Melissa Mackay 4724999 1
Table of Contents Ideation 3 Game Title & Description 4 Storyline 4 Overall Play Structure 4 Game Mechanics 5 Artwork & Design Elements 6 Play Testing 7 Distribution & Marketing 9 Costing Production & Manufacturing Challenges Target Markets Appendix 11 Game Rules References 12 2
Ideation Sitting in a classroom trying to brainstorm ideas for a board game is a challenge. I had written down ideas for games based on some of my favourite films and television programs these included the likes of Gilmore Girls and The Hunger Games, and I was instructed to look at what key themes behind these works made them so appealing. How could I incorporate Rory Gilmore s experience without making it so Rory Gilmore. How can I make The Hunger Games my own? This approach wasn t working for me so I decided to look at things from a different perspective what common experiences could I comment on in a different and almost ironic way? It was here that the idea for Gradu-late surfaced. First brainstorming of Gradu-late 3
Game Title & Description My board game, Gradu-late, is aptly titled as it aims to document a student s travels throughout tertiary education. The title for the game came much later in the prototyping stages, but the premise of the game is that players, or students, are trying to make their way through the hurdles that present themselves as integral parts of university life. As research from the ABC notes, an alarming number of students still do not make it beyond their first year of university, (Carter, 2015) and the actual process of getting from O-Week to a graduation ceremony complete with cap and gown is proving to be a struggle for many students, myself included. In creating Gradu-late I wanted to showcase this whilst also providing players with a game that could be fun. Storyline Gradu-late satirises the process of accumulating credit points via the completion of subjects, reflective of the method used in most Australian universities. Once the player has reached a grand total they can successfully graduate and win the game. Gradu-late players are given an array of options as students in the game, many which demand due diligence on what will work for them. They are required to act on these decisions, irrespective of the potential consequences they may face later. This, combined with elements of uncertainty are what in my own opinion reflects a true depiction of student life in the twenty-first century. Combining each of these elements, the students here are required to move through their education whilst competing with up to four other players for the graduate title. Overall Play Structure The players of Gradu-late move through the rungs of university education by collecting subject credits. Players roll a dice and are given the option of choosing to accumulate skill discs required to purchase subject credits. Once they have accumulated enough skill discs, they can choose to use these discs on their turn to collect the subject credits they need to make their way to the next level in their education. To highlight the unpredictable nature of student life, Gradu-late students also have the possibility of rolling a chance on the dice. This chance component in the game can either hinder a student s quest or make their path to graduation easier. The chance cards have the capacity to take away skill discs and subject credits, or can shower a student with praise and success in the form of various rewards. This element, in my own opinion, adds confrontation and a hint of suspense to the game play. The quest for a graduation certificate ends once a student accumulates a total of 36 subject credits, and can only be done once there is an array of subject credits from each of the three tiers first year, second year and third year. 4
Game Mechanics When designing the prototype for Gradu-late I drew inspiration from the game Splendor. I added in a few mechanics I felt would work best for the idea I wanted to pursue. These included: Dice Rolling: The six-sided dice is used in Gradu-late as a randomiser and adds an element of uncertainty to the outcomes a player can generate. Turns: Each player takes a turn at rolling the Gradu-late dice, and they then execute their move being that they collect skill discs or subject credits. This is utilised to regulate play. Risk & Reward: Chance cards present players with options that may be risky or rewarding. These chance cards have the ability to increase a player s standing in the game or can set them back. Cards: In Gradu-late, the card valuing system reflects the three tiers used to represent the different levels of education in completing a university degree. The values printed on each of the cards determines the outcome of the game. Resource Management: Throughout the course of the game, Gradu-late players are required to manage their resources, these being their skill discs and subject credits. Through successful strategising and thoughtful execution, the outcome of the game can be significantly altered. 5
Artwork & Design Elements I heavily relied on the free graphic-design website Canva.com when it came to designing Gradu-late. I decided to keep all my designs congruent throughout the stages of prototyping and play-testing. I sourced all the images on my Gradu-late cards from the creative commons image bank. The names of the subjects used in Gradulate were taken from the UOW General Elective Subject Guide for 2017. For my prototype and play-testing I also borrowed elements from other games. The dice I created for Gradu-late was a piece from Boggle which I decided to manipulate to suit my needs. Gradu-late Dice 6
