For P1, our team wants to test a few changes to Bananagrams. My ideas focus less on pure vocabulary speed and more on teamwork, interaction, and strategy.
1. Does playing in teams make Bananagrams more fun and more social?
- This matters because team play could make the game feel less stressful and give players different roles, like finding words or organizing the board.
- We would test this with a simple playtest prototype using the normal tiles but changing the rules to 2v2 or other team formats.
- My guess is that teamwork will make the game feel more social and help weaker spellers stay involved.
2. Does an asymmetric mode, like 1v3, create an exciting balance or just feel unfair?
- This matters because a special solo role with extra powers could make the game more dynamic and memorable with higher uncertainty, but it could also be hard to balance.
- We would make a rule-based prototype where one player gets special advantages like free swaps or bonus points for long words.
- My guess is that this mode will be exciting if the powers are limited, but it may feel unfair if the solo side is too strong or too weak.
3. Does rewarding board structure create a better goal than only rewarding speed?
- This matters because scoring things like longer branches, fewer branches, or denser connections could make the game more creative and thoughtful.
- We would test this with a rule prototype that compares different scoring systems in short rounds.
- My guess is that this will make the game deeper, but the scoring rule must stay simple or players may get confused.
