What do Prototypes Prototype? – Blain Engeda

For Project 1, our game is a mix of Charades and Twister. Players will be split into two teams and will be given a set of cards containing words to be guessed. In each round, the designated actor will have to spin a forfeit wheel containing challenges such as one hand, one foot, jumping, etc that will need to be performed while acting out the chosen word. Thus, three questions our game prototypes might answer are:

1. How many players does the game need to work successfully?
   1. This is a necessary question as it gives insight into the minimum number of players needed to not only make the game work, but to thrive and make the game entertaining and amusing
   2. Two different versions of the game, one with the number of players on the box displayed as 2-3, and one with 4+, and test with different groups of people to observe how the dynamics change. A different possibility is to have two different set of directions, one for small group game where it is similar to normal charades with one actor and all other players are guessers, and a team version with two different teams each containing actors and guessers
   3. I believe that the minimum number of players for the game to work is 2, but for the game to succeed and thrive there should be at least 4 players
2. Should the words that need to be guessed be standardized or allow room for customization?
   1. Games like Cards Against Humanity have standard cards, but also blank cards that players can use to customize and add words or inside jokes with their friends which can add to the enjoyment of the game depending on the group of players
   2. Have a set of cards with just standard words that the game creators write, and a set of blank cards and markers that players can write on. Test on different groups of people, some with just the standard cards, and some with a mix of both and observe the player interactions
   3. I believe that players will have more fun with the cards that are a mix of standard and blank cards as it allows for creativity
3. What type of forfeits are appropriate and enhance the game?
   1. This is a necessary question as it distinguishes between forfeits that are challenging and add to the competitive nature of the game, and forfeits that are frustrating and negatively impacts the atmosphere
   2. There should be different versions of the spinner of forfeits, one with primarily physical twister forfeits like no hands, one foot, one hand, hopping, etc and one with a mix of physical and non-physical forfeits like accents, one foot, slow movement, blindfolded, etc and see how groups respond to the forfeits
   3. I believe that the more diverse set of forfeits that aren’t purely physical, such as the addition of accents or blindfolds will be more widely received than just physical forfeits