Tag: game design

Some of these I may have mentioned last week. Just FWI

A bomb war. 

It’s a game me and my friends made when we were in high school and never really finished making it. It’s similar to the card game “war” where the players draw from a deck and play a card. Higher card wins. The a bomb part is where an ace comes into play. The a bomb trumps every card other than other a bombs. Depending on the suit will determine if your a bomb is better or not. 

Smash bros inspired game( still thinking of different characters to use)

The two players each have a deck filled with cards. Each turn the players draw two cards either being characters to put into the field of play or items that can negatively or positively affect the field of play or characters. There are different maps the players can collect that can again change how your cards are played. 

Quickdash is a trivia based game with a few action cards. The trivia questions can be any topic but vary in points. During some of the cards the players may revive an action card that has to be played immediately. It can range from simple to more difficult tasks. 

No name yet

I want to make a trouble in terrorist town card game. Role cards get handed out and the start of the game which tell the roles the players received. Sheriff, doctor, killer, bystander. Preferably played with a large group of players. Each round the players have to find out who the killer is. Each round the killer doesn’t get caught, the killer gets more progress until either he reaches the end or he kills everybody else. That can be avoided if the other roles vote him out. 

Truth or dare like game. 

The deck of cards contains cards with some sentences on there about the players. The player needs to fool the other players into thinking if it is real or not. 

In your opinion, what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?

• I believe the most important element a game could have is replay-ability. If you are able to play the game, enjoy it, and then come back to it later and still enjoy it just as much as you did the first time — that’s a well-designed game. Replay-ability is important because, without it, the game would lose momentum after the first few months following release; the longer a game can remain relevant the better.
• My all-time favorite game is and has always been Minecraft; I started playing when I was a young child and have watched the game evolve over the last 15 years while it simultaneously dominated the gaming industry. My favorite part about Minecraft is that it gives the player the ability to, quite literally, do WHATEVER they want. Of course, it’s an imagination-based sandbox game with random finite generation that ensures every world you play is different from the last, but beyond the confines of the base-game, Minecraft allows (and even encourages) their players to mod and customize their game however they please. CurseForge, the most popular website for the Minecraft modding community, reached 100,000 unique player-created mods in 2022. I am personally a member of the that community and I enjoy using Minecraft as a creative outlet where I can develop new features and mechanics for my community server.

List the games you have played or currently played.

• Currently Play: Creativity: Minecraft, Terraria; Shooters: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite Battle Royale, Platformers: Ultimate Chicken Horse; Other:
• Have Played: Creativity: Stardew Valley, The Sims, Roblox; Shooters: Destiny, Destiny 2, Overwatch 1, Paladins, Apex Legends, Fortnite Save the World, Darwin Project, Ironsight, Splitgate; Platformers: Hollow Knight, Little Nightmares, Little Nightmares 2, Portal, Portal 2; Other: Stranded Deep, Skylanders Series, Rayman Legends, Firewatch,

Can you apply the three-act structure to your favorite game? What is its pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?

• Minecraft’s standard Survival mode could be broken into 3 acts.
  Act 1: Early-Game
  The player begins by spawning in a new world with absolutely nothing in their inventory. Players are supposed to secure shelter and protection against the enemies that come out at night using accessible resources such as wood and stone to craft gear. Players will typically start an early-game food source, like an animal pen or a crop farm. The early-game act takes up a majority of Minecraft’s gameplay; it is the slowest paced act of the three due to limitations on your character like weak tools and armor. In a typical playthrough, the first act usually takes me a few weeks, but that’s due to my methodical playstyle. If you were to focus on completing the game in one sitting, I would estimate around 5-8 hours for extensive completion.
  Act 2: Mid-Game
  Once the player has finished acquiring basic tools, armor, and a base of operations, they will begin mining and adventuring for resources. Players must descend into the dangerous caves below them in search of non-renewable resources such as iron, gold, emeralds, and diamonds, all used to further improve their gear. They will encounter hostile monsters and natural hazards like lava that will impede their progress. Players will want to acquire obsidian for an enchanting table to enhance their tools’ stats and a nether portal to travel between dimensions. The mid-game act takes up the second-most amount of time as it has the most amount of different objectives, each necessary for the end-game preparation. In my personal playthroughs, I spend the most amount of time (typically a month or more) in the second act because it is my favorite. If you knew what you were doing and were to focus on completing this act in one sitting, I would estimate around 4-7 hours.
  Act 3: End-Game
  After the player has acquired powerful enchanted weapons and armor, their next step is locating the Stronghold, home of the End Portal. Players will hunt rare monsters to acquire Eyes of Ender, a necessary item for locating and activating the portal. Once fully prepared, the player will cross dimensions to The End where they will battle the final boss of Minecraft, the Ender Dragon who, once defeated, rolls the game credits; however many will argue that this is not the end of Minecraft, as there is a plethora of content still available and being released every year for players to enjoy. For me, I savor this act. The end-game act can take between 2-3 hours depending on whether or not you want to proceed with your playthrough following the Ender Dragon, and I always choose to continue.

When coming up with ideas where do you find your start, with the metaphor or the mechanics?

