Does introducing theme cards add meaningful structure to the dynamics of the game or restrict organic interactions?
Why is this important? Themes tend to set the tone or ‘vibe’ for each round, however there is a possibility that it could restrict people from understanding each other as individuals. It’s important that players don’t feel overly caught up or restricted to their particular theme
Prototype: Players will test a smaller version of the game – one version with a theme and one version without a theme. Note that we will limit the other interactions (such as immunity, attacks) to make sure they are interfering with testing theme cards.
My guess: I have a feeling that players will enjoy playing without a theme because themes may cause individuals to take up a personality that does not reflect them as an individual. Since this would be a good get-to-know-you game, I suspect people would have the most fun being themselves by tailoring their responses accordingly.
Does the ability to ‘attack’ other players create enjoyable chaos or rather feel mean hearted?
Why is this important? The implementation of enjoyable chaos in games has proven to be very fun in many games, however there are also cases where players feel personally attacked, resulting in frustration (think about paranoia gone wrong)
Prototype: Introduce a few (perhaps 2-3) attack cards and playtest with players. I would keep track of individuals’ mannerisms and comments when and after attack cards were being used. Finally, I would also have a check in about how they felt about the usage of certain attack cards (both the individuals who used attack cards and those who were ‘attacked’). I will also playtest the game without the attack cards (and immunity) to gather players’ thoughts and feelings on it.
My guess: I would guess that players would enjoy the attack cards. Since these attack cards do not have a strong element of targeting individuals or using judgment or harmful language, I believe this would help create enjoyable chaos.
Would introducing a team system where other players are playing to vote out one player promote a sense of collaboration and banter?
Why this is important: A lot of party games do tend to rely on individual performance or competition, however by introducing teams, a sense of shared purpose and reducing spotlight anxiety could be cultivated. It’s important to understand whether players enjoy discussing and deducing together or if this dynamic slows down gameplay or creates uncomfortable alliances.
Prototype: We will test two rounds: one where players play individually, and another where players are split up such that there is a chosen player who is trying to win and individuals who are working against this player by mimicking or anticipating the chosen player’s responses, trying to prevent them from being voted. We will keep track of people reactions and also gauge their post game feedback to see which format people prefer
My guess: My guess is that team based format will be the most enjoyable as it promotes collaboration, drawing in people to chat, think together and share humor. This would also draw in more reserved players by shifting the focus from individual performance to group strategy and thinking
Would adding curveballs enhance the game or cause more confusion and disconnect? Think making players respond in Shakespearean style, or requiring them to include a specific word in their response.
Why is it important: It’s important for any additions to the basic rules of the game to enhance interaction and fun, rather than making the dynamics feel overly complicated.
Prototype: We will play test one round with no curve balls and one round with 1 curveball per round (e.g. ‘you must only respond in rhymes’, ‘ you must include the word banana’ ). We will then observe reactions during gameplay – where players laugh, look confused, freeze up – as well as gather post round feedback on whether the curveballs were energizing or disruptive.
My guess: I expect that curveballs will boost enjoyment for most players by adding unexpected, creative challenges that keep things fresh. As long as they’re framed as silly rather than competitive or high pressure, these additions will likely cause laughter and improvisation rather than confusion.
