treasures are collected, the water level is dangerously high, and players make their desperate dash to the helicopter pad. The story will end in a win or defeat.

What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? We had to collaborate to collect the treasures and the competitiveness was pulling the sinking cards.

What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The games metaphor is risk and reward I feel because the team has to collaborate in order to save the island, but as you pull cards it can get really risky to the race to save the island from flooding. The mechanics are the flooding and sinking tiles limiting where players can go. The water level meter can dictate how in danger you are in. The treasure cards can help lead you to victory. Role powers can help collaboration or avoid the sinking tiles.