- How long should players have to play out each round?
- This is an important question to answer because time limits can make sure that the game pace moves at anything faster than a glacial pace, so that players don’t get bored or stuck, and because time constraints can present an extra challenge for the player. However, we also need to make sure that players are given enough time write satisfying and fun answers.
- An extremely simple prototype of the game’s basic mechanic, like a stack of empty index cards to write answers on and read from, can be used to answer this question, as the thing that will vary is play time.
- My guess is that the amounts of time testers will find most rewarding are middling times of a few minutes for each part of the round.
- Which voting mechanics will players enjoy more?
- This is an important question because the way voting is set up dictates how judgement and discussion plays out amongst players, which can affect the social interactions and atmosphere that the game facilitates.
- The prototype can still be physically very simple, using index cards to both store prompts and for users to write their answers down on. Voting mechanics can come in the form of differing sets of rules, and colored token indicators that players can use to indicate a vote for either answer.
- My guess is that voting mechanics where the player’s vote is anonymous will create a more relaxed social atmosphere for the testers, since the pressure of being judged for voting a certain way is eliminated.
- What criteria will players enjoy writing and judging answers on?
- This is an important question because varying the answer criteria (ie funniest, most unexpected, saddest) can change up the pace of the game and give players something new to keep them engaged. However, it must be engaging and also something that players will actually follow.
- The prototype can again just use index cards to store prompts and answers, as well as an additional deck containing the criteria for the round, which can be randomly drawn or predetermined based on the prompt.
- My guess is that answering and voting behaviors will still tend towards “funny” as the ultimate metric, even while answers try to fulfill a secondary requirement based on the criteria.