• When I am drafting ideas for my custom Minecraft additions, I always start with mechanics. I will factor in things like “how will this work”, “how is this acquired”, and “how would i create this with code?”. Once the mechanics are fleshed out and they function, then I go back and work on the aesthetics.

Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?

• I’m open to collaborating with anybody.

1. A tabletop game in which you are growing items in your own planter box. Different plants and herbs are worth varying points, and there could be bundles that when completed award players extra points. It would go through all the seasons, with some plants only being able to grow in certain conditions. Selling your reapings, players could buy different buffs they could add to their garden to make it more efficient.
2. Tick-Tack-Throw! An outdoor spin on the classic game of tick-tack-toe. Players will throw frisbee-like discs with no center toward a large board made of pegs. Get your disc to land on a peg, and count it as your mark!
3. Business owner simulator. Allows players to create their own unique start-up business and create their dream store in virtual reality! Hire employees, define your store layout, determine prices, and gain real experience on what handling a business might be like!
4. Head Count! A fun outdoor game to play with big groups that only requires one ball! Have a large group divide themselves into two teams. Make sure they can identify one another. Proceed to have all players form a large circle while still standing. A ball is then bounced hard into the ground so that it shoots into the air. From here, players will try to run under the ball to someone on their team on the other side of the circle without touching another player, or getting hit by the ball.
5. Hall Pass. This online game is fun to play with friends. One player is randomly assigned to be a delinquent student roaming the hallways without a hall pass. All other players will play as teachers, who will try to allocate the student player among the slew of many NPC students. The student player will have objectives, but doing them will draw attention to themselves and create a cause to get caught.

Was the game fun?

The constant chaos and changing nature of the game made it enjoyable to play!

Would you play it again?

I would! Further, it would be fun to see the different versions of the game and how they compare to the one we played.

How long did it take to learn?

A quick read-through of the rules helped our group learn how to play in just a few minutes.

What was the interactive aspect, and how was it?

The game had players interacting with cards, drawing them, playing them, and discarding them. The mechanics worked well and made it so our game played out smoothly.

In Your Opinion what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?

In my opinion, every game should have obtainable goals/achievements that intrigues and entices any given player. When I think about games I don’t enjoy, I reflect on objectives that are not pleasurable to chase, or that the route to achieve them leaves things to be desired. Thus, I hold high value in the experience of what the game asks me to do. My favorite game, Stardew Valley, stays true to this testament. Within the game, there are varying routes you can take to accomplish different tasks and master different skills. It hands the user the freedom to decide what they want to pursue, and constantly switches up experiences as to not make gameplay stale.

List the games you have played or currently Play.

To the best of my knowledge:

Tabletop: Apples to apples, Blokus, life, Scattergories, Sequence, Taboo, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Cartographers, Splendor, Telestrations, Wingspan, Codenames, Rummikub, Mysterium, Catan, Sushi go.

Digital: Cooking Mama, Gardening Mama, Nintendogs, Wii sports, Just Dance, Minecraft, Do Starve together, Stardew Valley, The Sims, Among Us, Jackbox, Leauge Of Legends, Valorant, It Takes Two.

Can you apply the three-act structure to your favorite game? What is its pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?

Stardew Valley Is a game that allows the player to go at their own pace. Tasks have no set timeline, so users can choose how swiftly or leisurely they want to go about completing them.

Applying the three-act structure to my favorite game, Stardew Valley, It breaks down as follows:

Act 1 (Setup):

• Introduction: The player inherits a run-down farm from their grandfather in the quaint town of Stardew Valley. They leave their monotonous city life to start anew in the countryside.
• Inciting Incident: Upon arrival, the player meets the townsfolk and learns about the challenges of restoring their new farm. They also discover the looming threat of the Joja Corporation, which is trying to take over the local community center.

Act 2 (Confrontation):

• Rising Action: The player begins to cultivate their farm, plant crops, raise animals, and explore the town. They build relationships with the townspeople and participate in community events. Throughout this time, they face various obstacles such as harsh weather, financial struggles, and the need to upgrade their tools and facilities.
• Midpoint: The player discovers the mystical side of Stardew Valley, including the presence of the Junimos, magical creatures that can help restore the community center. This revelation adds a new layer of depth to their mission, as they now have to collect specific items to complete bundles and restore the center.

Act 3 (Resolution):

• Climax: The player works diligently to complete all the bundles, facing the final push to gather the remaining items. This often involves overcoming the most challenging aspects of farming, mining, fishing, and foraging.
• Resolution: Once the community center is fully restored, the town celebrates, and the Joja Corporation’s influence diminishes. The player has successfully revitalized the farm and the town, forming lasting bonds with the townsfolk and creating a thriving, self-sustaining community. The game allows for continued play, but the main narrative arc concludes with the restoration of the community center and the defeat of Joja Corp.

When coming up with ideas where do you find your start, with the metaphor or the mechanics?

When drafting ideas, I tend to find my start with a metaphor; a symbolic/imaginative concept. Before I can delve into the inter-workings and mechanics of my idea, I find I first must start with a metaphorical image or theme I want to explore.

Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?

During the course of this semester, I would enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with Evelyn. I enjoy her work and style and would be interested to see how we could collaborate with one another to work toward a common goal.