The mechanics of Factory Balls are very simple, and therefore place a big emphasis on mentally mapping out your next moves, thinking ahead, and strategy rather than aesthetics (looks), sounds, or imagination/storytelling.
One mechanic that contributes to the simple nature of the game is acquiring a characteristic for your ball simply by clicking on the circle containing that characteristic. The player doesn’t have to do much, and therefore the emphasis is taken away from the looks of the ball (just for the sake of the looks, as the looks are what win you the game), and is placed on the strategy and mental mapping of future moves to beat whatever level the player is on.
Another mechanic that contributes to the experience of the game is how a level is completed. When you successfully “dress up” your ball to be shipped off, all the circles with customizations for your ball disappear, the ball drops in the box, and the box is cleanly and satisfyingly closed and sent off to the left of the screen for the new ball with different customization options to be brought in.
This mechanic gives the player a great sense of accomplishment. They successfully “dressed up” the ball to the standards necessary for shipment. In addition, the satisfying, fast closing animation of the box adds to the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. The player completed the task, the box is perfectly closed and shipped off; everything is perfect. These mechanics also make the player feel as if they are actually working in a factory, because there is not much else going on besides clicking around to edit the ball and shipping it off, so although the game design and mechanics are simple in ways, the game is very immersive and takes the player to a different world, a factory, where they are trying to be the best ball maker there is.
Another feature of the game that contributes to the experience is the music. It is something like an electric guitar playing a repeating beat with a high pitched sound (possibly from a piano) here and there. This beat doesn’t change, whether you are in the menu, in the middle of a level, winning a level, or transitioning to the next level. This mechanic adds to the emphasis on strategy and thinking rather than aesthetics/sound. It also adds to the immersive experience, and is a careful choice by the designers to make the players feel as if they are working in a factory, almost devoid of distractions.
Another design decision that contributes to the experience and keeps players engaged and coming back is the design of the balls. Some of the designs are very cute, and this just adds another dimension to the game. Take this example, where players are asked to make a ninja-esque ball, which looks very cute and can be anthropomorphized.
This feature and other balls like it lead to emergent narrative, where interactions between players and the game world lead to developing stories unique to each player. When I was playing the game, I imagined the ninja ball as a real, conscious ninja, who would bring joy to a child the package was being sent to, and would fight off the child’s enemy toys. None of this was included in the game, but I realized I was making stories myself based on the game’s design and mechanics, and really enjoyed this imaginative, emergent experience.
This game is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
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