Play, Analyze, and Ideate

8.27 Week 1 – What Makes a Good Game?

Discuss: Syllabus, gamifying grades, and good games
Play: Flux
Homework: 5 game ideas that can take place on campus
Read: Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 1
Question Set 1
1. In your opinion what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?
2. List the games you’ve played and currently play.
3. 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?
4. When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic?
5. Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?
Optional Scan: Rules of Play: chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on flux to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using no more than three sentences for each idea
Discuss: The magic circle, and game pacing
Play: Love Letter, Gloom Munchkin, Munchkin, Bang
Homework: 5 game ideas that can be played using cards
Read: Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 2
- Question Set 1
  1. What Mechanics would you like to use for a game with a theme that revolves around being the size of a nanometer?
  2. Who are you making games for?
  3. Who will be your play testers outside of class?
- Question Set 2
  1. Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules?
  2. How do you define what a game is?
  3. What features can make your games more intuitive?
- Question Set 3
  1. What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming?
  2. What features do gateway games share?
  3. What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for with your own?
  4. How does luck and strategy factor in to game play?

Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Munchkin, and Bang to the class blog
In class present top 1 ideas in class in Haiku
Discuss: Intuitive play, chance and mechanics
Discuss: Competition vs Collaboration
Play: Pandemic, Tokaido, 8 Minute Empire, Argument, Hanabi, Forbidden Island
Homework: 5 game ideas that involve collaboration use the following formate : [Game name] is a [category of] game in which [the players or their avatars] [do or compete or collaborate for some goal] by [using tools the game provides them].

Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on games played to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using the single sentence formula
Discuss: Writing Rules and Play Testing
Play: Carcassonne, Dominion, Photosynthesis, Takenoko
Homework: 5 game ideas that revolve around a single theme of of your choice. if your theme is time traveling ducks, then all five ideas need to be different games that utilize the same time traveling ducks theme any idea off theme will not earn a point. continue to follow the idea formatting rule.
Homework: begin writing rules for at least 1 of your top ideas
- Rules must include:
  - Setup
  - Objective(s)
  - Actions players take
  - Ending the game (win, lose states)
  - Examples

Before classpost all 5 ideas and thoughts on Carcassonne, Dominion, Photosynthesis, Takenoko to the class blog
- Due: first draft of your 2 rule sets
- Due: Student Presentation Proposal
In class present top 2 ideas using either 1 sentence or Haiku
- Begin to Prototype 1 idea
Play: Settlers of Catan, Splendor, Bonanza
Homework: 5 game ideas that revolve around the theme of collecting
- Continue work on Prototype 1

Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Settlers of Catan, Splendor and Bonanza to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using no more than 1 sentence
- Finalize Prototype 1
- Begin testing first rule set
- Choose 2 additional ideas to prototype
Homework: Begin Prototype 2

Play: Begin testing 3rd prototype
Read: Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 3
Question Set 1
- what is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?
- what commonly occurs during the game development process?
- what are the challenges of balancing a game?
- what should every player of your game believe? why?
- how can you avoid stealing players fun?
- what 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules?
Question Set 2
- how has play testing changed your game?
- who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game?
- who is the audience for your game?
- who should play test your game outside of class?
Homework: Continue testing 3rd Prototype with players from outside of class

Discuss: Making / buying game pieces
In class: In teams of two, collaborate on rules and materials for a two player game.
Homework: Begin refining prototype with higher quality materials and craftsmanship

Studio time to refine prototypes and do any additional play testing
Read: Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 4
Question Set 1
- What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?
- What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail?
- What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu?
- What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game?
- Where might you pitch your game?
- What do publishers look for in a game?
- What makes a good set of Rules?
Question Set 2
- Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 200 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s outline.