Tag: game design

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Week One Questions 1/23/25 – Colin Kenny

What are the issues Ian Bogost raises about social games with Cow Clicker?

He raises concern over social existing not to provide entertainment solely, but to keep the user engaged and coming back. The enframing of friends and the perpetual compulsion to play every second you aren’t playing leads to mental health effects.

How do social games like FarmVille enframe friends?

Social games create the “features” of friends as resources for both the player and the developer. Players have to ask their friends for help not out of enjoyment for the game but to get something out of them. Developers use this tactic to become viral, ever spreading like an actual virus.

How do social games destroy time outside of the game?

Due to their endless nature, so much time is spent in the game that all time spent outside of the game is hijacked by thoughts and ideas about the game. Media like movies and TV shows are contained within a finite experience, but since these games have no defined end, players will feel compelled to play ad nauseam.

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Week 1 Response | Dill DeSantis

Game Thoughts:

  • Painstation: The concept is absolutely hilarious, but it’s honestly hard to say if I’d actually go through with playing it; On one hand, I don’t like being hurt – but on the other hand, it would be an extremely unique gaming experience.
  • Getting Over It: I’ve had several opportunities to play this game, but i have deliberately chosen not to because I already know I wouldn’t have the patience for it. I don’t dislike it, I think it’s a good looking and well-designed game, but it’s simply not a game I want to play; it seems like you can either love or hate it, there’s no middle ground.
  • Townscaper: I was pleasantly surprised by this game; the quality, sound design, and visuals were above what I expected from the pictures. I can certainly see the appeal, but I cannot imagine that I would stick with for long, as the options seem quite limited.

Questions:

  • Ian Bogost critiques social games for their manipulative design. He argues that they reduce friendships to mere in-game assets, not genuine connections. Developers exploit this by integrating viral mechanics that encourage players to recruit others, not for fun but for engagement metrics. He also highlights how these games rely on compulsive loops, keeping players hooked with minimal effort yet endless repetition. The most concerning issue, however, is the sheer amount of wasted time—players may spend hours completing trivial tasks, reinforcing an artificial sense of progress.
  • Social games like FarmVille turn friendships into transactional relationships. Instead of fostering genuine social interaction, these games treat friends as resources to be used for in-game progression. Players are encouraged to “invite” others to perform tasks like watering crops or feeding animals, making progress feel dependent on social obligation rather than personal strategy. While this mechanic can create a sense of community, it ultimately prioritizes engagement over meaningful social connections.
  • These games seep into daily life, constantly demanding attention even when not actively playing. Push notifications remind players to check in, fostering a sense of urgency to return. Additionally, time-based mechanics—such as waiting for crops to grow or buildings to finish—keep players tethered, stretching gameplay across hours or even days. Many games capitalize on this by offering microtransactions to speed up progress, effectively monetizing patience and further reinforcing time-wasting mechanics.
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Endless Game Ideas- Colin Kenny

Group: Gideon, Kelsey, Colin

  1. A computer game where you play as a drop of water on a table. You move around trying to gain mass and spread out.
  2. An AI powered game where you type in a scenario of your version of “the best day ever”, and it is the AI’s job to respond every time with a way to ruin it.
  3. A digital game where you play as an annoyed landlord who must keep fixing the stupid tenants’ problems.
  4. A phone game similar to Pokemon Go where you use a LiDAR Scanner to “collect” objects in the real world which can range from rocks to chairs to devices to locations and statues. Every item is worth a point value for a competitive league, or you can play on your own and just have a personal collection.
  5. An idle game similar to Cookie Clicker where you rub an egg with your computer mouse or on your touchscreen to hatch a bird. Alternatively, you spin a coin to gain money and upgrade it to more valuable coins such as a penny, then a nickel, then a dime, then a quarter, then a silver dollar, then a gold coin, etc.
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Back to Scratchin: Carson Bauer

Changes made:

Game Board sized up to be longer and board spaces added to increase the length of the game.

Normal Day and Wager Space added to give downtime on the board, as well as events throughout.

