Come up with 3-5 questions your various game prototypes might answer.
For each question, include a sentence or two about:
- Why is this an important question to answer
- What type of prototype will you make to answer this question?
- What is your guess about how it will turn out? (the practice of prediction grows your intuition)
Our game is a social game where players try to collect art pieces in order to have the most expensive art collection.
Question 1: Do players understand the rules of the game well? Do they understand how to navigate the different card decks?
Why it’s important: Our game will contain multiple card decks: Art Pieces, Roles, Connoisseur cards, and Action Cards. Players need a good understanding of what each type of card does in order to enjoy the game.
Type of prototype needed: We will build simple card decks. Instead of printing out cards with art pieces on them, we will draw simple drawings ourselves and use those as our “valuable” art pieces that players need to collect. We will also write down the info for other card decks ourselves.
Guess: The different decks will be pretty self-explanatory. Players will gain a good understanding of the different components of the game once the first round is over.
Question 2: Do players find the auction mechanism engaging? How effectively do they use their budgets to bid on art pieces?
Why it’s important: The auction mechanism is a core element of gameplay, where players bid on art pieces to add to their collections. If players have a lot of money and find that they can buy every art piece and win the game easily, they will get bored and lose interest in our game. We also don’t want to make it impossible/very hard for them to buy art pieces, in which case they will lose interest in the game because it’s too long/difficult.
Type of prototype needed: To test this, a basic auction system can be implemented using paper money (Monopoly money). Art pieces will be represented by simple drawings, with each having a preset value or rarity. We will observe player interaction with the auction process.
Guess: Players will initially be cautious with their budgets but will become more competitive as they understand the value of different art pieces.
Question 3: Are the roles assigned to players clear and do they contribute to the game’s strategy?
Why it’s important: Clear and strategic roles are essential for a balanced and engaging game.
Type of prototype needed: Roles can be tested using simple cards that describe the player’s abilities. These cards should be easy to understand and visually distinct to avoid confusion with other types of cards.
Guess: Players will experiment with different strategies based on their roles, which will enhance the strategic depth of the game. Some roles might be perceived as more powerful than others, which could require further balancing based on player feedback.
