/// RAPID PROTOTYPING: "GAME-A-WEEK"
[2024-12-03]A rapid prototyping class' top 3 games
POST-MORTEM
In the fall of 2024, I was enrolled in a class called Game Prototype Studio, colloquially known as “Game a Week” where the task is making a new, small game prototype, every week of the semester. Only being given a random combination of a tool, mechanic, and theme, I created numerous prototypes to test and prove my ideas would work as a fully produced game. Through this experience, I was able to learn about what it takes to make a good prototype and to not put too much work into the ‘look’ of the game, but to focus on how the game works and feels. It was difficult, especially the first few games, to not focus on the art and semantics of it. After those first few hurdles, I believe I came out with some of my best work in my college career. Almost all of my game ideas worked better than expected, but the three below stood out as the most impressive of the semester.
Feeling Gifty
Feeling Gifty was the 6th prototype I created during the semester. Being able to choose the engine inspired me to go for something that could definitely be a bigger experience if I were to expand on the Idea. Without even consciously processing it, a big inspiration was “Super Mario 3D World” ’s star houses, thinking about how I could make those if I were to make my own take on the idea. Coming into the project with a solid idea and one I felt inspired by was a huge plus and led to me spending time perfecting how the player moved and how I wanted the game to feel. Ultimately, the project, I feel, came out just as I wanted it to and I would be excited to flesh out the idea more.
Over the Rift
Over the Rift was the 4th prototype I created, the first and only board game I made this semester. When I heard the theme, Another Dimension, my mind went to making the player switch dimensions with both the board and the game pieces. The players would not roll a traditional dice to move, but I tried to imagine myself as someone from the 2D dimension tasked to make a dice like object from their perspective. For this, I created a “Shuffle Board Dice” where the player flicks a small object to determine the amount of spaces they move. During my playtest (pic 2), it ended up being a resounding success and the players all had fun. If I were to make any changes, I would make the 2D dice slightly bigger and add more variety to the numbers and the scale of those numbers.
Empty and Alone
During week 7 of this semester, I was dealing with a lot of assignments and at times, I needed to become a shut-in to complete my work. In the first 2-3 days of working on this game, I was struggling to come up with an idea that would be suitable for the two parameters. I thought about what I was going through at that very moment and I worked off that. Overall, the fear of being alone is persistent with humans and I am no different, as I need social interaction to function. This game became almost an outlet for what I was feeling and I was able to successfully produce my feelings as a playable experience. The people I asked to play the game were able to properly understand the concept and experience something close to what I was feeling.