Jason’s Blog

SUMMARY

Role

UI/Heads Up Display

Intention (SMART Goal)

By May 10th, as the UI/HUD person for Team 3, I will identify the positive and negative feedback systems for our game, and I will use the Rules of Play book by Salen and Zimmerman to help me make this project for the community game challenge.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Danny Richardson

Has worked with Retro Studios on all 3 Metroid Prime games where he was responsible for the look of the visor and heads-up interface for Metroid.

Training Source(s)

https://www.toptal.com/designers/gui/game-ui

(paragraph)

1. In only 12 years the game industry has transformed (2)
2. UI elements help make a game worth playing (3)
3. Some common UI components help navigate, find information, and accomplish goals (4)
4. Two concepts vital to game design, narrative and the fourth wall (4)
5. The narrative is the story the game tells (4)
6. The fourth wall is the imaginary barrier between the player and the space in the games take place in (4)
7. The narrative and the fourth wall provide two questions, “Does the component exist in the game story?” and “Does the component exist in the game space?” (4)
8. Four classes, non-diegetic, diegetic, spatial, and meta (4)
9. “Classifying video game UI components isn’t always cut and dry. A life meter may be diegetic in one game but non-diegetic in another.” (14)
10. “Depending on a game’s narrative and its players’ relationship to the fourth wall, components may blur the line between classes. Likewise, an infinite range of visual styles and configurations can be applied to components according to a game’s art direction.” (14)

Project Timeline

March 21-22 – Brainstorm game

March 23 – SMART goal

March 24 – GDD and pitch

March 28-31 – Work on the game and update Trello

April 1 – MVP

April 11-15 – Production and skills

Continue working on the game

Proposed Budget

No costs

The deadline is May 10th

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

Helping Out

Skills Commentary

Slideshow

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

I was the UI/Heads Up person. I technically don’t have any evidence all I did was code and help out with other roles like level and character design because it was going a bit slow so since we don’t have much of a game I don’t have the right evidence.

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

Our team ran into many problems with the scaling of the resolution and the size of the sprites. To solve this I changed the viewport scaling so that no matter how big the layout is I can just show only what I want the player to see. This is also the first time I have done a 2 player game, and we are actually the first team in our class to attempt to make a 2 player game. So we had to think of ways to make a 2 player game work with the space of a platformer game.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

Since the first session our team we have been getting better at communicating and working with one another. It makes it much easier since we have been a team for every session so we’re comfortable as teammates.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

I mainly used the Construct Forums to research and fix problems I encountered during working in Construct. There were also Youtube tutorials that were informative on 2 player game making.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

The skills that I developed in making this game will definitely make me a better game designer and if I’m a better game designer I can be a better worker in the future.

Reactions to the Final Version

“The background looks really good and matches the theme of the game”

-Vicky

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

Our game is definitely unfinished and unpolished. I think we had a unique and cool idea but it just didn’t show through our end product. It could have been much more but I think we focused too much on graphics and we had our priorities mixed up. But I appreciate that people were able to notice the work and time put into what was created and I’m also proud of what I made.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Editor

Haziel

SUMMARY

Role

UI/Heads Up Display

Main Coder

Intention (SMART Goal)

By March 2nd, my goal for Session 4, as the UI/Menus person for Team 3, is by reading the “Rules of Play” book, I’ll be able to make the player more interested in the game by being able to use the game information to define what’s known and not known to the player in a way that I want it to be conveyed.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Louis Auger (UI artist)

Works: Mass Effect Andromeda, Deus Ex, Assassin’s Creed 2

Training Source(s)

0:00 – What is UI?

