Week 1 Questions Dillon

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.

Game Ideas Tori

  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.

Post Game Questions Tori

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.

Week 1 Questions Tori

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.

Brayden Bauer Game Ideas

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. 

Quickdash. 

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. 

Ww2 game

On the board there’s the axis and Allie’s powers. You collect cards to either advance or retreat your soldiers.(Examples could be trains, planes, surprise attacks, artillery, etc) You can hold up to 7 cards to play with and strategically use them to either defend your country or push forward. 

Super smash brothers card game. 

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. 

Shocking potato

Simple game here with the only thing being you don’t want to have the potato when time runs out. Whoever has the potato when the timer stops is shocked and is out of the game. Last player in the game wins. 

Game Ideas

  1. 3 Card Poker Slots
    • This game is a game in which revolves around luck mostly at the moment, but needs to be dug deeper into. The game involves a dealer giving you 3 cards at random, and if you hit a certain hand (2 of a Kind, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Straight Flush, Royal Flush) you get a payout depending on the rarity of the hand. It’s almost kind of like gambling… well it’s gambling.
  2. Dart Golf
    • This game is a simple one, in which all you need is a dart board and darts. The goal of this game is to have the lowest score possible. Up to 4 players play 9 rounds of darts, throwing 3 darts a round. The person with the lowest score after the 9 rounds wins. This game is interesting to me, because everyone’s first thought would be to shoot for the 1, but in order to hit the 1 you have to throw in between 2 of the highest numbers on the board (20 and 18), so there is strategy to it in order to find the safest place on the board to throw if you are not accurate.
  3. Match Maker
    • The idea of this game is simple. You get a standard deck of cards and deal 5 cards to all 2-4 players. Your goal is to get matching cards and place them face up in front of you. The players will take turns drawing cards, and if you get a second number that you have (EX: you have a 2 and during your turn you draw a 2) you place it in from of you face up and say “Match”. At the end of each turn though, you must discard one of your cards in order to keep the game moving and to avoid people hoarding cards. The person with the most matches when the deck runs out is the winner.
  4. Low-Card Blackjack
    • Ah, yet another way to gamble our points away. This game isn’t for the faint of heart. The idea of Low-Card Blackjack is pretty easy to understand. In this game, your goal is basically to be as close to 11 as possible, rather than 21. The uniqueness of this game is because it is designed to make people upset at their “points wagering” abilities. In a standard deck of cards, the most common card is a 10, whether it’s actually a 10 or a face card. So more than likely, you are going to bust when a hand is dealt to you. Instead of being dealt 2 cards, you are going to be dealt 1 card. That one card makes it interesting since if you happen to get a lowcard such as a 2 or 3, you basically have to hit since the dealer is most likely going to have a higher card than you, but at the same time you won’t want to hit since you are most likely going to go over 11. Just like Blackjack, if you get an ace and a 10, your payout is more. The game may seem complex in my description, but it is rather simple.
  5. Die Chess
    • If you couldn’t tell by now, I love games of chance. This game is no exception. In Die Chess, the general rules are the same as Chess. But, there is a die in the mix now? So at the beginning of the game, you and your opponent will both roll a single die to decide who gets to go first. The higher number rolled gets to go first. But the catch to this game is, before each turn you get to roll your die. The number that it lands on determines how many moves you can make before your turn is over. For example, if it is your turn and you roll a 5, you get to move 5 pieces. But, you are not allowed to move the same piece more than once in a turn. The exception to this rule is that if there are less than 6 pieces on the board, and in that case you cannot use the same piece again until you use the rest in the same turn (EX: you have 3 pieces on the board and you roll a 5, you have to use all 3 pieces before using the pieces you used in chronological order). The way to win is by eliminated all your opponents pieces.

Some Game Ideas


One game idea I have is a type of battleship idea, with multiple players, one board, and with chance cards. If when you roll dice you get a certain number that is on top of the card, you have to do what is on the card, for example maybe sabotage another player, or even pull a card that could hurt your progress in the game.

