Games Studies - Project 2 & Final Project

3.10.2023 - 28.11.2023 (Week 6 - Week 14)
Tan Yi-Tyng (0353327)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Games Studies
Project 2: Tabletop Gameplay Information & Data
Final Project: Tabletop game

INSTRUCTIONS

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PROJECT 2

Tabletop Gameplay Information & Data

Instruction

For this stage, we need to use various methods, such as conducting playtest responses, observations, interviews, and surveys with questionnaires to collect primary data for our study. All evidence to support data collection is to be organized well.

1. Pre-Alpha Playtest (1st)

During week 6 classes, we needed to prepare the Alpha game prototype, creating physical game components with simple sketches on paper for the game board and wild card. We also used poker cards to replace the number cards. Afterward, we conducted our very first playtest with a single-player mode involving five members of our group. Throughout the playtest, we took notes on the strengths and weaknesses of the game, analyzing them to make improvements.

Fig. 1.1 - Pre-alpha game prototype

Below are the recordings of our first pre-alpha playtest. I apologize that, due to some reasons, the recording only captured some parts.

Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/PAcKwzLWjAY

Gameplay Experience: When playing our game for the first time, I felt a refreshing sensation while transforming our game ideas into a physical prototype. During the actual gameplay, it gave me a sense of excitement and motivation. It is considered positive that our game has a smooth game flow until the end. However, our group feels that it lacks certain playful experiences such as challenge or competition. Therefore, we believe that we can still enhance our game by making some changes to the rules or resource cards.

Findings/ Improvement:

We came up with the idea of creating an indicator for the Trojan Tower.
Initially, the game board indicated a total of 50 HP for each player. However, after the playtest, we felt that it would take too long to end the game, so we are considering reducing it to 40 HP.
One of our game objectives is for players to manage their resource cards effectively. To enhance the game experience, we are considering changing the rules so that players can only use the wild card at 1-30 HP on the game board.
During gameplay, we realized that with a number card range from 1-13, players would easily have more chances to exceed the mana limit, showing imbalance and unfairness in the game. Calculating the possibilities, we decided to reduce the range of number cards to 1-6. This change makes more sense, ensuring that all players have a fair and equal chance to win or have competitive experiences.
We also redesigned the total HP on the game board from a circular shape to a square shape. This adjustment makes it easier for players to understand and provides more space to place the player pieces on the spaces.

2. Pre-Alpha Playtest (2nd)

Due to time constraints, our group only played the single-player mode in the previous alpha playtest. Hence, our group decided to meet up again to playtest the multiplayer mode with four of our group members. In this game mode, we paired up two people in a group to compete against the opposite team. Based on the findings from the previous playtest, we made adjustments to test with the new results.

Fig. 2.1 - 2nd Pre-Alpha Playtest

Below are the recordings of our second pre-alpha playtest:

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/lTFlWeAhyvA?si=w0RC88f_5qbmpJNX

Gameplay Experience: For the second playtest, surprisingly, I felt more excited and interested when playing the game. Perhaps the reason is that we made some improvements to our game rules, or the multiplayer mode is more playful. I felt like, when playing the multiplayer mode, I had a more diverse set of playful experiences.

In this mode, we teamed up with a partner to fight against the opposite team, aiming to survive until the last. With this goal, I felt more competition, thrill, and even guilt or sympathy when my teammate was attacked by someone. During the playtest, we also encountered many funny situations, such as one player almost winning the match while their teammate was still stuck at the beginning, being attacked by the opposing team. The player felt very helpless because her teammate's placement exceeded the area where the wild card could be used to save her.

Findings/ Improvement:

Regarding player pieces, our initial idea was for each player to have their own card with towers to represent them. However, we changed our approach to creating player pieces with a tower-shaped design inspired by chess pieces to match our theme.
We decided to change the rule again, allowing players to use wild cards only when the game board is at 10-30 HP.
We also changed the Big Heal (wild card) from healing 15 HP to healing 10 HP.
Additionally, the Small Heal (wild card) was modified from healing 8 HP to healing 5 HP.
Regarding mana-based actions, when equal to the mana, players can either attack with increased damage (3 damage), or they can choose to heal their kingdom for 2 HP.

3. Alpha Playtest

During week 7, we conducted an Alpha playtest with the two remaining members of our group and added three new participants from other groups to play our game. One of our group members took on the role of an observer, tasked with noting important inputs such as what worked well and what needed adjustments without communicating with the players. The other person joined the gameplay and was responsible for explaining the game rules to the new players. We were allowed to communicate with the players, ask them questions, and gather suggestions about the game.

Fig. 3.1 - Alpha Playtest

Below are the recording of the alpha playtest:

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/EUFtXEHTKqE?si=IUsitkjf2HO2U_kB

Findings:

We found that players had difficulty understanding the rules at the beginning, but once they became familiar with the game, they enjoyed the playing process.
One participant expressed that the game lacked a competitive feel, and Ms. Anis suggested implementing a timer to limit the players' card placement within a specific timeframe. This would encourage players to concentrate during the game, fostering a competitive environment as they wouldn't have too much time to hesitate during their turns, creating a more challenging experience.
Regarding the starting point, initially, we began from 1 up to 40, but we decided to change it to start from 40 down to 1. This change was made because each player starts with 40 HP, and throughout the game, players attack opponents by reducing their HP. Therefore, reaching 1 HP indicates that a player has lost the game.