1:20 – Benefit of HUD

1:35 – Gauges

2:48 – Previews

5:13 – UX

6:12 – Visual Hierarchy

7:06 – Three Reads

9:30 – Minimaps

11:20 – Readability and Understanding

13:45 – Conclusion

Project Timeline

1. Brainstorm ideas
2. Write down ideas
3. Discuss ideas with team
4. Plan project
5. Write storyboard
6. Present idea
7. Start Production
8. Work on project
9. Finish project
10. Create slideshow
11. Add evidence of work
12. Present slideshow

Proposed Budget

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The GAME Creation

Knight of Salvation

Skills Commentary

Feedback from Michelle, an Advisory member

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

We had a lot of level building problems because the tiles would not piece together the way we wanted them to, so I edited the tiles to make them look better when put together. I wanted to use mechanics that were popular in a lot of games, like enemies that shoot at you. So I was able to make an enemy shoot at the player when they were in range.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

I think our team was good at communicating with each other, after all, we have been working in the same team since Session 1. I would try to make it known how I would want things to look like and we discussed ideas on it.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

We used videos and picture references to work on our graphics and I used video tutorials to work on coding.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

I think working on this game will have helped me improve it next session and future games as well because this is the first dungeon crawler type of game I’ve worked on so it will be good for experience.

Reactions to the Final Version

“The game was well put together”

“good eye contact”

“I appreciate that you thanked me”

– Michelle (advisor)

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

The picture above, it shows how I made the player attack, since I was using the animation as its own sprite I had to make the slash hitbox its own sprite too. So I made a different sprite to represent the hitbox that would be created when left clicked.

The picture above shows something that I’ve experimented with for the first time. The turret. behavior, which will make objects rotate to aim at a target and shoot. I made an enemy that looked like a mushroom and would shoot spores at you but it would be rooted in place, like a turret.

Overall I think I played my part. But there were things that I was not able to add to the game, such as death animations for the enemies and the player. I was also supposed to create a flowchart and define what information is known to the player, information known to the game, and randomly generated information. Next session I will focus on getting those things done.

What I Learned and Problems I Solved

I learned how to use instance variables much better, this session was the first time I was able to use and understand boolean and string instance variables. I was able to use more behaviors like the turret and line of sight behavior. There were many tilemap problems but I was able to edit them to make it work. I will be able to use this experience for future sessions and it helps better my understanding of what makes a game.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Editor

Spencer

SUMMARY

Role

Main Coder

Intention (SMART Goal)

By January 28 as part of Team 3 in Game Design, I will learn a programming language or part of one like C# by following Unity’s Junior Programming pathway. I will have been able to create and understand my first piece of code for my Session 3 project.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Ed Boon

Training Source(s)

https://www.codecademy.com/

Project Timeline

For the first week or so we planned and came up with ideas for the game. Then we started production. We switched from Unity to Construct because we were having problems.

Proposed Budget

The budget is zero because we are using school resources that are free to students and websites that have no cost.

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

https://nguyenja.itch.io/session-3-game

Skills Commentary

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

During Session 3 we encountered many problems, especially with Unity. We were able to solve some by creating sprites that fit better with Unity but after a while, we switch to Construct. Since I haven’t made an RPG game yet on construct I didn’t have any experience working with animations but I figured it out by creating a different sprite version of the original character.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

We used Trello to plan out the work. We talked to each other if there were problems. We also had access to each other’s emails.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

We used youtube tutorials, images for reference, and Pixilart to create sprites and level designs.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

I was able to learn a lot of new skills during this session that will help in later sessions like animation and attacking and movement.

Reactions to the Final Version

“The enemy pathfinding was smooth” – Jacen

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

I think overall the game is good for how little time we had on it because we switched to construct very late. I think I can agree that the theme of the game goes well with the color palette.

What I Learned and Problems I Solved

Like I’ve said I learned how to create animations better and I figured out how to make enemy pathfinding and movement. I was able to make the slash animation for attacking by creating a new sprite with a hitbox that when collided with an enemy, the enemy takes damage.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Editor

Haziel

Cue

Notes

MDA stands for Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics Iterative, qualitative, and quantitative analyses help analyze end result to refine implementation and analyze implementation to refine end result MDA framework is a tool to help designers, researchers, and scholars MDA framework formalizes the consumption of games by breaking them into their distinct components. Some components are Rules, Systems, Fun. They also establish design counterparts, Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics. Mechanics – describes the particular components of the game, at the level of data representation and algorithms. Dynamics – describes the run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player inputs and each other’s outputs over time. Aesthetics – describes the desirable emotional response evoked in the player, when she interacts with the game system.