Another game idea I have is a horror game, with a storyline that is based off of a short story I made. I would like it to be a card game where the group of people don’t know who the killer is except for the killer. The group needs to gather evidence (go fishing for clues ((there is a lot of backstory behind that quote))) to find the killer and finsh the game. Which ever “shipmate”gathers the most evidence against the killer before they eliminate everyone, wins!

I love me a good sabotage game, Id like to create a game that encourages a lot of players with random mini games they can play, where comedy and sabatoge gains you more points

Week 1 Questions

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

In my opinion, I believe every game should have a little sabotage, it adds a lot of fun and quick thinking. My current favorite game has a lot of beautiful graphics and great fighting mechanics

List the games you’ve played and currently play.

    I have grown up playing the Sims, Minecraft, Elder Scrolls games, FNAF, Fallout, Dark Souls and currently I play the Elder Scrolls, Wukong, and Elden ring

    1. Can you apply the three act structure to your favorite game? What is it’s pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?

    Yes, there is a fight that you’re immediately put into that shows an amazing game play and storyline. Then you play through more story conflicts and gameplay to advance your leveling, and I currently haven’t finished it

    1. When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic? 

    I always start with a metaphor for my ideas

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

    There are so many people in my class that I’d be so happy to work with, I would like to work with someone who is stronger in art style and design than me. I feel more proficient in creating the concept of projects.

    Week One Questions – Colin Kenny

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

    I feel like every good game should have some unique aspect or take that draw a certain audience in and keeps them coming back.

    List the games you’ve played and currently play.

    This might take a while. These are mostly going to be simple or casual games because that’s what I like, but I’m gonna condense this to video games and vr games. There’ll be a lot of Wii and Mii games. It’s an autistic special interest.

    • Wii Sports
    • Wii Sports Resort
    • Wii Fit
    • Wii Play
    • Wii Play Motion
    • Wii Party
    • Wii Party U
    • Mario Party
    • Just Dance
    • Tomodachi Life
    • Miitopia
    • Wario Ware
    • Mario Kart Wii
    • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
    • Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
    • Superliminal
    • The Stanley Parable
    • Please, Don’t Touch Anything VR
    • Please, Don’ Touch Anything: House Broken
    • Jackbox Party Packs
    • Nintendo Switch Sports
    • Kinect Sports
    • Kinect Adventures
    • Minecraft
    • Roblox
    • Beat Saber
    • Superhot VR
    • There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension
    • Brain Age
    • Mario Kart 7
    • Tetris
    • Tetris Effect VR
    • Accounting+
    • Among Us
    • Skribbl.io
    • Gartic Phone
    • Minecraft: Story Mode

    I might come back and edit this post if I come up with any more.

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

    I think I can kinda apply this structure to Minecraft. Act 1 is the time you spend in the Overworld gathering supplies and preparing for the battles ahead. You spend about 50% of your time in this section. Then you go to the Nether to get the blaze rods and enter pearls required to get to the apply named End. This is where the action and battles pick up, as there are so many things that can kill you. You spend about 40% of your time there. Then finally, you make your way to the End at the climax of your journey where you fight the Ender Dragon Boss and beat the game. You spend the rest of your 10% here.

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

    I usually like figure out the rules and mechanics first because it gives me a better idea of how something will work and where I need to make changes from draft to final product.

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

    Carson Bauer: Question Set One

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

    I think that every game should have something that keeps you coming back. If a game does not have something that keeps you coming back, then it will not succeed and have a following. The reason I like my favorite game (Skate 3) is because it does just that. It is re-playable over and over and it never gets boring. Games also have to have something unique about them if it is the first version of the game, or else no one will play it for long because it isn’t unique. The only exceptions to this are games such as Call of Duty, in which they are a series so they can get away with the same game for years.

    List the games you’ve played and currently play.