4. Beta Playtest

Finally, we reached the end of the last playtest, which is the Beta Playtest in week 12. At this stage, we have our final prototype design with all printed game cards, boards, dice, and player pieces. For this Beta Playtest, Group 5 was assigned to play our game. It was the first time that our game was played by others without any of our groupmates participating.

Fig. 4.1 - Beta Playtest

Here are the link for the full recordings of the Beta Playtest:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-SLPvBMB8Y-a3E4ai8RcTGd0YLeL1nT5?usp=drive_link

Findings:

We were very surprised by the players' reactions when playing our game. They seemed to enjoy and express excitement throughout the entire process.
Some players mentioned that they found it slightly challenging to understand our game rules initially.
Overall, we are very appreciative that we received good and positive feedback from the players. We felt satisfied seeing how much they enjoyed our game.

FINAL PROJECT

Tabletop game design

Instruction

Based on the findings and data collected from the previous two playtest cycles of Project 2, we are now tasked with finalizing the overall game concept and moving on to the next phase, which involves creating the prototype for our game in preparation for the Beta Playtest.

1. Mood Board

After finalizing the overall game concept and ideas, we listed all the game components used in our game and proceeded to design them to look more visually presentable. I spent some time collecting and arranging all our group ideas and references in Miro to create a Mood Board, making it easier for all of us to refer back to at any time.

Mood Board link: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMlM9osA=/?share_link_id=107745108581

After receiving approval from Ms. Anis for our design concept of the game components, our group proceeded to allocate tasks for designing the game components.

Game Components (Task Division):

Game Board Design (Amrita)
Instructions (Amrita)
Number Card (YanLing)
Wild Card (Qian & YiTyng)
Player pieces & Dice (YanLing)

2. Wild Card Design

Based on the group task division, I was in charge of designing the wild card alongside Qian Qian. There are a total of 6 types of Wild Cards, so we decided to each design 3 types of wild cards. I was selected to design the Small Heal, Big Heal, and Smithereen for the Wild Cards. I decided to design the cards using Adobe Illustrator, which I find more convenient. Below is the process of designing the wild card.

Fig. 5.1 - Process of designing Wild Cards in Illustrator

I have designed an additional 2 designs for the Small Heal and Smithereen, and I am struggling to decide on the final design. Therefore, I asked my groupmates for their suggestions.

Fig. 5.2 - Several design options for the wild cards

Fig. 5.3 - Suggestion from my groupmates

3. Printing

The process of designing the prototype was hectic, as we needed to ensure everything was done within 2 weeks to be ready for the beta playtest. Once we completed our part, we updated our group and shared our progress. When printing the prototype, we also faced some issues due to miscommunication, resulting in the selection of the wrong material for the game cards and board. Consequently, we had to reprint the entire prototype. The total cost for our entire game prototype was RM170.

Fig. 6.1 - Screenshots of how we updated our progress in the group

Fig. 6.2 - Screenshots of how we updated our progress in the group

Fig. 6.2 - We printed the wrong material,
we needed thick card material instead of A4 paper.

Fig. 6.3 - Final Outcome of our prototype

FINAL PROTOTYPE OUTCOME

Fig. 7.1 - Final Wild Card Design (PDF)

Fig. 7.2 - Final Number Card Design (PDF)

Fig. 7.3 - Final Game Board Design (PDF)

Fig. 7.4 - Photographs of the final game prototype (PDF)

FINAL PRESENTATION

Presentation slides link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tSdEtbKUnw8QVpMS1CJT5oAyXg5ZuQtumbxogBEyCkE/edit?usp=sharing

Fig. 8.1 - Final Presentation Slides (PDF)

FEEDBACK

WEEK 6 - Pre-Alpha Playtest

WEEK 7 - Alpha Playtest

WEEK 11 - Beta Playtest

REFLECTION

Overall, I really enjoyed this module as the workload is not too heavy compared to other modules. It was quite an interesting and exciting experience that we could 'play games' during class instead of listening to lectures every week. As a non-gaming person, I haven't played games much in my life, especially tabletop games (I can recall playing them only about 5 times). Hence, when I first entered this module and realized that we needed to create a tabletop game, it was a bit stressful for me. But guess what! I have overcome it! Hehe.

I appreciate the opportunity to make new friends and work together to create an interesting game. Although it was a bit challenging at the very beginning to come up with ideas and ensure the game flow made sense, I'm grateful for the experience. After taking this module, when I play games, I have become a keen observer, analyzing the playful experiences, understanding what the game offers, and identifying their goals. I've started to observe games in depth, and I truly appreciate how game designers create these games. The process is not easy, it requires a lot of experiments, changes, and multiple tests before coming to the end product. All in all, I am very satisfied and happy with our end game prototype. Thank you, Ms. Anis, for the constant feedback, and thanks to my groupmates for working well together to create this game.

TAN YI-TYNG (0353327)