First, you have to get the magic circle (everything within) to make sense to all the players. The magic circle is a place of fantasy and dreams and an escape from everyday life. The most important aspect of the theory is that the experience you have with fantasy and games still comes with you to the real world. Inside the magic circle is dedicated to performance and then an end, and only works if everyone agrees on the rules. So, to sum it up, rules that make sense with the game and to the players is one aspect of a good game. You have to get people to agree with these magic worlds and take something away from it after. Then you have to take into account the 3 acts of gameplay/making.
First act: sets the stage for conflict. Helps players understand the rules and enter act 2 with confidence
Act two: players will begin to struggle and fight for victory. Players are actively opposing each other or the game itself. excitement arises from not knowing who’s going to win.
Act three: when players begin to push for victory. Players will begin to realise who has the upper hand. This is from the actions in act two.
You want the players to not only get through all 3 acts, but be excited while doing it. In games, a mechanic is whatever allows the game to play out and function.
Mechanics are abstract means to play, but not the motivation to play them. All of the mechanics must make sense and not leave players wondering how any part of the game works. These rules must be clear for everyone in the age-range of your game. You should be able to describe your game in one sentence, and at very most three.
1.game name and category of game
2. What are the players doing and by using what tools
Including both strategy and luck into your game is also a sure way to keep players interested and make your game more enticing for new players. In addition, there must be a clear objective for the game, that is, the players must openly know what they’re aiming for and what path it takes to get there. Though it might be obvious, games must have constraints (rules) so that there isn’t chaos and free-gameplay. These constraints are key to making a game competitive and fun. Depending on the game, convincing storylines/characters are also important for the game to make sense.
Tsuro review
Tsuro is a game where players have 3 tiles in their hand at all times and play the tiles in order to move their pawn, however, if you run into someone else or your tile leads you to the end of the board, you are killed and the remaining players continue to battle it out.
collection game ideas
1. Chef’s Kiss is a game where each player picks 3 cards from the recipe deck, which will become their goal for the rest of the game. Each recipe card has listed ingredients to make the dish. The game board is set up similarly to Life, where you travel the board and try to land on grocery stores that sell the ingredients you’re looking for. First to have all the ingredients to their 3 recipes win.
2. This virtual reality based game uses the camera on your phone to show you objects to hunt for. On the phone are displayed hints of where these objects are hidden. Once all the objects have been collected, you then move on to the next level.
3. Six or more players are needed for this game. Players start the game with $3500 in game dollars. These initial dollars are used to bid on the 365 days of the year. The goal is to collect the most days of the year. After each day is bought, these players “own” their days and create rules and celebrations for each day that all players must follow. Collect the most days of the year to have an advantage and win the game!
4. This is a card game where one player lays a card down, and if this card is a club, the player who drew it takes the card. If the card flipped is not a club, then nothing happens and the turn is over. When the next club is drawn, that player takes every card below the club, as well as the club. Once the deck is gone, whoever has the most cards win.
5. This is a two player game where you split half the deck between each player. There are then 4 chips that represent each ace in the decks. Each turn, the players flip a card from their own deck and the higher card takes both cards flipped. This is continued until an ace is flipped. When an ace is flipped, that player takes a chip. The goal is to collect all 4 aces.
Rules for 2 games
Trick Shot:
Description: Trickshot is a game where the players compete to master trick shots into solo cups with ping-pong balls. Using the Throw Booklet (which also has visuals on how to perform each throw), players can choose between preforming a beginner, intermediate, or advanced throw. They have 3 practice shots before the big performance. If performed correctly and accurately, the player is awarded with 1, 2, or 3 points respectively. The player at the end of the game with the most points wins.
Materials:
6 solo cups
3 ping pong balls
water
6 “throw” booklets
Rules:
- Players have 3 practice shots before shot that counts
- Once a level/throw are decided, it cannot be changed
- Elbows cannot go over the end of the table
- arrange the cups in a 3-2-1 formation, forming a triangle
How to play: First person to have turned 21 goes first. From here, rotate clockwise. Distribute throw booklets to players. First player chooses a throw to complete, and, if completed successfully, they receive the respective amount of points. To classify your throw as a success, the ball must go in, and stay in, the cup. The goal is to either successfully compete all throws, between the 3 levels, or have he highest amount of points by the end of the game. At the end of the players turn, they return the ball to the table and it is now the next persons turn.
Can You See It?:
Description: Can You See It is a game where players try and decipher color while the lighting around them changes. The text on the cards are written in colors that correspond to each color on the led light strip that is provided. This is a speed game where the first to successfully read their card and complete the task wins a point. The first to 10 points wins.
Materials:
task cards
1 led light strip
score card
Rules:
- Each player picks a different card and has to complete the specific task on their card.
- the first to complete the correct task accurately gets one point
How to play: Person with the worst eye sight goes first (discuss amongst yourselves) and goes clockwise from there. The player who is up picks a color from the led light strip, this is the coordinating card color that everyone picks up. Once the led light is on, everyone simultaneously looks at their card and tries to decipher what it says. The first person o read and complete their cards task gets a point.
