I had some people play my animal shelter game, where players work as a team of animal welfare advocates managing an animal rescue organization. their goal is to successfully rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals who have experienced abuse or neglect.

One thing I noticed is that I did not add in the team aspect as much as I wanted to, I will either have to fix it or make it so all the shelters are in competition, which I would like to avoid.

I based the game off of real animals that are, or were sheltered as Washington Humane, so I believe I reached the empathetic idea I was going for, it was very sad. I even brought in pictures of all of the animals so they could visualize who they were taking care of. Id like to create new cards that have the pictures of the dogs on one side, and their description and story on the other side.

I need to set up a new system where people only get a challenge card everyone once in a while and not every turn. Though people enjoyed that there was a challenge, it was just a bit too hard.

Overall, I believe that this game could be made into something bigger with its empathetic playthrough but needs some touching up.

If you played let me know what you think and if anything needs fixed up!

Litter Patrol: A Social Impact Board Game

Game Overview

An asymmetric board game where environmental defenders (Civilian and Officer) compete against a Litterer to protect community spaces. Features balanced gameplay with meaningful environmental messaging.

Components

• Hexagonal tile game board representing a community
• Character pieces: Civilian, Officer, and Litterer
• Various tokens: Litter, Education, Enforcement, Reward, etc.
• Card decks: Environmental Impact, Community Action, Litterer Strategy, Scenario

Core Gameplay

Basic Actions

• Litterer: Move up to 4 spaces and place litter tokens
• Civilian: Move up to 4 spaces, remove litter, or place education tokens
• Officer: Move up to 3 spaces, remove litter, or place enforcement tokens

Key Mechanics

• Environmental health tracker monitors game state
• Scenario cards create dynamic situations and choices
• Each role has unique abilities and restrictions

Scenario System

When players land on scenario locations, they face environmental choices:

Example Scenarios:

1. Ice Cream Outing
   • Litterer: Drop wrapper (gain litter tokens)
   • Civilian: Properly dispose waste (gain civic points)
   • Officer: Set good example (place protection tokens)
2. Fast Food Drive-Thru
   • Litterer: Toss trash (place multiple tokens)
   • Civilian: Report littering (force Litterer to skip a turn)
   • Officer: Monitor area (create no-litter zone)
3. Public Event
   • Litterer: Take advantage of crowds (place multiple tokens)
   • Civilian: Organize cleanup crew (place volunteer tokens)
   • Officer: Establish disposal stations (create clean zones)

Special Abilities

• Litterer: “Blend In”, “Sneak Littering”, “Distraction” tokens
• Civilian: Education campaigns, volunteer coordination
• Officer: Enforcement, citations, strategic positioning

Winning Conditions

• Defenders Win: Maintain environmental health above 40% for 12 rounds or restore to 90%
• Litterer Wins: Drop environmental health below 20% or below 30% for 3 consecutive rounds

Donkeys vs. Elephants (2 players)

Short Summary

This game acts as a criticism towards modern politics; how chaotic and manipulative it can be. Players interact as a fissure between the left and right wing, trying hard to score votes and public approval. Both sides try and control the crowd in the middle of the board in order to give themselves a tactical advantage. It comes to show how politics can manipulate crowds, or the decisions of the public in order to thrive. Furthermore, there is always going to be a debate between the parties, without a settlement or peace negotiation to end the ongoing bickering.

Design Process & Thought Process

Iterative Design

First and foremost, the two main colors I used for the game’s board design is red and blue. Of course, this reflects upon the democratic and republican parties. At first, the board was completely plain, but I wanted to figure out a way that I can better differentiate both sides. Below you can observe the before and after board design I touched upon. I like simplistic designs for my games. I wanted to find a balance between color and simplicity, going back to what I was saying on differentiating both sides.

Next, another design consideration I had to take was where the marble was going to be placed. This had to be some kind of launching area for the players to determine angles before firing. I didn’t want to make the launch area too small, restricting movement. Additionally, I didn’t want to make the launch zone too big, or else it would be too easy to launch across the board. In order for the marble to sit comfortably without rolling around, I poked a multitude of holes in the launch zone so players wouldn’t have to worry about keeping the marble perfectly steady.

Lastly, the sticks used to hit the ball are identified by a color, in which both sides can use their respected stick.

Game Mechanics

The first main mechanic in the game are the three goals of your opponent. These goals replaced the ballot boxes that I first initially used during the early prototype. The ballot boxes were originally point indicators, as the first player to knock over all three ballot boxes one the game. The problem with that was, it was easy to knock over all three ballot boxes at once. This made the game too easy to end quickly, not letting the other player have a chance. So instead, I added three holes that act as the goals.

This way, players are instructed to get all three of their balls into the goals. This mechanic allows for a slower-paced gameplay which is more forgiving.

