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Games Testing Types of Testing Bug Testing (or Quality Assurance) The purpose of this is to find errors in the game relative to its design. How “Fun” the game is isn't relevant. If the designer says that the game should do one thing but it is doing another, that is a bug and needs to be identified. Focus Testing In a focus test, you bring together players that are part of the target audience’s to determine how well the game serves their needs. Usability Testing In a usability test, players are given specific tasks to accomplish in an attempt to see whether they understand how to control the game.  Balance Testing A fun game can become boring if the game lets a player bypass most of the interesting choices in the game. If only one strategy can win and it is just a matter of which player follows that strategy the best, it is not as interesting as if there are multiple paths to victory.  Fun Testing A game can be usable, balanced and functional and still ...

Game Stories The first reading discussed games being considered an art form. It is a highly debated statement but the conclusion is that some games, if not all are art. Art is an expression of a persons creativity and appreciated for their beauty. Games aren't always considered "beautiful" though but they are an expression of creativity and some have stunning graphics. We are just too distracted by the "fun" of a game to appreciate it's artistic value/beauty. https://learn.canvas.net/courses/3/pages/level-8-introduction-and-readings?module_item_id=44573 https://learn.canvas.net/courses/3/pages/level-8-dot-1-six-layers-of-art?module_item_id=44575 The next reading was all about the story behind a game. For the last few weeks we've been reading about mechanics of games and how to make a game "fun". We hadn't discussed the aesthetic value of the game nor the story line. As humans we love stories and Myth's. For thou...

Game Fun The word "fun" is just another word for learning. Being in a flow state is how we make something "fun". There are eight kinds of fun, they are: Sensation : The part of a game that uses our sense, the look, feel and audio. They engage our senses and make us have "fun" Fantasy : Games can create a make believe world that is far more interesting than our standard day to day life. Narrative : A narrative in a game keeps the player engaged in the story. Challenge : A game that has tasks that become increasingly difficult keeps the player learning and therefore having fun. Fellowship : If a game is very social the mechanics and and boring decisions don't matter as much as people will play it for a social interaction. People who play make it fun. Discovery : Very rarely seen in board games. It adds adventure and mystery to a game to keep the player engaged. Expression : Some games like Dungeons and Dragons for example, allow the p...

Game Decisions Cozy games are games that evokes the fantasy of safety, abundance and softness. A cozy game has no risk, nothing you do will have any dramatic repercussions. There is an abundance of all your basic needs (food, shelter etc.). The player is relaxed as they're in a low-stress environment but may still be highly engaged in the game. People like Cozy games because it allows them to experiment in a world they never could in real life without any danger or risk. When creating a cozy game it is very easy to disrupt a players feeling of coziness due to common game mechanics.  Factors that can ruin coziness: Danger, fear, threat : Any sense of danger triggers responses in the player. Their nervous system kicks, adrenaline floods the body, and memory suffers. Often times, cozy spaces are presented as reprieve or refuge from these dangers.  Responsibility : Responsibility the effort to plan, think, and the execute a plan to resolve somethin...

Game GDD The first reading was about generating ideas, and giving advice on how to get rid of "designer's block". How to get through "designer's block"; Keep a collection of all of your ideas for games, mechanics, stories, and everything else. Look back through it to see if there’s anything from years ago that you can use.  Think of something random. Try to find a way to integrate it into your game. Do research. Learn about some aspect of the game in more depth, and you will likely find new ideas. Go back to the basic. Think of the formal elements of your game. What are the player goals? Rules? Resources? And so on. Note that you’ll need to define these anyway in order to have a game, so by focusing on these one at a time it may give you new questions to answer. Formalized brainstorming, either alone or in a group. Some people swear by this method, while others say the results are questionable. The best I can say is that the results are highly u...

Games Reading MDA stands for Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. MDA is an approach to understanding games, it attempts to bridge the gap between game design and development, game criticism, and technical game research. Instead of saying a game is fun instead we should use these 8 different words to describe the game, they are: 1. Sensation    Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy    Game as make-believe 3. Narrative     Game as drama 4. Challenge     Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship     Game as social framework 6. Discovery     Game as uncharted territory 7. Expression     Game as self-discovery 8. Submission     Game as pastime Using these words will help us express what about a game makes it "fun" http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf " Player Intention is the ability of the player to devise his own meanin...

Game Elements Reading Reading 01:  The first thing I read was the Formal Element of Games. I liked the layout, it was like going through a slide show. I read the Atomic Elements of the game. I am most interested in making something with the player vs. the game system. Not because I think the others are boring just because realistically I think that would be easier to make and would go with my game ideas. I learnt that there are three different types of rules, they are operational,    constitutive, and implied. The operational and implied rules are very easy to get your head around but the constitutive rules still kind of confuse me but I'm pretty sure I get what the guy was saying, may need to do some more research on that though.  I also read about Sequencing, the game I intend to make  won't be waiting for your turn, it will be taking action as fast as you can. When analysing I should...