Game Lab.... YAH BOI!

Oh how I love game labs; especially the video game ones. I played some really interesting and relatively simple games that I probably wouldn't have played otherwise. The first one that I tried was, You Have to Burn the Rope. This was probably one of the easiest games I have ever played. This 2D plat-former begins in a tunnel where the designers have laid out instructions for the entire level. There is nothing to really discover. The hints tell you right off the bat that there is a boss in the next room, you can't kill him with weapons, and "you must burn the rope above" to destroy him. The only thing that isn't immediately obvious is how you will attain the fire. But this becomes clear as soon as you enter the room and jump up the wall, automatically picking up fire as you pass a torch. Your character is guided to success every step of the way, but the game is still insanely entertaining. Which is why I think the game serves more as a commentary on how difficult video games have become. The game doesn't need to require 3 months of your life to be beatable, and rewarding, and fun. You can get that same sense of satisfaction from a 1 minute game, especially when the credit song is twice as long as the game and its lyrics stroke your ego.

Eighty percent of the elephants died to gale force winds.

So, like the first game, This is the Only Level, had well... only one level. And much like my first game, was also relatively straight forward. You have an elephant, some platforms, a door mechanism controlled by a giant button, and a pipe/finishline. Each time you run your little elephant through that pipe, you get that warm feeling of accomplishment, YAY, I don't suck at everything! After that round screen ends, you confronted with the same level, but with new rules for how you must complete it. THIS made the game extremely interesting. I would have never though that there were so many ways to run that stupid little elephant through the same fricken level! I would be lying if I said I didn't have to watch the walk-through to figure out how to complete a couple of the rounds. Despite this, the game was still very similar to You Have to Burn the Rope; very simple, fun, and rewarding.

Not all the games I played were lighthearted and fun though. A couple of them were actually quite intense and disturbing. Playing Judith, for example, was a sickening experience. The story follows a couple that is having an affair (I say story because Judith has a very rigid narrative.) You play as an unfaithful husband who is secretly meeting his lover Emily; she just so happens to also be unfaithful. In a nutshell, you enter an abandoned castle, search for Emily who has gone missing, experience the gruesome revelations of the previous woman of the castle, watch her husband turn on her, and finally discover Emily locked in the same room the husband locked his wife in years prior. Phew, that is as simple as I can get it. This game.. is... creepy... as hell. You explore the abandoned castle in the first person. Each time you find something new, a book out of place that opens a secret passage for example, you unlock another scene in this twisted tale. What I found most interesting about this game, was how difficult it was to figure out what to do next. I found the secret passage out of desperation, after realizing all the doors were locked and there was no place to go. I wanted out. The clock in the bedroom was ticking, the music was eerie, and this little 8-bit game was scaring the crap out of me. I watched on in horror as the story unfolded, constantly asking myself why I was still playing. Even after the game is over, I am still thinking about it. I would say, that makes it a pretty successful game.

Canabalt was also an adrenaline pumping game. Although not as scary, I found myself still holding my breath as I drove the character over a cliff, hoping I wouldn't stumble on an air conditioning unit this time, hoping I could escape farther than I had last time. I didn't even know what I was running from and I still felt compelled to replay, over and over, until I felt I had run this guy as far as I could. I think the fact that there was no back story, added to the urgency of this game. WHAT WAS I RUNNING FROM? WHY WAS I ON A ROOF, AND WHO THE HELL LEAVES OFFICE CHAIRS ON TOP OF A SKY SCRAPER?! Yes.. caps were necessary... shhh. Oh while I'm on the topic of running....

Collapsing from shear finger exhaustion #YOLO 

QWOP!!! Everyone sucks at QWOP their 1st, 10th, and 100th time; that's a given. Controlling the calves with the O and P keys, and the thighs with the Q and W, you are tasked with getting an under-privileged, third world country Olympian to the finishline of the 100m dash. This is hard as hell! I have probably devoted a good 5 hours of my life to this game, and oddly enough, I find that I only do well when I am intoxicated. My best distance was about 75m which of course I am pretty happy with. I didn't feel like getting drunk today, so 23.8 was my best distance of the day. The BEST element of this game is the music! You could play this game a bunch of times before you ever move your runner fast enough to realize that the song, "Chariots of Fire," plays when you maintain a constant speed. OMG I about died when I realized this; SO EPIC.
So yes, I look forward to more game labs! If you ever want to challenge me to a QWOP-off, give me 45 minutes to get drunk enough, and I will show you how its done.

Word Worm: the Epic Grammatical Adventure!

My paper prototype of, Word Worm, the fast-paced word game, has developed a LOT over the past few weeks. This game has evolved drastically from a "shout out" free for all, to a refined, 2-4 player race to the end card game *cough* that's my core mechanic *cough*. Originally, to play the game, you needed the numbered probability tokens from Settlers of Catan. My first play session with Allie revealed that using these tokens was moderately restrictive. By removing the tokens and incorporating different types of cards instead, I was able to create thousands of card combinations that Word Worm's earliest version was lacking.
So let me back up here to break down the components of my game.

The Objective:

To eat your apples before the other worms eat theirs.

How the Game Works:

1) To begin, pick a worm avatar and a type of apple.
2) The youngest player draws a Syntax card and reads the structure of the round aloud before play begins.
3) Players are awarded one point per correct answer. If their answer complies with the round's Modifier card, the player will also receive the extra points displayed on that card.
4) When the round ends, the used cards go to the discard pile, and play continues clockwise with the next player drawing a Syntax card.
5) For every 5 points the player earns, their worm is able to digest 1 of their 5 apples. After all 5 apples are devoured, the game ends, with the fullest worm the victor.