The second essential mechanic of the game are the hitting sticks. I’ve talked about them already in the iterative design, but they serve as good launch options for the marbles. Originally, I thought about making the launch mechanic as a rubber band, but I soon came to find how it would be confusing to implement that into my board design. There would not be enough room to fit a rubber band onto the board, so instead I made the game more like knock hockey.

Player Goals

The task of this game is to get all three of your marbles into the opponents’ goals. There are three goals for three marbles, and players can inhibit progression by moving the pegs around in order to block an open goal. Each turn a player takes is a hit of their marble, followed by a spin of the wheel. The wheel will determine how many pegs the player can move to block the incoming marbles. When a goal is occupied by a marble, it can’t be altered, and that is considered to be a point. The game ends by the first person to score all three goals occupied by a separate marble.

Gameplay Sequence

Here are some of the gameplay sequences I have captured.

One of the players scored a point, shown by this other picture. Since this goal is occupied by a marble, the player who scored would keep that marble there and move onto their next one.

Game Board & Components

The game board is another simple design yet complicated at the same time. There are many things to consider during the construction. For example, I made sure that the corners of the board had borders so that the marble wouldn’t get stuck. The board itself had to be relatively long, so that the marble would have some travel time.

Certain measurements had to be taken into consideration, in order for both sides to be equal. This included where the launch zone would be located, as well as the middle placement of the pegs. Everything had to be measured, which would ensure that both sides have equal advantage. For example, If the middle pegs of the board would gravitate towards one side, then the other side would have smaller room.

Here is what the game looks like setup:

Another component I haven’t touched upon was the spinner mechanic. This adds a luck factor to the game about skill, blending the two categories together nicely. This way, players can anticipate the number of pegs they will be able to move after they hit the ball. The spinner is simple in design, which I usually tend to keep simple. If the design of the spinner were too complicated, it could make the numbers harder to read. Perhaps if I were to take this game to a final revision, I could add some color to the spinner.

Rulebook & Playtesting

Playtesting Notes

1. What questions did your players have? 
   • Players asked if the ball is allowed to ricochet off of the walls. This is unspecified in the rules, so it makes sense that this would be a valid question. Next, players wondered about if they had to move the maximum number of pegs. One of the players spun the wheel after their turn and got a 5, and they wondered if they have to use all 5 movement opportunities. Lastly, another question they had was based on an unspecified situation of hitting one of your own ballot boxes. The ball could ricochet back and hit your own boxes, so I will have to think of a way around that.
2. How quickly did they learn to play? 
   • Players learned fairly quickly. The rules are simple, and the gameplay is very straight forward. After answering the questions they had about the rules, players were able to understand the game fully.
3. What kinds of interactions did the players have?  
   • The players interacted directly with each other. Moving the pegs around made some interesting interaction, as players strategized what peg placement would benefit them while giving the other side a disadvantage. Furthermore, while a player would aim toward the other player’s ballot boxes, there was some tension arising on whether the peg placement was efficient.
4. What confused players? 
   • Mostly just unspecified rules, which I ended up having to answer for them. These unspecified rules were discussed in what questions players asked, but another confusion was if they were allowed to hit multiple ballot boxes. One of the players made the interesting point that if more than one ballot box is knocked over during a turn, maybe the player can choose which ballot box to knock over. Of course, this is something else that will need clarified in the rules. There can be turns in which all three ballot boxes can be knocked over, ending the game in one turn.
5. What made players excited? 
   • Most of the excitement came from spinning the wheel or getting bank shots. The wheel is luck-based, so excitement derived from whether players were going to spin on a big number. The bank shots were hype, as players not only got the ricochet but bypassed the pegs in the middle of the board.
6. What did your players enjoy doing? 
   • Players enjoyed hitting the ball with the popsicle stick. It reminded them of knock hockey, using sticks to hit the puck to the other side of the board.
7. Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? 
   • The only thing that mainly concerned players was the fact that there was no net to catch the marble after hitting the ballot boxes. This is something I’m surprised I haven’t thought of, but as players started hitting the ball, it flew off of the board.
8. What is your plan to address player questions. Confusion and frustration?
   • In order to address most of the confusion and frustration, I will have to make some clarifications in the rules. Most things that confused the players were not touched upon in the ruleset, so it wouldn’t hurt to make the necessary clarifications. Although I will probably end up dealing with the ballot boxes, whether it is adding a net or completely revamping the mechanic.

Game Reflections

I think that with most of my games, there can still be clarifications to be had. There were still small questions that I haven’t even thought about that could be covered in a future iteration of this game. The development of this game had me focus on combining luck and skill, such as hitting the ball combined with spinning the wheel for movement opportunities. However, I’ve come to realize design flaws within the board, which could be fixed in the future. An example of this “design flaw” could be the middle pegs, which are hard to pull in and out of the cardboard. Refining this game can really shape it up, and next time I will make sure to pay attention to more intricate details which will optimize the playing experience.

