- How does this prototype communicate to the user what the game is (about)?
- This question is important because it will help you determine whether your intended goal/purpose is being adequately communicated to potential users.
- A paper prototype would be enough to answer this question. This is something that should be determined in the early stages of prototyping to determine whether or not the direction that you are going in is strong enough to be understood by the user.
- I think that this will demonstrate what elements of the game and its description are strong and should be kept and which ones need to be tweaked because it leaves room for ambiguity/confusion on the user’s end.
- Is this game fun?
- This question is important because it will help you determine whether the game that you are making is going to be enjoyed by its users (which is the whole point).
- I think that this question will need to be answered by a low level prototype, though it may need to be more concretely fleshed out beyond sketching. People are not very good at predicting how they will feel in a given situation until they are actually in it, so the prototype will need to simulate the actual gameplay in order to obtain a true understanding of the enjoyment that can be obtained from the game.
- I think that this will identify which elements of the game should be kept and maybe even emphasized in their importance in game play. It will also refine the game by getting rid of elements that are not useful or enjoyable to the play.
- Is the flow of the gameplay engaging while not being too overwhelming?
- This question is important because it will help you determine whether the tempo of the game is enjoyable for the players. Too slow — and the game will be boring. Too fast — and the game will be too confusing and overwhelming, creating a barrier to entry for new players.
- I think that this question will need to be answered by a low low level prototype, similar to the previous question. I think that it is important to establish the flow of play as it is the central part of the game from a player perspective. It is not necessary for it to be the first thing established in its development though.
- I think that this will reveal what parts of flow create traction and which parts build energy from a player perspective. As we learned in our reading last week, both are important to include in game play. Through this prototyping, it will reveal whether there is a good balance struck between the two.
- Is this game easy to learn?
- This question is important because if a game is too difficult to learn, it will be very difficult to attract new players.
- I think that this question can be answered by a throughout the prototyping process at various stages. I think that it will be a combination of figuring out whether moves are intuitive (through pattern recognition) and if the overall story hangs together. I think a piece of this prototype process should include either the written or verbal explanation of the game to new players. The shorter while still remaining informative, the better.
- I think this will demonstrate where gameplay is too convoluted and which language is effective in communicating to users what to do and how to play.