Summary

1. Unity Versions
2. Unity Hub
3. Unity Layout
4. Scene, Game View
5. Hierarchy
6. Inspector
7. Project Files
8. Controls
9. Toolbar
10. Game Objects
11. Components
12. Materials
13. Physics
14. Custom Components MonoBehavior
15. Unity 2D 3D
16. Scenes

SUMMARY

Role: Main Coder and Manager

Do the coding for the game. I also helped manage the team and figure out solutions for problems.

Intention (SMART Goal)

My goal is to learn how to effectively use code. I hope to have improved by the end of production. To meet this goal I should watch examples and tutorials to better understand how to simplify the code. After production, I should compare the current game to old games or builds I’ve made.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Jacob Minkoff

A game director at That’s No Moon that uses his technical and artistic knowledge to aid and direct teams.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobminkoff

Training Source(s)

https://www.construct.net/en/forum

I relied on the forums of construct because since I was using construct, it would be right to learn from other people who have experience with construct.

Project Timeline

1. Practice skills for production
2. Prepare for production
3. Propose ideas
4. Trello and communication
5. Use skills for product
6. Slideshow
7. Prepare to present

Proposed Budget

Zero dollars because I use the resources the school provides. As for time, it would take a month for each game.

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

NecroCity

Skills Commentary

Slideshow

This is a screenshot that shows some of the code I did for the game. Basically, this basically tells the game that every time a bullet collides with a zombie it will subtract 1 from its health and if the zombie’s health is zero then it will be destroyed/die. The other part of the code shows that when a zombie collides with the player then they will lose health and give the player invincibility before the next time they can be hit.

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

So when I would encounter problems in coding, I would try to experiment with the code and sometimes take a more complex approach to see if it would work and try to make it simpler.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

So other than coding, I also helped manage the team and communicate with one another.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

We kept all of our work in a google drive folder with subfolders so the work is split into groups and more accessible.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

It’s mainly just experience. Trial and error, that’s about it. I just try to improve on my mistakes.

Reactions to the Final Version

“Add more variety to the zombies and powerups” Robert

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

Well, I would say I’m satisfied with the final product. I achieved what I wanted to achieve, but it can always be improved.

What I Learned and Problems I Solved

At first, the game only had one zombie but I figured out a way to have multiple spawns of zombies and in turn, it became an infinite game which I think makes it more addicting than a game with an ending because an infinite game is more replayable. I think this will help me in future games because as a game I would find replayability important.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Editor

Haziel

Summary

Minecraft is a blocky world survival game. Where the player can break and places blocks.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the game	Minecraft
The platform	All platforms
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	Over 24 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I wouldn’t change anything about it
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	As many as you want but it can get very laggy
Does it need to be an exact number?	No
How does this affect play?	Well too many players cause a lot of lag
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.	It can vary from Single Player, PvE, and Free-for-all
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	The main goal is to beat the Ender Dragon but there are a lot of other things you should and can do
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).	Build
Rules/Mechanics	NOTES
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.	Progression of play
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	Depends on the platform but is similar to most games
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	Yes
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	Easy to understand
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	Basically every block or item in the game
How are they maintained during play?	Well some blocks or items have a use
What is their role?	They can be placed, mined, used for crafting, etc
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)	Objects
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	Your hotbar, health/hearts, hunger, everything in your line of sight
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.	Total information
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	There isn’t really an order but the first think most people do is mine a tree
How does play flow from one action to another?	Well after you mine a tree then you make wood planks then you make your first tools and you use those tools to get better tools or to get food or build shelter.
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.	Real-time
Player Interaction	Basically everything your player can touch
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.	Can be all
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	Yes
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	No
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	A little
Does it have emotional impacts?	No
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	No
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
What is the gameplay like?	It can be very slow and calm
Is it effective?	Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	Yes
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	It’s unique
Why this set of resources?	It makes the game more unique than other games
What if they made different decisions?	I think it would be worse
Does the design break down at any point?	Yes
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	Yes
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	Yes
What about sound?	Its good
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	No
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	You should always be prepared
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	Well usually I always carry a lot of resources when I go out so just be prepared
Is the game fair?	Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	Yes
What is the intended audience?	Can be any age
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