The components of Word Worm.

The Game Pieces:

*Worm cards - 4 unique worm personas (Avatars)
*Score cards - 4 types of apples, ex: red, green, golden delicious, fuji; etc. The score cards will consist of 5 apple cores of the same type (taped to a score card), and 5 whole, uneaten, delicious looking apples cut-outs of the same size.
*Apple cards - Categorizes! These are the meat of the game. The apple cards have a unique category written on the back.
*Letter cards - Indicates what letter the Apple responses must start with to be valid.
*Modifier cards - Typically optional, modifiers give the player additional perimeters for their answers that earn them extra points if followed.
*Syntax cards - Explains the round rules, including how many Apple, Modifier, and Letter cards are to be used. These cards keep the game interesting by constantly changing up the rules.
*One-Minute Timer - Some rounds end when the timer runs out (depends on the Syntax card instructions).
*Paper and Pencils - Writing utensils are required for some rounds as indicated by the Syntax card.

Super simple! Curious as to how Word Worm evolved into the number one game in America? (Just pretend for my sake D: ) Well check out my play log to get an idea of what rules and mechanics have been altered.

Play Log:

First Play Session - Creating the game with Allie

Original Rules:

0.0 - Roll to see who flips over the first token
1.0 - Player flips over token and play begins
2.0 - Players race to shout out a word that starts with the letter at the top of the token, has as many letters as the number in the center of the token and as many syllables as there are dots on the bottom of the token.
3.0 - The player that comes up with a correct word first, wins that token and adds it to their stash.
4.0 - If there are still tokens to be flipped over, the play continues clockwise starting with rule one.
5.0 - When all the tokens are gone, the player with the most wins.

(Play)


First Iteration:

Modify
2.1 - The player can choose to supply an answer with either the correct amount of syllables or number of letters.

(Play Continues)


Second Iteration:

Add
3.1 - Players that shout out incorrect answers forfeit one of their tokens to their opponent.
3.2 - The Settlers of Catan Robber is dubbed the Wizard, a piece that can be played to win steal tokens
3.3 - When a red 8 or 6 appears, player who wins that token receives the Wizard.

(Play Continues)


Third Iteration:

Modify
3.21 - The Wizard cannot steal a token, but instead protects your tokens from being stolen.

Add
3.4 - The Wizard can be stolen during any given red token round.

(Play Continues, Lab Ends)

What Needs Improvement?
Too much repetition, add a mechanic that changes it up.
Rigid play, find a why to increase combinations of characters, letters, and syllables.
Give players more time to think up answers.

Second Play Session - At home with my boyfriend and dad

To address the areas that needed improvement, tokens were swapped out for cards. The Wizard was removed from the game entirely, and focus shifted toward Worm theme instead.
Result: Different, yet similar rules and objective.

New Refined Rules:

0.0 - Pick a worm avatar and an apple themed score card, youngest play starts first.
1.0 - Draw a Syntax card to determine rules of the round, as well as how many of each card type needs to be in play.

The four worm avatars of Word Worm.

2.0 - Follow the direction accordingly until round ends as indicated on the Syntax card.
3.0 - Talley your points when the round is over, removing an apple piece from your score card for every 8 points you earn.
4.0 - If no worm has finished eating all of his apples, the play continues clockwise starting with rule one.
5.0 - When someone has consumed all 5 of their apples, that player has won and the game is over.

(Play)


First Iteration:

Modify
3.1 - Players can remove an apple after 5 points are earned, down from 8.

Remove
In General - Several Modifier cards are removed because they do not work well with certain Syntax scenarios.

(Play Continues)


Second Iteration:

Add
In General - Variable Syntax cards added to include verbal rounds to accompany written.
In General - Different types of Modifier cards were added to award players for achievements (ie: Having a unique answer that is not shared by opponents, having the longest word, incorporating consecutive consonants or vowels

(Play Continues)

What Needs Improvement?
Technical categories are challenging for some players; incorporating more playful ones could make it more fun.
Pulling the theme together by possibly tying in avatars with fun avatar specific syntax cards.


Monday's Paper Prototype Official Play Session - With Morgan and Cat

Final Rules:

0.0 - Pick a worm avatar and an apple themed score card, youngest play starts first.
1.0 - Draw a Syntax card to determine rules of the round, as well as how many of each card type needs to be in play; read out loud before play begins.
2.0 - Follow the direction accordingly and play until round ends as indicated on the Syntax card.
3.0 - Talley your points when the round is over, removing an apple piece from your score card for every 5 points you earn.
4.0 - If no worm has finished eating all of his apples, the play continues clockwise starting with rule 1.0.
5.0 - When someone has consumed all 5 of their apples, that player has won and the game is over.

(10min of Play)

Analysis:
It really helped to play my game with Morgan and Cat; two people who had never played my first version. They found the Syntax cards to be interesting and enjoyed the constantly changing style of play. I discovered that we all had varying degrees of word proficiency, and that this definitely affected play. I will swap my 1 minute timer out for a 3 minute one, and add easier categories to ensure all players are accommodated. Some of the cards weren't as cohesive as I would have liked, so I will remove the modifiers that can't be applied to ALL Syntax cards, and replace them with more ambiguous ones.

Conclusion:
Overall, I am please with how my game turned out; it was fun, interesting, engaging, and challenging. I will make the changes necessary to improve it further, and apply the method of iteration to all of my future game design endeavors.