Summary: For the week of  Monday April 14th – Monday April 21st 2025, which is considerably the week before Easter Sunday, and the Monday after – Eight little plastic bunnies of various colors were hidden in eight different buildings across the campus of Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA. Various Instagram Posts were made on the account “What_The_DucDuck” that stated the concept of the game, as well as rules, hints, and photos portraying the “finders” of the bunnies. Each day from April 14th, to April 17th, 1-3 Bunnies were hidden and a hint was provided. Each “finder” who found a bunny had their name put onto a slip for a chance to win an Easter basket that had a mason jar of ducks, candy, and stickers. (There was no class Friday the 18th, and the prize was awarded April 21st) 

Primary Audience: Anyone who followed the account “What_The_DuckDuck” could join in on the game. Even people who did not follow the account could participate, but many who found out about the game at a later time from hearing about it, did end up following the account regardless. *Anyone ages 5+ can play the game, it just requires knowing the campus, and being able to understand the hints*

Design and Thought Process 

Iterative Design: There was not much involved in terms of a design process, most photos used were taken on the spot, but the beginning photos with the bunnies to announce the game was a simple set up on a table with jelly beans. The rest of the posts just used different colors of bubble lettering provided by instagram, and finding music to add to the video was by search. The plan for the post’s design was to remain simple, fun, and light hearted. 

Game Mechanics: The mechanics were simple for the ‘finders” but the process of hiding the bunnies creatively was a challenge. For the people searching for the bunnies, all they needed to do was keep an eye out for any posts on the Instagram page, and then use the hints to generalize the area and possible place the bunny could be hidden. Each hint provided the name of the building, and a vague hint in the form of a statement of where the bunny could be inside of the building. Once the bunny was found, they could directly message the Instagram account, and it would be announced with their username that the bunny was found, and what building it was in. 

Player Goals: Find a little plastic bunny based on hints and clues, share that they found the bunny to Instagram, and get their name put into a drawing to win a prize.

Gameplay Sequence: In steps: 

1. Look out for what building a bunny is hidden in, and any of the clues provided 

2. Find the bunny (Players could find more than one if they wanted) 

3. Share that you found it to Instagram 

4. Players who find a bunny and share it get tagged in a post letting others know it has been found, and then have their name put into a drawing. 

5. After all the bunnies have been found, all names will be written on slips of paper and put into a bag, and randomly one will be picked to receive the prize

6. Player whose name was picked will receive the prize

Game Board and Components: Eight little plastic bunnies, an Instagram account to make posts, and a prize basket with candy, and goodies

Rulebook and Playtesting

Rulebook Sample: As there is no clear ruleset, besides the answer to the comments and post, here is a summarized version of the rules for clarity: 

1.) Eight Bunnies will be hidden in eight different buildings across campus from Monday to Thursday! After they a hidden, various clues and hints will be given for each bunny!

2.) Have sportsmanship! They are only plastic, and there is enough to go around!

3.) The bunnies will ONLY be hidden in places that are fully accessible, so no shops like Saxby’s or Romo’s!

4.) You can find more than one bunny to get your name put into the drawing more than once!

5.) Search high, low, below, and around! But please refrain from damaging or moving anything! BE RESPECTFUL!

6. Have so much fun! And be KIND!

Playtesting Notes: 

What Questions did players have? Players wanted more hints for the first bunny. I made it quite difficult, and they took two days to find it, which made me believe this would be a longer process than I had anticipated, so I hid them a little easier. 

How quickly did they learn to play? Hell hath no fury like a college student who wants cute bunnies and candy, they learned how to play very quickly, almost obsessing over the concept of the game, and drive to win a bunch of candy and goodies.

What kinds of interactions did the player have? Many people ended up teaming up into groups, running around campus quickly due to turning on notifications for the Instagram account, so each time I made a post, many would be on top of searching for bunny, many times even minutes after it was hidden.

What confused Players? The factor of one of the rules being that the bunnies will only be hidden in places that stay open. Many reached out worried a bunny was in Saxby’s, concerned that it was closed and they would have to try again later, they were all assured it would be hidden and easily accessible. Of course I messed up this rule by putting one in the Nicholson basement, but you can read above how that was resolved. 

What made players excited? The ducks have been very popular, and now that there was a new animal, and new colors, players were on the hunt pretty obsessively about finding them. Many even made comments on the posts like “I needed this” or “This is my whole life this week” I think the excitement of not knowing where something is, and hunting for it in order to have a chance to win a prize makes people really happy and have fun.

What did your players enjoy doing? Hunting for the bunnies for sure! When I met with some of the “finders” afterward, many commented that they enjoyed the unknowingness of when another bunny hint would drop, so they were always on their toes!

