Team 22 Pitch Perfect P1 Final Game Post

Artist’s Statement

Our game, Pitch Perfect offers a thrilling blend of creativity, strategy, and unpredictability, designed to transport players into the roller-coaster world of venture capitalism mixed with the fun of bluffing games. This game challenges players not just to dream up and pitch the most outlandish business ideas imaginable, but also to navigate the tricky waters of investment, where discerning truth from fiction becomes a crucial skill.

In Pitch Perfect, each player takes on the role of a venture capitalist (VC) in turn, while others present their startup concepts — some genuine and some complete fabrications. The twist? VCs must use their instincts and judgment to decide where to allocate their imaginary funds, aiming to boost their fortunes by backing real ventures while avoiding cleverly disguised bluffs.

This game celebrates the wild, often ridiculous nature of startup ideas that sometimes turn into reality. It’s a nod to the creative spirit of entrepreneurs and a satire of the sometimes absurd lengths to which they go to secure funding. At its heart, “Pitch Perfect” is about storytelling, critical thinking, and the joy of deception in a safe and playful setting.

Our hope is that “Pitch Perfect” not only entertains but also sparks conversations about innovation, risk, and the fine line between genius and folly.

Ideation Exploration

We started with a simple concept — a game where players pitch business ideas. Quickly though, we realized the thrill came from not knowing which ideas were genuine and which were bluffs, leading us to really focus on the aspect of deception.

Our first prototype originally had too many bluff cards, making the game more about luck than skill. Sometimes rounds would all be bluff cards, sometimes there would be none. Therefore to keep it balanced we thought we should have a fixed number of bluff cards per round. By controlling the number of bluff cards relative to the number of players, we struck a balance that kept every round dynamic and engaging.

Moreover it was an intentional decision to make sure that the real companies were super absurd and/or funny. Otherwise this would certainly detract from the ‘fun’ of the game. Nothing is interesting about pitching a B2B SaaS software company that manages documents and filing to your friends. In addition we thought that making the real companies absurd would also give the bluffers more wiggle room. Feedback revealed players loved the surprise of finding out which ridiculous startups were real. We incorporated this into the game by having a mix of outlandish but true start-up cards and bluffs.

The original scoring system was complex. Simplifying it, we landed on a token-based system. We adjusted the rules for awarding points, focusing on rewarding successful pitches and clever investment strategies.

To keep things fair and fresh, we rotated the VC role after each round. This ensured every player experienced the game from both sides of the pitch. Based on the input that pitching real companies was less interactive, we added the rule that the best pitch — bluff or not — would receive additional points, ensuring that every player was fully engaged throughout the game. This was to ensure all entrepreneurs are incentivised to deliver well done pitch, otherwise they could just read off the card really obviously to farm points.

Formal Elements

We wanted to simulate the startup ecosystem, so we established dual roles where players are both entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. This ensures active participation and a deeper understanding of both perspectives within the business pitch dynamic.

The game includes startup and bluff cards, tokens for scoring, and a thirty second hourglass timer (or just a phone timer). These elements were chosen for their simplicity and their ability to drive the game’s core mechanics of pitching and investing.

The rules were designed to be straightforward to minimize the learning curve and maximize engagement. Clarity in rules supports the primary focus on creative thinking and strategy.

The token-based scoring system underscores the game’s venture capital theme. We chose a scoring mechanic that rewards both savvy investment and clever deception, reflecting the real-world high-stakes environment of startup funding.

Values

At the core of “Pitch Perfect” is the celebration of creativity. The game encourages players to think outside the box, whether they are conjuring up a real startup concept or inventing a convincing bluff.

We aimed to subtly imbue players with a sense of what it takes to craft a compelling pitch and make informed investment decisions, thereby providing educational value.

“Pitch Perfect” is as much about social dynamics as it is about business acumen. The game values interaction, persuasion, and the ability to read others — all critical skills in both entrepreneurship and everyday life.

Knowing that the fun lies in the unexpected, we made the game adaptable with a varying number of bluff cards and flexible rules that could accommodate a wide range of group sizes and player dynamics.

We wanted “Pitch Perfect” to be accessible to a diverse audience. This meant creating a game that did not require prior business knowledge, and where everyone, regardless of background, could engage and have fun.