Contextual Studies
Mazes
10 games that involve mazes:
10 games that involve mazes:
- Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit
- Pacman
- Portal
- Monument Valley
- Halo
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Temple Run
- Until Dawn
- Mario Party
- Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Card and Board Games
How would I use a maze to help express the narrative of a game?
How would I use a maze to help express the narrative of a game?
Mazes can have multiple routes to get to one or multiple endings. Giving the player decisions makes them interact more and gives them the chance to influence the game play and outcomes more. You are then more responsible for the outcomes as you chose that path, like in Until Dawn. The game could be similar to a life situation where you go through life at a fast pace and chose how your character interacts and lives there entire life. You have so much choice and you find out how each choice affects the later game play.
Video game that could be emulated in cards, and how?
Games such as child of light could be played out in card form. Each character would have a card with statistics, and the ability to increase HP or Attack with add on 'chips'. You duel how most card games would and play attacks on a turn basis until someone's health reaches zero. The player wins some reward for this and the next challenge can be drawn from a separate deck.
How could you use the element of cards to express narrative or emotion in a game?
Rewards and punishments in card games, as in any other game can express emotion. If the game is immersive, players can attach themselves to aspects. The game Train is a simple looking game to do with putting blocks on and off trains and managing them. The meaning behind this is revealed at the end of the game where you find out the train is going to Auschwitz. This simple play has suddenly become a whole lot more meaningful and you realise your actions were effecting simulated people, not just blocks. Attaching a game to an already establish and important event can imply mood and emotion. What would a Ilinx card game look like?
Games as Theme Parks
How would you make a modern theme park sim or management game?
I believe the best audience would be mobile gamers, so I would make this game on an engine that supports this and can produce a functioning mobile platform. I would include lots of rewards and side missions to keep the game interesting and fit the management style as there is always something to do. The main aim would be collecting a currency and keeping everything working as you slowly progress and open more and are able to take on more roles. It would be quirky, colourful and funny themed. A Rick and Morty based theme park would be really quirky, with aliens from different galaxies visiting and various attractions that can go against earth physics.
Controversial theme parks: What can't theme parks do?
Remembering traumas, can a park or game be a documentary? If so how?
Games as Toys
How would I make my game open ended?
Think of a way of incorporating a physical object into my game design. (such as NFC chips) Could this allow for a meaningful reaction?
There are multiple ways of incorporating physical objects into games. Disney Infinity is a game that has physical toy characters that get placed on a pad. The data from the toys is used in game, so the toys you have are the characters you've unlocked.
Having an aspect of the game that is physical or present in reality bridges the gap between the game and reality so can aid immersion and involvement. Pokemon Go used locations within gameplay, bringing the Pokemon closer to reality than playing on a console.
Games as Simulation
What are the basic assumptions behind my indie dev video game (Prototype Project)? What world view does it suggest?Video game that could be emulated in cards, and how?
Games such as child of light could be played out in card form. Each character would have a card with statistics, and the ability to increase HP or Attack with add on 'chips'. You duel how most card games would and play attacks on a turn basis until someone's health reaches zero. The player wins some reward for this and the next challenge can be drawn from a separate deck.
How could you use the element of cards to express narrative or emotion in a game?
Rewards and punishments in card games, as in any other game can express emotion. If the game is immersive, players can attach themselves to aspects. The game Train is a simple looking game to do with putting blocks on and off trains and managing them. The meaning behind this is revealed at the end of the game where you find out the train is going to Auschwitz. This simple play has suddenly become a whole lot more meaningful and you realise your actions were effecting simulated people, not just blocks. Attaching a game to an already establish and important event can imply mood and emotion. What would a Ilinx card game look like?
Games as Theme Parks
How would you make a modern theme park sim or management game?
I believe the best audience would be mobile gamers, so I would make this game on an engine that supports this and can produce a functioning mobile platform. I would include lots of rewards and side missions to keep the game interesting and fit the management style as there is always something to do. The main aim would be collecting a currency and keeping everything working as you slowly progress and open more and are able to take on more roles. It would be quirky, colourful and funny themed. A Rick and Morty based theme park would be really quirky, with aliens from different galaxies visiting and various attractions that can go against earth physics.
Controversial theme parks: What can't theme parks do?
Remembering traumas, can a park or game be a documentary? If so how?
Games as Toys
How would I make my game open ended?