Did any aspect of the game frustrate players? I think there’s always an aspect of frustration when players don’t win the final prize. But I also observed that many players who didn’t find bunnies would be a bit disappointed if they didn’t find a bunny in time. 

** The very last bunny was hidden with me, as I wanted to end the game by being able to ask some of the players what they thought, besides the comments and DMs I would receive. It ended up being really helpful for future insight to receive this feedback directly!**

Game Reflections: As a person who has placed over 35.000+ ducks across campus for the last two years, I really enjoyed this instance where I would be able to interact with the public and people who have been following the account for some time. It was really fun to have a bit of control and guidance directly with people, by means of encouraging them to keep looking, and congratulating them for finding bunnies. I definitely want to do this again! I did run into some issues that I think I will try to prevent in the next iteration of this concept, and I would like to share what I experienced in simplified points:

1. Be 100% sure that places you are hiding bunnies/anything is fully accessible 24/7. I hid a bunny in the Nicholson basement and I did not know the basement closes at midnight. It did cause some issues for players, with a few getting upset. Due to this, I ended up hiding eight bunnies instead of seven to make up for the mistake. 

2. Stress the importance of sportsmanship. Though I shouldn’t have to, some people who played the game became very difficult with other players upsetting them. For this instance, one “finder” hid from other players that the bunny was found by them – wasting others’ time. 

3. Have prizes for people who do find bunnies, but don’t win the final prize drawing. I had a group who found six of the eight bunnies, and I ended up giving them a bunch of ducks and stickers since they all worked so hard. I think it would be good to stress that even if they don’t win the big prize, they will still get an award. 

I do plan to do this again! I really enjoyed this experience!!

Recently, the Elder Scrolls got an update of Oblivion: Remastered, developed by Virtuos and Bethesda Game Studios and I thought I would talk about it a little bit and give it a review.

Some back story, Oblivion OG released in 2006 and was a huge hit, especially in my family. The graphics and game play were great especially with the open world concept that it followed. Yes, Oblivion may be known for its hilarious glitches, limited voice acting (even over recorded lines that weren’t clipped lol) , and their now-a-days not so great quality ( the green hue that you see in the game) but The Elder Scrolls series is something unmatched, and hearing that they were remastering one of the best games in the series got a lot of the fan base excited and nervous. It was one of the first games I fell in love with on the PS3 and XBOX 360, so I am eagerly writing this review.

Honestly, Bethesda is known to push back dates, very often. There have been rumors of an Elder Scrolls 6 since 2014, and they rarely talk about it. But when they shadow dropped Oblivion Remastered, the whole world had officially shifted its gaze back to our good old Oblivion. Bethesda released a statement talking about how much they wanted to keep so much of the game, but bring it up to todays standards of graphics, and it has truly lived up to it. They have kept all original dialog, voice actors, storylines and so much more which has made people thrilled to keep going back in for more. If you haven’t played the original, I can honestly say (even though I love modded OG Oblivion) you don’t have to worry about playing the OG first, its all, and more in the remastering. And yes.. a majority of the game still has it’s glitches (thank you Bethesda I feel right at home hehe).

Bethesda and Virtuos collabed in 2021 to use Unreal Engine 5 to update only a bit of the game play, but a majority of the graphics. The landscapes are not even compared to Skyrim’s anymore (which honestly hurts to say, but needed to be said.) they are beautiful, the water, animals, and people are so much more life like now, it’s good that they’ve gotten the love they’ve so deserved.

I haven’t played enough through the remaster to tell you everything, but I can tell you that it has a whole new life to it that gives goose bumps down your arms feeling not only at home, but a new love put into it.

Highly rated 10/10 game, please go buy it if you haven’t and if you love fantasy based games like me, and if anyone has play through it more than I have please put your input in the comments!! I would love to hear more thoughts about how others feel.

“go back to the chess club” -todd howard

You pick up a card and depending on that cards color, you make a joke. If someone laughs at it you get a point.

A lot of people are looking jokes up or asking chat GPT. Someone asked if they could pick what one you wanted to do instead of just randomly picking them from a pile. Rounds take a minute because people need to look them up. Maybe have a sheet with a bunch of jokes on them for people to pick based on the category. Someone made a joke and no one laughed and then i said something about his bad joke and someone laughed. Maybe you can have a system where you can steal a joke like that.

What was the most frustrating part of what you just played? The most frustrating part was how I was not witty enough to come up with a joke on the spot and had to look one up.

What was your favorite moment? My favorite moment was when someone told a good joke that made everyone laugh.

Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? No not at all.

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change one thing what would it be? I would probably make it so that you can pick whatever kind of joke you wanted instead of randomly picking a category and not being ready to make a joke for that.

What should be improved with the next version? For sure it would be to make it so that you can pick your category.

Describe the game in 3 words. Funny, Witty, and Suspenseful .

Overall this was a very cool game idea and was very fun to play!!