What do prototypes prototype? (Jailia)

Team 6 is leaning towards creating a prompt card game for friend groups that want to get closer and push the boundaries of secrets within their friendships. Some questions our various game prototypes might answer include:

1. Are “wild” cards (blank cards) effective in encouraging player freedom and customization?
   1. This is an important question to consider because blank cards would allow players to create their own prompts, thus learning more about their friends, but blank cards could also be abused. 
   2. A role prototype would be sufficient in answering this question, since it deals with the presence of a game feature and how players use said feature.
   3. I predict that most players will enjoy the wild card, and if the wild card is abused, players can choose how to respond (ie by not answering). It is ultimately up to the players and how they may choose to change the boundaries of the game with the wild card.
2. Should the cards be categorized or randomized?
   1. This question is significant because it determines how the game will flow for players. If the prompt cards are categorized, there is player autonomy in which kinds of questions are asked and which kinds of secrets are revealed. If they are randomized, it more so underscores the idea of “pushing boundaries.”
   2. Again, a role prototype would be best for answering this question. We are testing how the categorization of the prompt cards affects players.
   3. I predict that players will prefer the prompt cards to be categorized, so they can control the nature of the game. But as a designer, I like the idea of randomizing cards, so perhaps there could be some mode of randomization within the categories, or mis-cateogrization to add a level of randomness. 
3. How does the color of the prompt cards affect the game environment?
   1. This is crucial to consider because the visual design of the cards could change the game’s trajectory. For instance, if a player draws a red card then draws a muted purple card, they may feel a mix of emotions that affect their gameplay experience. 
   2. A look and feel prototype would be ideal for this question. Since colors evoke different emotions, we can use the different reactions in combination with the types of prompts on the cards to create the best user experience. 
   3. I predict that players will all prefer different color palettes, so it will be up to us, the game designers, to decide what kind of emotions we want to evoke.