Think of a way of incorporating a physical object into my game design. (such as NFC chips) Could this allow for a meaningful reaction?
There are multiple ways of incorporating physical objects into games. Disney Infinity is a game that has physical toy characters that get placed on a pad. The data from the toys is used in game, so the toys you have are the characters you've unlocked.
Having an aspect of the game that is physical or present in reality bridges the gap between the game and reality so can aid immersion and involvement. Pokemon Go used locations within gameplay, bringing the Pokemon closer to reality than playing on a console.
Games as Simulation
My game is supposed to suggest a familiar 'earth-like' environment to the players, in a vivid, sell shaded style. The player has no contact with other beings, they're completely alone, so it's left for them to discover why the planet is no long inhabited. How would you subvert or pastiche a famous strategy/sim game?
(Change the theme or build on an existing strategy game)
Games as Narrative
How would you scare a player with mechanics in an ordinary everyday context?
A jump scare is often used, intended or accidentally, in a normal environment. In games, the sound decreases, making the loud music upon impact more dramatic. It can often be sensed by that, subtle visual clue or passing an area where you expected to get scared but didn't. This techniques all aim on building the tension, then relaxing you and striking when you don't expect. In real life, sound and visual cues are irrelevant, the scare can only be executed if the individual is relaxed and not expecting it. It can be done by sneaking up on them or sudden shouting.
Games as Social Spaces
Games in Education
Taking Last of Us and Child of Light, what skills or knowledge do these games teach you? (Transferrable skills? World view that it encourages? Any player manipulations)
The Last of us teaches you strategy, dependant on the level of difficulty. You must analyses and search you surroundings for ammunition and other items of use. It also teaches compassion as crosses a lot of moral decisions. From the beginning you witness the struggle of escaping and trying to keep your family safe. You also see a soldier question his orders of shooting Joel and his daughter. All these scenarios are set and you cannot alter the story, but they are portrayed well so you feel for the characters in all situations, just trying to survive. It shows the world view of each for their own, but how compassion and loyalty will pervail even in dark times. You are initially manipulated when you play as Sarah briefly before she is killed. You feel helpless are left to play as Joel, knowing what he has been through.
Child of Light teaches you friendship and loyalty to those you owe nothing. Aurora helps those around as she tries to fight her way back to her father who she loves dearly. The betrayal of her step mother and step sister emphasises the loyalty of her companions. This game encourages friendship, and to help those in need as it is the right thing. It shows punishment to those who are cruel. It ends however with an interpretation and not a solid conclusion. It hints at the sad tragedy in that Aurora and the others are in actual fact all dead when they refer to there new safe home.
Games as Sports
Taking Last of Us and Child of Light, are they inclusive for differently abled-bodied? Do they make assumptions about the players body type or exclude those with certain disabilities?
How does the meaning of these games change when they are played competitively or by a speed runner?
Games as Social Spaces
Games in Education
Taking Last of Us and Child of Light, what skills or knowledge do these games teach you? (Transferrable skills? World view that it encourages? Any player manipulations)
The Last of us teaches you strategy, dependant on the level of difficulty. You must analyses and search you surroundings for ammunition and other items of use. It also teaches compassion as crosses a lot of moral decisions. From the beginning you witness the struggle of escaping and trying to keep your family safe. You also see a soldier question his orders of shooting Joel and his daughter. All these scenarios are set and you cannot alter the story, but they are portrayed well so you feel for the characters in all situations, just trying to survive. It shows the world view of each for their own, but how compassion and loyalty will pervail even in dark times. You are initially manipulated when you play as Sarah briefly before she is killed. You feel helpless are left to play as Joel, knowing what he has been through.
Child of Light teaches you friendship and loyalty to those you owe nothing. Aurora helps those around as she tries to fight her way back to her father who she loves dearly. The betrayal of her step mother and step sister emphasises the loyalty of her companions. This game encourages friendship, and to help those in need as it is the right thing. It shows punishment to those who are cruel. It ends however with an interpretation and not a solid conclusion. It hints at the sad tragedy in that Aurora and the others are in actual fact all dead when they refer to there new safe home.
Games as Sports
Taking Last of Us and Child of Light, are they inclusive for differently abled-bodied? Do they make assumptions about the players body type or exclude those with certain disabilities?
How does the meaning of these games change when they are played competitively or by a speed runner?
