Short Exercise: What do Prototypes Prototype?

How many categories of questions should there be?

This question is important to prevent players from becoming either overwhelmed by an excess of options or bored by a lack of variety. Striking a balance can enhance player engagement. The prototype would be to identify popular questions from various icebreaker games based on human feedback and separate them into four distinct categories. I anticipate that four categories will be the sweet spot as it provides diversity without being excessively challenging.

Is the game engaging for all players?

This question is important to prevent some players from being distracted and ruining the vibe for other players. A prototype could involve giving “waiting” players a more active role, perhaps there can be a mechanic where they get rewarded if they deduce a current speaker’s response. I anticipate that this will lead to more engaging and funny moments for all players as players’ deductions could be wildly inaccurate.

How intimate should the questions be?

The question is important because we want players to spark funny dialogue and moments without being too stressed in answering the questions or resort to lying. A prototype could be to include some sort of re-draw mechanic, where players who are embarrassed to answer a certain question could draw another card but given a penalty. I anticipate that this may not work as other players would be even more curious about their response to the initial question and pressure them to answer.

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