Nanobot Battle Arena review
The goal of this game is to get the most nanobots and to sabotage your opponents nanobots. The card you pick at the beginning of the game dictates what “special power” you have throughout the game. The cards you play determine what move you can make. This is definitely a strategy game, although you can still play though using a “Safe way”. The goal is to cut off opponents chains to limit how many points they get. In this game, you don’t reach act 3 at the very end, but instead, you reach this act when you feel experienced and confident enough with the game and your strategy while playing.
5 games about loss
1) In this game, people start the game with 10 “virus” tokens, and gradually either get more or get rid of the tokens based on the prompt given on the card.
2) This D&D type game gives the players a chance to create their own reality leading up to them finding their way out of the enchanted forest.
3)Lost Dog is a problem solving game for children where they interpret clues to return a lost dog back to its owner.
4) Lose Yourself is an Eminem based trivia game with fact checks and questions about the rapper and his past.
5)Lost Cause is a game in which players compete to be the biggest pain in the butt, fighting over Misfit cards and trying to be the most destructive player.
Hanabi
Hanabi uses a regular deck of cards, but the twist is that you cannot see your hand of cards. Instead, everyone else can see your deck and as a team you must work together to “build” fireworks with less than 3 mistakes. Once you reach 3 mistakes a bomb goes off, and the game is over. As a team, you have to build 5 fireworks in correct sequence and color. This game heavily relies on teamwork, and without it, the game is impossible. This game also relies on honesty and integrity to follow the rules collectively. Overall, I liked this game since you never know what card your teammate may play, which always keeps you on your toes. To keep the game fair, its crucial to avoid “subtle” gestures hinting to other players what card they should lay, discard, etc.
Five 1-sentence game ideas
- Trick Shot is a game where everyone competes to see who can successfully make trick shots into cups, using only a plastic ball and a booklet filled with shots and visual instructions ranging from beginner to advanced.
- In Gotcha, players have 3 opportunities to “give” their roll of the die to another player, forcing them to move forwards or backwards the number of spaces chosen by the other player.
- Role Play is a continuous game that can be played casually or hardcore throughout the whole night as everyone acts out characters/roles from whatever movie or tv show the card they pick shows.
- No Words is a game where everyone picks a card in the beginning which tells them what words they cannot say throughout the game, then as the group picks cards that tell them what to do, describe, or act out, you are in charge of calling out fellow teammates for using their forbidden words.
- One person hides an object (specified) object in the room then the players all roll the dice which decided how many moves they have to find the hidden object.
week 2 game ideas
1- This one is a loose idea because I don’t know as much as I would like to about astrology, but I think it would be a cool topic to have a card game about. So every player is playing as their zodiac sign, and there are certain cards to pick from for all zodiac signs. When you pick a card each turn, it has a challenge on it based on your zodiac sign and their traits.
2-use a standard deck of cards and give one to each player. you have to pass your card to the person to your right. if you get a lower card than your original, you have to pick another card up (then youd have 2) keep doing this until the deck is gone. whoever has the most cards loses.
3-The cards are standard, except all white (no text) and laminated so you can write on them with expo markers. The players will write a dare, task, or challenge on the card. every turn the players pick a card and have to do what the card says. each player gets 3 chips and a chip is taken away when a dare is refused.
4-This is a variation of idea 3, with the same expo cards, except the players are divided into 2 groups. one group draws an image on a card and the other writes a saying on theirs. the cards are shuffled and, as a group, everyone judges which picture and saying are funniest when combined. Both of these players get a point. establish a winning number of points and when someone reaches it, they win.
5. everyone gets 7 cards. The goal of the game is to get every other card within the same suit. Each turn you pick up a card and the discard one. Your score once someone wins is based on your remaining hand. 10 points for all number card, 20 for face and aces.
Starfluxx review
Before last class, I had never played starfluxx before, so the first step was learning the rules. Half of my group had already played before, which sped up the game explanation. The basic rules were ‘draw one, play one’. Act 1 of us playing this game consisted of confusion, mess ups and rulebook referrals. Through this stage, we were all getting the hang of it and understanding the game basics. In act 2, we further understand the game and it got more competitive. In act 3 we knew what we were doing enough to actually try and plan how to win. We are able to figure out game strategies. The winner of the game is ultimately the only one to fully experience act 3, in this game at least. I think this game is half luck and half strategy.
Patently stupid review
In terms of this game vs other Jackbox games I’ve played, I would say I’m a little underwhelmed. The idea of the game is to use a prompt (worded by another player) and draw an invention on your device that would solve the hypothetical problem. It sticks with a constant shape and color theme, which makes the game easier to understand and flow. The idea isn’t too original, and I would probably have liked it more if you drew for your own prompt. Another thing I noticed was how the automated voice had to repeat the prompt before every invention is shown. This is very repetitive, so maybe if they created more options for the computer voice or took that feature out all together. Usually Jackbox games are so original but this one seems a bit repetitive. I liked, however, how eight people can play at a time.