Daniel's-Game-Design


 * IDEAS FOR SERIOUS GAMES**toc

Middle school students enjoy games but teachers don't appreciate that. Teachers feel that students should read and write to gain greater understanding about world issues. The problem to be solved is to make a serious game that is about a world issue.

**Requirements:**

 * 1) Game must be accessible to the intended players
 * 2) Game must be well-paced to be enjoyable
 * 3) Game must be challenging to the intended players.
 * 4) Game must have a clear goal
 * 5) Game must be winable.

** Constraints: **

 * 1) It must be possible to create this game with the tools available to middle school students (computers, wikis, blogs, cardboard, poster board, glue, colored pencils, markers, scissors, rulers, paper cutter, exacto knives, glue guns, found objects, dice, spinners, and other common items found in the home and school)

1. A Serious Game Using Gamestar Mechanic that follows the design brief.

My problem is HIV and AIDS in Africa. This is an issue because a lot of people have HIV or AIDS in Africa, and it is affecting their daily lives. I could use Gamestar Mechanic to create a serious game by helping people to reach their goal which would be a hospital or a clinic. Here at the hospital or clinic, the patient would be treated. This is a serious game because it is about a real issue that many people in Africa face.

__Core Mechanics__- (Plot / Storyline, Goal, Rules, Moving Parts, Territory) The plot for my game would be simple. You would be a person in Africa who has HIV or AIDS, and you have to treat them by reaching the goal at the end of each level which is a hospital or a clinic. The goal is a hospital or Clinic where hopefully you can get treated. There would be a few rules which include no cheating of any kind. There would be obstacles preventing you from getting to your goal though. Such obstacles would include enemies and/or blocks.

2. A Serious Game Mod for an Exisiting Boardgame that follows the design brief.

If i had to choose a a boardgame to modify to be about my game, I would choose Chutes and Ladders. I would choose this game because it is about reaching a goal. The goal would be to help the person reach the hospital or Clinic, and there would be obstacles to help prevent your from reaching that goal. The game would be played by 2-4 players, and you would play until everyone has reached the goal.

__Core Mechanics__- (Plot / Storyline, Goal, Rules, Moving Parts, Territory) The plot for my game would be you are a person in Africa who has HIV or AIDS and is trying to get to a hospital or a clinic for treatment. The goal for my game is the hospital or clinic, where you, the patient, could be treated. For the game, you must not cheat in any way, and you must not interfere with any of the other players pieces. You control a pawn which moves the amount of spaces that you are allowed to move forward or backwards.

3. A Serious Game -- Free Choice that follows the design brief.

I would choose a game that is related to Urgent Evoke. In the game, you would have to complete missions that deal with the issue of HIV and AIDS in Africa. You would have to help your character to get treated for HIV or AIDS, and you would have to help others to prevent them from acquiring it. There would be many missions, each mission getting harder and harder.

__Core Mechanics__- (Plot / Storyline, Goal, Rules, Moving Parts, Territory) In this game, you would represent a person in Africa who had HIV or AIDS. You would have to accomplish missions to help get yourself treatment. Your goal was to survive for as long as you could. You wouldn't be able to cheat in any way. There would be obstacles and challenges to try and slow you down. You would be playing the game in Africa, where everything takes place.