    Skate 3, Roblox, Minecraft (PC, IOS, and Xbox), Overwatch, Overwatch 2, Valorant, Fortnite, Fallout 76, Fallout 4, Fallout New Vegas, Pixel Strike 3D, Motocross Madness, Star Wars Battlefront series, Spongebob games, GTA IV + V, NHL Series, MX vs. ATV series, Forza Series, Descenders, Minesweeper, Stardew Valley, Call of Duty Series, Halo series, MultiVersus, Rocket League, Jackbox Series, Brawhalla, Just Cause series, Art of Rally, Steep, Slime Rancher, R6, Apex Legends, Trackmania Turbo, Monster Energy Supercross, PUBG, Trials series, Battlefield series, Happy Wars, overcooked, Darwin Project, Splitgate, Plants vs. Zombies, Payday 2, Destiny series, Terraria, Sims series, Goat Simulator, Doritos Crash Course, True Skate, Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and countless other mobile games that I am not diving into.

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

    I can apply the three act structure to Skate 3. The beginning of the game starts with a cutscene and you basically start your own skate company. The middle of the game is basically the entire game in which your goal is to real 1,000,000 board sales, and the end of the game is basically just free play after you unlock everything. Some may also say that the end game is “Killing” every challenge instead of just finishing every challenge. The pacing is super quick for the beginning, the middle lasts for very long, and the end takes even longer to “Kill” every challenge. (Killing a challenge is much harder than just beating the challenges). But that also just depends on what you consider completing the game and when you reach the “end”. This is one of the reasons I like this game is for that exact reason, there is no specific way to do things, just as long as you get it done.

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

    Usually, I find it easier to come up with the mechanic rather than the metaphor. I tend to have ideas that base more on the mechanics, such as Owen and I’s BattleCups game from 4D studio last year. My first thoughts were to make a game that was like Pong, but different in a complex way.

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

    Over the course of the semester, I’d like to collaborate with Brayden because we live in the same room, and will be much easier to collaborate on projects when we don’t have to make specific plans in order to do so.

    Game Ideas -Colin Kenny

    1. Based on the website https://www.whatbeatsrock.com, What Beats Rock: The Home Game. Players take turns naming an item that could “beat” the previous item (or a rock if you’re first) and the other players act as judges to decide if their item would “beat” the previous item.
    2. Dice Stack. A deck of cards tells the players a required dice roll and a required formation to stack the dice once they are rolled. Player who does it first gets a point.
    3. SHOE-ffleboard, A large twister-like mat/board is set up and players take turns throwing either their own shoes or smaller shoe item onto it for points.
    4. Players take turns placing cards from a standard deck in a pile while naming the card placed before them. If they mess up, they take the pile. First to run out of cards wins.
    5. For a while I’ve wondered if I can host a game of Survivor on campus for a club or a Rmu TV project. People would get broken into teams, each round a team would win Immunity and the losing team would have to vote someone out. Then everyone gets split up individually, voting continues, etc. until s jury votes for the winner.

    Fluxx -Colin Kenny

    1. Every time I played Fluxx last semester and this time, it has been a good mix of fun and chaotic.
    2. It was kind of awkward playing with people who didn’t know the rules. I liked playing more with Evan and Gideon who can enhance the game with their competitive spirit and chaotic energy.
    3. I think it only took me like ten minutes max to learn the base game when I played back in the spring.
    4. I definitely would always take up the opportunity to play again.

    Collab Game Ideas

    Black Friday Massacre

    Black Friday Massacre is a RPG tabletop game in which players collaborate to make it through Black Friday as a retail worker by overcoming WASP moms, Karens, and hordes of capitalist zombies.

    Let Them Eat Cake

    Let Them Eat Cake is a collaborative card game in which players work as assassins and attempt to behead all of the most iconic historical monarchs without getting caught. Players may also compete with each other for the most assassinations.

    Cutthroat Chicken

    Cutthroat Chicken is a tabletop game in which players attempt to escape their fate on the chicken farm by arming themselves against the farmers [the game] and making tough sacrifices.

    Seedlings

    Seedlings is a card game in which players pick a plant they would like to bloom/ripen into and compete to see who can bloom first while also needing to share resources.

    Purity

    Purity is a board game where players attempt to avoid committing all 7 deadly sins in order to get to heaven by overcoming peer pressure and temptation. The players may also compete to see who commits the least amount of deadly sins (not required).