Daniil'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. A serious game using Gamestar Mechanic might be about how an avatar in the form of a polar bear is making his way through a bunch of sprites. He is equipped with a gun that is set on a time limit. The person playing the game will be the one controlling the avatar. The person has about 45 second to complete each level and if he does not, he loses. Each sprite is also equipped with a gun and can shoot you at any time. Elements: There are five levels that the player has to successfully complete in order to win the game. Each level will have a block at the end that the player has to get to in order to pass it. The pace of each level will be pretty much medium since the player can either hide or run and gun. The number of players for this game is only one since it is a computer game.The purpose and moral of the game is to show people how global warming is affecting Antarctica's animals. This game sounds like fun and I am hoping to create one like it.

2. A Serious Game Mod for an exisiting Boardgame that follows the design brief. An existing board game that I can improve on in order to make a serious game is "Life". "Life" is a game where you have to spin two dice in order to move. During the game the player has to collect as much money as possible and the more of it you have in the end, the better. The game mod I want to create for this game is pretty much similar to it, but there are some tweaks. I still want to have dice in the game mod I make, but instead of collecting money I want the player to collect tokens for every deed that he does to help the animals of Antarctica in the time of Global Warming. Elements: The people playing the game can pick from six different characters in the form of Eskimos. One through six players will be able to play the game. The pace of the game will determine on how fast the player(s) spin their dice and move their character. I want to create this game in order to show its players how Antarctica itself is affected by global warming. This is a pretty interesting improvement.

3. A Serious Game -- Free Choice that follows the design brief. A serious game of my choice is one that includes a spinner. The player uses the spinner to move. The player has to move through a maze until he reaches the middle. There will be many terrible things waiting for the player as he progresses through the maze that will limit his chances of making it all the way to the finish line. The problems that he will face are all going to have something to do with global warming. Elements: The players can pick from five different characters of penguins. It will be pretty hard to win the game, but with a will there is always a way. The game will be medium paced since the spinner doesn't take that long to stop, but somewhere in the middle. One through five players will be able to play this game. My reason for creating it is to show people just what global warming is doing to Antarctica. This game sounds very exciting and I can not wait to make it a reality.