Sploder Games - Types

For this assignment, I am going to keep a running blog post about different types of games that I will experience and eventually, create.

Platformer

This type of game allows the player to have the character jump from surface to surface while collecting items and defeating obstacles. When I played it, I had a hard time getting from some of the surfaces to the other. I am a total rookie when it comes to playing video games, so having no hand-eye coordination may make an impact on this style of game. I do not want to make this type of game for my project. I want to create a game that is more structured and allows the player to go in a linear fashion.

Liked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Token reward system.

Disliked:
-Having such free range for the character. (Choosing which direction to go on the screen.)
-Having to defeat opponents with weapons.


3-D Mission

This type of game reminds me of looking down into a maze. There are corridors that your avatar needs to maneuver in order to achieve a certain objective. There are bad guys that get in your way, and you need to defeat before you can continue throughout the maze. While playing this game, I continued dying over and over. It took me about 10 resets to finally defeat only the second bad guy on the level. Clearly, I am not doing something right, but will keep trying to beat the level.

Liked:
-Having an objective to complete.
-Thinking through strategies and choice making.

Disliked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Top down viewing angle.


Physics Game

This type of game is almost the "Angry Birds" style game. Your job is to shoot cannons at a box to move it. The only way to win the level is by shooting your box closer to the coin. Once the box hits the coin, you win. This would be relatively easy and boring if there weren't a timer ticking down. Not only can you see the timer, but hear the timer getting closer to the end. This kid of game doesn't necessarily require skill, just a sense of ball trajectory and what is needed to move the box.

Liked:
-Does not require an obscene amount of hand-eye coordination.
-Countdown to put the pressure one.
-Ability to replay levels when you die.

Disliked:
-Shooting the red box and dying instantly. There was no warning that the red boxes mean death.


Retro Arcade Game

I love old school arcade games! Although I am doing this quest after I did my research and made my choice of video game to create, I still sat here and played other people retro games for a half hour or so. I could definitely keep playing. These games remind me of sitting around playing Mario with my friends for hours on end. I was never very good at them then (nor am I now), but the nostalgia of laughing with my friends will never get old.

Liked:
-Narrative that talks you through the game and gives you hints.
-Collecting coins.
-A reasonable number of bad guys.

Disliked:
-Drowning
-Not being able to reach high enough to see above the screen level without getting killed by a bad guy.


Shooter

This game was a little chaotic. All of the little ships were trying to shoot me, while I spun in circles and tried to shoot them first. This game reminds me of the old space games that have the enemy ships coming to shoot you while you duck, dodge, and dive away from the enemies.

Liked:
-Sparks competitive mentality.
-Action-packed.

Disliked:
-No levels.
-Wait for the time to end to see if you survive.


What Makes a Good Game?

After playing all of the types of games above and listening to Dr. Ruben Puentedura's podcast, I think I may have come up with my perfect list of qualities that make a good game.

1. Narrative - Games have to have some kind of story to go with the reason for playing. I am not going to play a game that doesn't have some type story line to follow and a final objective to work toward. I find myself more engaged when my decisions in the game help mold or change a plot line.

2. Scaffolding - As a newbie gamer, I need new skills to be introduced to me on a gradual level. If the skills are introduced too slowly and the game gets monotonous, players get bored and stop playing. If the skills are introduced in a rapid fire manner, players get overwhelmed and frustrated and stop playing. There is a balance needed when game designing to introduce just the right difficulty at just the right time. You have to keep players engaged, but continue adding skill difficulty.

3. Strategy - I hate games where I have no idea how I wound up winning. There has to be enough skill advancement and chance that keeps the gamer wanting to continue playing. Gamers need to be able to use their skill acquisition to advance through levels of the increased difficulty. If they don't have to think, they won't want to play. But again, if it is too much thinking and gets too hard, they won't want to play.

4. Variety - There needs to be multiples types of challenges and conflicts. If a gamer comes across one type of challenge over and over, they are going to get bored. Even if that challenge becomes more and more complex, it is still the same. Games need to break up the monotony and allow gamers to really showcase the range of skills that they acquire through their game play.