Identify the basic elements in a game of your choice (actions, goals, rules, objects, playspace, players).
My choice of game is minecraft.
Actions: In minecraft, players can perform a variety of actions, such as exploring the world, collecting resources like stone, wood, and ores, and crafting / combining materials to create structures.
Goals: Depending on the different modes, players can have different goals. For example, in survival mode, players aim to gather resources, build shelter, and survive against enemies. As in creative mode, players can build freely without resource constraints.
Rules: There are some basic rules to follow, like players must survive on certain health status and food levels. Players also need to mine and craft to obtain items they want.
Objects: The game starts with fundamental building units such as stone, and wood. Items like pickaxes and swords are also objects in the game assisting in mining and combat.
Playspace: Each game starts from a unique world with different settings, structures, and resources.
Players: Single player or Multiplayers (~40)
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As a thought experiment, swap one element between two games: a single rule, one action, the goal, or the playspace. For example, what if you applied the playspace of chess to basketball? Imagine how the play experience would change based on this swap.
Imagine applying the goals of basketball to minecraft, minecraft becomes a competitive game with a scoring system. On one hand, players need to craft their own structures or buildings. On the other hand, players also need to collect materials to craft a ‘basketball’ (or any other new items) to destroy the buildings / structure of others. Players would have to defend their building from opponents trying to sabotage their structures. At the end, victory would be determined by the completeness of structure (could also be determined by the number of goals) by the game finishes.
With the integration, players would have to focus on two tasks: building their own structures and defending them. Crafting could now include creating defensive structures (traps, walls, etc.). In this way, players then have to balance gathering materials for both offense (crafting ‘basketballs’) and defense (building structures, traps, walls). This introduces a layer of strategy as players decide where to focus their efforts.
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Pick a simple game you played as a child. Try to map out its space of possibility, taking into account the goals, actions, objects, rules, and playspace as the parameters inside of which you played the game. The map might be a visual flowchart or a drawing trying to show the space of possibility on a single screen or a moment in the game.
My choice of game is the Old Maid. Old Maid is a card game (usually 4+ players) typically played with a standard deck from which one card (called ‘Old Maid’) is removed, leaving an odd number of cards. Players take turns drawing cards from each other’s hands, trying to form pairs and discard them. The goal is to avoid being left with the unmatchable ‘Old Maid’. The game continues until all pairs are matched and discarded, with the player holding the Old Maid at the end losing the game.
Playspace; Players; Objects
Rules
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Pick a real-time game and a turn-based game. Observe people playing each. Make a log of all the game states for each game. After you have created the game state logs, review them to see how they show the game’s space of possibility and how the basic elements interact.
My choice of a real-time game is Overcooked.
Game States (an example of the scenario)
Dishes required:
- Dish 1: Salad (1x Lettuce, 1x Tomato)
- Dish 2: Soup (1x Onion, 1x Carrot, 1x Potato)
- Dish 3: Burger (1x Bun, 1x Beef Patty)
- Player 1: Starts by chopping lettuce and tomato. Takes a plate. Places chopped ingredients on the plate.
- Player 2: Serves customer. Takes onion and potato. Chops onion and potato for the soup. Places ingredients in the pot to cook.
- Player 1: Starts cooking a beef patty on the stove. Chops a bun and prepares for the burger. Takes a plate.
- Player 2: Cleans dirty plates and grabs more ingredients.
In Overcooked, the space of possibility is shaped by the fast-paced nature of cooperative cooking and serving food under limited time. Players need to collaborate, communicate, and adapt to changing conditions (more orders, accidents, changing environments) to succeed, making each level a unique challenge.
My choice of turn-based game is Clap at 7.
The game starts by counting from 1 to 80 but when you count to a number is a multiple of. 7 or contains the digit 7, then stop counting but clapping once.
Game States
Player 1: say 1
Player 2: say 2
….
Player 1: Clap
Player 2: say 8
…
In Clap at 7, the rules are simple, yet it establishes a clear structure, guiding players in their actions. This rules also encourage a focus on rhythm, speed and timing, prompting cooperation among players. The goals of maintaining speed, rhythm and accuracy among players create a sense of urgency and excitement.