Summary

Rocket league is game where cars in teams of 1,2,3, or 4 go against each other in a game of soccer. In this game you can fly around with a car and try to score on the opponent.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the game	Rocket League
The platform	PC, PS, Xbox
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	Over 20 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I would change how to get items. it’s kinda hard to get items without paying money.
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	the most amount of players in one game is 8.
Does it need to be an exact number?	no but at least 2 players unless you’re in training
How does this affect play?	Well depending on how many players there are you may need to change the way you play to fit the flow
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.	Team competition
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	They try to score on the opponents net
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).	Collection
Rules/Mechanics	NOTES
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.	Well the main goal is to just score it but to make it easier you should come up with an attack plan like passing plays or aerials
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	Depends, but you can change every bind to how you want to play
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	There wasn’t really a tutorial, but there are training courses, you just have to practice
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	Well I was spamming the controller because the controls are a lot different to other games like shooters
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	Well the only resource in the game is called boost, you can use boost to make your car go faster but you have to refill after a short time
How are they maintained during play?	Well it’s almost a need to have boost when you’re going for a play
What is their role?	they play a big role because when you’re in the higher ranks it would be hard to attack/defend without boost
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)	Boost
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	Amount of boost you have, your car, the ball, teammates and opponents, time, score
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.	Info per player
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	Usually you pass a lot to your teammates
How does play flow from one action to another?	Well you have to communicate almost every play is different
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.	Real-time
Player Interaction
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.	Information sharing
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	no
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	no
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	no
Does it have emotional impacts?	no
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	no
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
How do the different elements interact?	Well depends on how the game goes
What is the gameplay like?	It’s very fast paced and intense
Is it effective?	Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	No not really
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	Well I think it looks good
Why this set of resources?	It fits the game because it’s very colorful and intense
What if they made different decisions?	I think it would have been more dull
Does the design break down at any point?	Not really
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	Yes
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	No
What about sound?	Its just right
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	No
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	You should keep in mind that you have teammates if you’re playing with people and your boost as well and others boost
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	You just have to practice or get friends you can communicate with
Is the game fair?	Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	You can as many games as you want
What is the intended audience?	Teens or older in my opinion, a kid would have trouble with the mechanics
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

