Hello again!
This week's challenge was to create a variation of the mole mash game. I had learned so many technical points last week, that I decided to concentrate more on the softer skills of app development. I decided to revisit the app that failed last week and try to bring in elements that would make it a more enjoyable game.
An app is so much more than just piecing code together. Considering the user and the usability of the app is essential - not exclusively but perhaps especially for a game application.
So what is a game actually?
Be it for educational or entertainment purposes, a game has rules, goals and an element of challenge or competition. Games are engaging, stimulating, often interactive and at best, addictive.
Notice that I left out the word "fun." This wasn't an oversight. If you observe someone when they are really into a game - they usually do not look like they are having fun at all. They are focused, concentrated and often serious. Laughs may come, but usually only after the challenge has passed. This is important because "fun" is misleading. What I believe really makes a game good is the combination of tension and release, challenge and feasibility, rules and flexibility. No wonder games are so suitable for educational purposes!
Now I don't believe that my sheep app really fits into the category of a good game! But - these concepts helped me to improve the game to a level where I can at the very least consider it a true game rather than just an activity.
Thinking of games in that way led me to make several changes to the initial app. For example, the addition of the "weed picking" element allows players to get rid of one of the hungry sheep. I noticed that once there was more than one sheep, it was nearly impossible to win the game. The balance between challenge and feasibility was off. So the weeds idea helped to bring the balance back, keeping the player from giving up and pushing restart. Although I think that there could be a better, more direct way of doing this. In the real world, picking weeds doesn't get rid of sheep - so perhaps a "lasso" or some other element could be more intuitive.
There are also a number of other elements which I believe are missing from my game. An improvement I could make is in the balance of rules and flexibility. Right now, the sprites leap across the screen randomly and the only way to win the game is through a bit of nimbleness and luck. If I could make the sprite movement have a less random pattern, then the user could figure out other ways to win the game. Different levels could be introduced to keep the challenge alive.
Another issue was how to communicate the rules of the game. From the app reviews we did earlier in the semester, I knew that a "How to Play" text was not the way I wanted to go. But even though I tried to do an interactive demo - my appointed app tester didn't bother to read the text and just continued to push things on the screen! Hmm. Perhaps skipping the directions altogether and incorporating little hints and more intuitive elements into the game itself would be a better route...
All in all, I believe that a good game app does the following:
- incorporates simple rules, goals or elements that can be deduced or very briefly demonstrated
(there are logical or intuitive connections)
- balances challenge with feasibility
(e.g. - not too easy, not too hard - "Argh! I lost again - but I'll get him next time!!!")
- allows a player to discover tactics or methods which give them an advantage
(meaning: improvement is possible - as well as kicking a newbie's derrière!!)
- the conscious incorporation of the elements of tension and release
(this is a fancier, but more tangible way to say - "good timing!")
I believe that these are the core elements which help to make a game engaging, stimulating, addictive and in the end - fun! I believe that approaching future game apps with these things in mind will help me to improve the quality of the experience for the players.
This week's challenge was to create a variation of the mole mash game. I had learned so many technical points last week, that I decided to concentrate more on the softer skills of app development. I decided to revisit the app that failed last week and try to bring in elements that would make it a more enjoyable game.
An app is so much more than just piecing code together. Considering the user and the usability of the app is essential - not exclusively but perhaps especially for a game application.
So what is a game actually?
Be it for educational or entertainment purposes, a game has rules, goals and an element of challenge or competition. Games are engaging, stimulating, often interactive and at best, addictive.
Notice that I left out the word "fun." This wasn't an oversight. If you observe someone when they are really into a game - they usually do not look like they are having fun at all. They are focused, concentrated and often serious. Laughs may come, but usually only after the challenge has passed. This is important because "fun" is misleading. What I believe really makes a game good is the combination of tension and release, challenge and feasibility, rules and flexibility. No wonder games are so suitable for educational purposes!
Now I don't believe that my sheep app really fits into the category of a good game! But - these concepts helped me to improve the game to a level where I can at the very least consider it a true game rather than just an activity.
Thinking of games in that way led me to make several changes to the initial app. For example, the addition of the "weed picking" element allows players to get rid of one of the hungry sheep. I noticed that once there was more than one sheep, it was nearly impossible to win the game. The balance between challenge and feasibility was off. So the weeds idea helped to bring the balance back, keeping the player from giving up and pushing restart. Although I think that there could be a better, more direct way of doing this. In the real world, picking weeds doesn't get rid of sheep - so perhaps a "lasso" or some other element could be more intuitive.
There are also a number of other elements which I believe are missing from my game. An improvement I could make is in the balance of rules and flexibility. Right now, the sprites leap across the screen randomly and the only way to win the game is through a bit of nimbleness and luck. If I could make the sprite movement have a less random pattern, then the user could figure out other ways to win the game. Different levels could be introduced to keep the challenge alive.
Another issue was how to communicate the rules of the game. From the app reviews we did earlier in the semester, I knew that a "How to Play" text was not the way I wanted to go. But even though I tried to do an interactive demo - my appointed app tester didn't bother to read the text and just continued to push things on the screen! Hmm. Perhaps skipping the directions altogether and incorporating little hints and more intuitive elements into the game itself would be a better route...
All in all, I believe that a good game app does the following:
- incorporates simple rules, goals or elements that can be deduced or very briefly demonstrated
(there are logical or intuitive connections)
- balances challenge with feasibility
(e.g. - not too easy, not too hard - "Argh! I lost again - but I'll get him next time!!!")
- allows a player to discover tactics or methods which give them an advantage
(meaning: improvement is possible - as well as kicking a newbie's derrière!!)
- the conscious incorporation of the elements of tension and release
(this is a fancier, but more tangible way to say - "good timing!")
I believe that these are the core elements which help to make a game engaging, stimulating, addictive and in the end - fun! I believe that approaching future game apps with these things in mind will help me to improve the quality of the experience for the players.