Thoughts:

Throughout making this game, I thought it was a simple idea that worked well. In the end though, it ended up being scrapped due to Skate Skirmish. If I was to come back and adjust the game, I would make the board larger and add more spaces for interaction with other players.

Back To Scratchin’Download
awdsefsDownload

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Week 13 Question Set

Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s advice.

The best game I’ve made this semester is Skater Skirmish. Compared to my other games, this game stands out as the most complete. While some of my other games struggled to progress beyond the first prototype phase due to playability issues, Skater Skirmish managed to overcome these challenges. The concept was easy with players, and their responses encouraged me to refine it further.

What makes Skater Skirmish special is its accessibility. The gameplay is easy, making it enjoyable for people of all age groups who can move their hands. This inclusivity comes from its  easy mechanics and simple rules, which ensures that anyone can learn and play the game. I prioritized simplicity because a more complicated design would have kept younger players or those unfamiliar with board games from playing.

To continue, Skater Skirmish blends fun and strategy with ease. Players are engaged in a game of classic skate, with just enough change to the game to make it interesting. It’s a game I’m proud of because it represents my growth as a designer and a carpenter. By focusing on player enjoyment, I created something that works with a wide audience.

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Week 12 Question Set

  • Question Set 1
    • What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?
  • A working prototype is a functional game prototype that is playable, while a display prototype provides the artistic aspects of the game without it being functional.
    • What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail?
    • A working prototype is a game that functions as it should with all aspects of the game, and only needing further refinement based on what comes from playtesting. It can fail if the rules are unclear, or if there are elements missing.
    • What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu?
    • The game should be easy and intuitive to play, have a clear goal and rules, and the game should be complete enough to be clearly playable without much issue and interference from the creator.
    • What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game?
    • Be clear and focused on your goals, understand your audience, include a demo of how the game is played, and be professional.
    • Where might you pitch your game?
    • I could pitch my game at local skate shops or similar stores. On top of that, it can be pitched at competitions where brands set up tents.
    • What do publishers look for in a game?
    • How well the game functions, how well it will sell, how re-playable it is, and that the game has a good appeal to the target audience.
    • What makes a good set of Rules?
    • Rules should be clear and concise, and shouldn’t have to be questioned by the player for more than a few seconds. If rules are not clear, than that can sway a player from playing the game as intended.

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Game Review of Sara and Amber’s Rotten to the Core- Colin Kenny

Was it fun?

I might not have been the best audience to play as I often get anxious and scared thinking about death stuff but I think a lot of people could have fun playing this game.

What were the player interactions?

When I played it was light-hearted discussing the situations on each card and our opinions on things like insects and fungi.

How long did it take to learn?

It took around 5 minutes to learn, very simple rules.

Would you play it again?

Maybe one more time as another tester, but I would need to consider it and make sure I’m in a good headspace first.

Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.

We started off by just taking turns and moving down the board. It was really anyone’s game to win or lose. We then started drawing cards that would eventually cause us to lose spaces at the end of the game, and although Gideon and I were behind getting to the end, it looked like one of us would win. We finally all reached the end and tallied the points and sent us back to were we should be, and it turned out I won. I forgot to tell Ames afterward, so Ames if you’re reading this, I would love some more invisable and imaginary points please and thank you.

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Game documentation (to feed or not to feed)

Alana Tush

Game rules

To feed or not to feed rules (draft 1)Download
To feed or not to feed rules (draft 2)Download
To feed or not to feed rules (draft 3)Download
  • Photos of:
    • the game when setup 
    • details of the pieces
    • glass beads (blue and white) and cards
    • Cards
playing Cards 01 Artboard 1Download
playing Cards 02 Artboard 1 CopyDownload
playing Cards 03 Artboard 1 Copy 2Download
playing Cards 04 Artboard 1 Copy 3Download
playing Cards 05 Artboard 1 Copy 4Download
playing Cards 06 Artboard 1 Copy 5Download

any design iterations – changes to the board, cards or pieces

  • There were many versions of the cards, which I only have the final because I was working on the same illustrator document. I got blue glass beads for the food, and later bought white glass beads to switch out when the animal is fully fed. So i added that after play test An overview of changes made
  • I changed that the players can look at their cards before they put them down, instead of putting them down like a game of war where it is a mystery.
  • Your thoughts and lessons learned from play testing 
  • The game makes a lot more sense to me because I’ve been thinking about it and making the rules than it does to someone that has never seen the game before. It takes more time to learn.