Summary

The game I chose was Rainbow Six Siege, a first person shooter game. In this game you are randomly chosen for Attacking or Defending, you either attack or defend the objective, you can also win by eliminating the enemies.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the game	Rainbow Six Siege
The platform	PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/ Series X
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	Over 24 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I would add back old sights
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	The max players in one game is 10
Does it need to be an exact number?	No
How does this affect play?	It encourages you to communicate with your teammates
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.	Team competition
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	The goal depends on the mode you play but the most popular mode is Bomb where you are chosen on either Attacking or Defending the bomb site. If your on defense you stop the enemies from defusing the bomb or eliminating all of them and if your on attacking you defuse the bomb or eliminate the enemy.
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).	Capture/destroy
Rules/Mechanics	Some important mechanics are your characters (Operators) abilities, depending on what Operator you chose, you have a unique ability you can use as an advantage, do keep in mind your teammates and enemies also have abilities. You should also keep in mind of the “leaning”, in the game you can lean left and right which helps you peek corners.
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.	Progression of Play
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	Depends on your platform but they are similar to most games, you can also change key binds if you play on PC.
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	Yes, but the best way to learn is to just play
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	Well at the time I had experience with similar games so it was pretty easy to understand.
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	Barricades, reinforcements, gadgets, abilities
How are they maintained during play?	Well it’s important to use what you have in this game and it just helps the whole team out in general
What is their role?	Sometimes these resources help you win
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	Ammo, health, shield, gadgets, abilities
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	There’s a prep phase where defenders ready their defenses while attackers have drones to find the objective and identify who the defenders are
How does play flow from one action to another?	It depends on you and your team
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.	Real-time
Player Interaction	Players can interact with allies, enemies, and certain structures like windows, doors, and walls
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.	Direct conflict and information sharing
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	Not really but operators do have their own backstory
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	No but I’m sure some of the events have happened before in real life
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	Yes
Does it have emotional impacts?	No
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
What is the gameplay like?	Intense
Is it effective?	Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	Yes in some bugs
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	I guess it was the best choice
Why this set of resources?	It might have been the best they had at the time
What if they made different decisions?	I think it would probably make the game worse
Does the design break down at any point?	In bugs
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	Yes
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	Yes
What about sound?	It was good
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	No
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	Keep in mind the leaning and who you should choose depending on the map or what your teammates choose
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	Sometimes you have miscommunication and you have to focus and work together
Is the game fair?	Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	Yes you can play as many games as you want
What is the intended audience?	Teens or older

Summary

The game I chose was The Forest, a horror survival game. I chose the forest because I like survival games but what sets The Forest apart from other survival games is the story and gameplay. The game is full of exploration, discovery, and some cannibalism, but that’s what makes the game more thrilling, especially with friends.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the game	The Forest
The platform	PS4 and PC
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	Over 24 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I would add some more monsters
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	4
Does it need to be an exact number?	No you can play with and number between 1-4
How does this affect play?	It doesn’t affect it very much
Objectives/Goals	Your main goal is to find your son Timmy who has been taken
What are the players trying to do?	The players need to use any resources they can to find Timmy and to survive from the cannibals native to the island.
Rules/Mechanics	So in this game u can craft items with resources you can collect. You can get very creative with what u can make such as a skull club, a bone with a club on it, used as a weapon, it can get gruesome sometimes, you can make items ranging from a simple bow and arrow to C4.
Controls	Depends on your platform but they are the same as most other games.
What controls are used?	Well on a PS4 controller almost every button has a use.
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	Not really, you have to figure things out as you go, which makes the game a little more fun.
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	Well I thought it was easy, you can look at item recipes and it tells you what you need to make it.
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	There are a lot of resources you can collect in the game, wood, tree sap, meat, cloth, and even body parts/skulls.
How are they maintained during play?	You can use some of these items t make or upgrade weapons or new resources like using cloth to make rope.
What is their role?	They play a massive role where crafting is almost everything in the game.
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	Resources, your hunger, your hydration, stamina, health
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	Well you are in a plane crash an everything after that is up to you.
How does play flow from one action to another?	You can collect more materials and in turn give you more options.
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.	Real-time
Player Interaction	Players can interact with other players, enemies, resources
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	Yes, it does.
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	No it’s realistic fictional
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	Yes, you are stuck on a island with forest and caves around you
Does it have emotional impacts?	Yes you may feel fear or sadness near the end
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	No it can happen throughout the game
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
How do the different elements interact?	Makes the game more interesting
What is the gameplay like?	Calm but can be scary other times
Is it effective?	Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	Sometimes
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	Well it was the best they could at the time
Why this set of resources?	I guess that was what they wanted
What if they made different decisions?	Well I think their decisions were fine I don’t feel like they need to change much
Does the design break down at any point?	Yes, but don’t they all
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	Yes
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	No
What about sound?	It was good
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	No
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	You should keep in mind the time of day, nighttime is the worst to be alone or without shelter
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	I had help from friends
Is the game fair?	Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	Yes
What is the intended audience?	I would say teens and older
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?	Fight enemies