Before taking CS 247G, I had a very limited understanding of games. I typically associated games with first person shooters like Call of Duty, role-playing games like Pokémon, or board games like Scrabble or Monopoly. As far as game design, I had no idea how many different concepts contributed to making a good game. In retrospect, I took well-designed games for granted.
This class really forced me to think critically about what made a game a game. Comparing games, puzzles, and stories was very eye opening and made me question a lot (Is Sudoku a game? What about Rubik’s Cubes?). One of the concepts that surprised me the most was some of the text-based games I tried for my Critical Plays. For the Worldbuilding Critical play, I played “A Dark Room,” which is an indie text game. Prior to trying this game, it had never occurred to me that a game could be composed of just text. I was also fascinated how the game’s creators were able to make minigames using only text as well. The way they were able to successfully depict the outside world when embarking really interested me. For my last Critical Play, I played “Queers in Love at the End of the World” by Anna Anthropy. This game was even more strictly text-based than “A Dark Room.” It was the first time I had ever seen a game be so close to just a story. Even though the whole game was just words, it conveyed so much emotion in so little time. I also liked how there was a “Choose Your Own Adventure” aspect.
The text-based games I was introduced to because of CS 247G strongly influenced my group’s P2 game. I was really excited to make my own text-based game as a final project. Though I used to think a game needed fancy graphics to be fun, this class certainly changed my mind.
One challenge I experienced in this class was the digital requirement for P2. I was really nervous about implementing a coded aspect since I had never built a game before using code. The task seemed very daunting at first. It was a really cool skill to learn, so I am glad that CS 247G pushed me out of my comfort zone.
If I do end up making another game, I would definitely choose to make an analog game. I really enjoyed the experience of making a digital game for P2, but I really like the hands-on aspect of analog games. Ideally, I would try to make a word game or board game with physical tiles or cards. I also love art, so I know it would be super fun to build the game, create a box, and make tiles. One thing I really love about games is how they bring people together. Growing up, I loved playing Spades and Dominos with my family during the holidays. If I made my own game, I would make sure that it was multiplayer and suitable for a wide range of ages.