Play Testing Consumer interaction with game prototypes provide a precious wealth of information and it is for this reason that it is such a crucial step in game design. I play tested Gradu-late on three different occasions to gain a deeper understanding on the reception of the game and to also see whether people other than myself thought the game was fun. Play Test One: The first of the three play tests took about thirty minutes for three players to complete. Throughout the course of the game, players provided feedback on what would benefit from alteration and what was successfully executed. The most notable feedback which resulted in later changes included: The need for further detail in the original rule book; it was determined that some of the rules were unclear or confusing and by changing these the game would play smoothly and more efficiently. The initial grand total of credit points was too low and easy to attain; it was suggested that changing this to the total of 36 credit points would prolong the game. The Gradu-late subject tiers being first, second and third year needed prerequisite credit totals so that it would make the game more challenging; to move along in the game players would now have to accumulate eight first year subject credits and twelve second year subject credits. First Play Test of Gradu-late The game was too predictable and the clockwise motion of play was monotonous; to counter this players suggested using a reverse card that would switch the play motion. The Gradu-late game would benefit from a rule capping players from purchasing too many subject credits at once; stopping this would add an element of fairness to the game play and would slow down the pace of play. Play Test Two and Three: The second and third play tests had two individuals play Gradu-late for approximately twenty minutes. The most notable feedback from these play tests revealed: The Gradu-late rule book should incorporate a further explanation of the subject credits; this was too ambiguous without my clarification on their 7
purpose and valuing system. Players enjoyed the chance cards; they responded well to the array of positive and negative cards and especially liked that they incorporated both social and academic scenarios, a true reflection on a student s life. Third Play Test of Gradu-late Third Play Test of Gradu-late 8
Distribution & Marketing Costing In designing a prototype for Gradu-late, costs remained low. If Gradu-late were to be produced for mass consumption, a bigger budget would be required to cater to a larger audience. A rough estimation is given for the cost to make one unit below. Description Average Cost Cards, 178 in total $16.02 Skill Discs, 120 in total $14.40 Six Sided Die $0.08 Total $30.50 All prices above are sourced via thegamecrafeter.com. Production & Manufacturing Challenges In order to ensure that Gradu-late doesn t infringe on any copyright permissions or intellectual property rights, the names of the subjects on the cards would need to be changed. The subject titles I used are property of the University of Wollongong. Thus to prevent legal action, alterations would need to be made in the production and manufacturing process. 9
Target Markets Initially Gradu-late s target audience was Australian university students. After play testing, I found that an array of individuals that were from all walks of life really liked the way Gradu-late worked. To prevent limitations in access and consumption I have not specified a target audience. 10
Appendix Game Rules Goal: To graduate before the other players. Game Pieces: 32 x First Year Subject Credit Cards (Blue Cards) 32 x Second Year Subject Credit Cards (Red Cards) 32 x Third Year Subject Credit Cards (Green Cards) 50 x Chance Cards (Purple Cards) 1 x Six Sided Dice 120 x Skill Discs Set Up: Shuffle each deck of cards. Place four cards from each deck of subject credit cards out on a table. The first year subject cards are to be placed at the bottom, the second year cards in the middle and the third year subjects at the top. Place the remaining cards from each deck to the left of the cards just laid out. Place the chance cards in a pile facing down (so you cannot see the chance options). Make sure this deck is accessible to all players. Put the skill discs in a pile that each player can reach. Rules: To begin the game, the youngest player rolls the dice first. On each turn*, players have the option of collecting skills corresponding to the number of skills they rolled on the dice OR they can choose to use their skills to complete classes. This only works after the first round of dice rolls when each player has already collected some skill discs. Players can only purchase one subject credit (class) each turn. The value of the subject credits is indicated in the circle on the top right corner of the subject card. Before moving on to the second set of cards (Second Year Subjects), players must have accumulated 8 subject credits from the first deck (First Year Subjects). EG. Four first year subjects worth 2 credits each. To move on to the third set of cards (Third Year Subjects), players must have accumulated 12 subject credits from the second deck. EG. Four second year subjects worth 3 credits each. Players cannot collect more than one of the same subject. Players may also roll a chance card. They must pick up a chance card immediately after rolling. They then have to put the action in play on this same turn. Rolling a chance on the first round does not count and players must roll again to pick up skill discs instead. The first player to have 36 subject credits wins the game and gets to graduate first. Mock Up of Gradu-late Game Board 11
References Boardgamegeek.com, 2017, Browse Board Game Mechanics, BoardGameGeek. <https://boardgamegeek.com/browse/ boardgamemechanic> Carter, J.S., 2015, Stopping Dropouts: How Can Universities Keep Hold of First Years?, ABC, 13 May, Accessed April 25 2017, <http:// www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/stopping-first-year-university-student-dropouts/6464202?wt.mc_id=innovation_radio-rn-lifematters%7cunidropouts_gpp%7cabc> Davis, J.P., Steury, K., & Pagulayan, R., 2005, A Survey Method for Assessing Perceptions of a Game: The Consumer Playtest in Game Design, Game Studies, Volume 5, Issue 1, October, Accessed 16 May 2017. Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E., 2006, The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology, MIT Press, p. 420-450. The Game Crafter, 2017, Game Pieces & Board Game Parts, The Game Crafter, <https:// www.thegamecrafter.com> University of Wollongong, 2017, General Electives Subjects, University of Wollongong, <https:// solss.uow.edu.au/apir/public_subjectview.call_main?p_year=2017> 12