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Documentation of The Birds and the Beavers

We have not made any changes after this original prototype.

If I were to make further iterations of this, I would make minor mechanics tweaks and then enhance the design. First, I would add the ability to trade in useless resources for one players want at a 4:1 ratio. I would also add the ability to collect your teammates lives for them (but if they are dead they stay dead). Next, I would specify that a player does not need to roll the exact number to land in their teams home and place resources. Other than that, all changes would be cosmetic. I would flip “The Birds” and “nest” so it would be facing the birds team. I would make the board out of a thicker material and all of the spaces would be indented for the resource pieces to fit in like a puzzle. The resource pieces would be hexagonal. Perhaps the Player Icons could be little birds and beavers.

The game worked very well. Mechanics worked and the game was cute. With these minor tweaks, it would be a great game! I would be interested in taking it further.

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Game Makers Play Test Notes

Alana Tush 

Game- To feed or not to feed

Players- Boyfriends Family

What questions did your players have?

  • In this play test the players wanted to learn as we went instead of reviewing the rules, so they had many questions about who one the hand, when rounds were over, and how the feeding worked.

How quickly did they learn to play?

  • After a few hands, they got the hang of how to play.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

  • My boyfriend and his mom are very competitive and they both try to accuse each other of cheating all the time, so there was a lot of conversation.

What confused players?

  • At first, all the different numbers and sections on the cards was confusing to them, but they learned. 

What made players excited?

  • There were many rounds where one player didn’t win an animal, so they were frustrated but got excited when they finally won an animal.

What did your players enjoy doing?

  • We enjoyed taking the food for the animals and placing it on the cards, and once they were fully fed, switching the blue beads out for one white one.  

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

  • When there were many hands where one person didn’t win.
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Game Makers Play Test Notes

Alana Tush

Game- To feed or not to feed

Players- Parents

What questions did your players have?

  • After they reviewed the rules and we started playing, they had questions about which spot on the cards were the strength meter and which part of the card was rewarding and feeding food. I directed them back to the rules where there is a diagram of the card with labels.

How quickly did they learn to play?

  • After a few minutes, everyone got the hang of it. It went pretty quickly.

What kinds of interactions did the players have?

  • my dad was really into the competitiveness of winning the strongest animal and was smack talking me and my mom.

What confused players?

  • At first, all the different numbers and sections on the cards was confusing to them, but they learned.

What made players excited?

  • We all got excited when we won the strongest animal and when it was fully fed.

What did your players enjoy doing?

  • We enjoyed counting up the fully fed animals at the end to see how many points we got

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players?

  • When someone kept an animal and could not discard it when they couldn’t feed it.

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Documentation of GoViral

Game Setup

An early development change I made was implementing a timer. Otherwise, players take too long thinking about their response.

The changes I made included adding a timer and a way of tracking points.

If I were to move forward with this prototype, I would add a new way of tracking points, a solution for ties, and another randomizing factor. I would probably make a “viral meter” where players could track their points and the first to get to the end goes viral and wins. The total amount of points needed to win would need to be tested but I would start with 100 points. For ties, I need to specify in the rules what happens. I would begin by saying that both players keep their cards. If that doesn’t seem fair after play testing, then the higher valued hashtag card wins. Finally, another randomizing factor may help differentiate this game from other similar party card games. I was thinking of having a “trend” spinner. On this spinner could be topics that match the hashtags. This spinner would be spun each round. If you play a hashtag that matches the trend, the points could be doubled.

Overall, the game mechanics worked and the post cards were funny. The format of the caption cards makes it incredibly versatile for a wide spectrum of age groups and provides a replayable experience. While I think it could be a fun game with these changes made, I am more interested in moving forward with other prototypes.