Design Your First BIG Game

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One.More.Time.


Play-test your game to find out what works and what doesnt.

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Making the first prototype of your game is only the tip of the iceburg. To fully develop a well balanced game you will have to play-test your game many times to find out what works and what doesnt. Playtesting is a word we often use in game design to explain the process of playing your game with others to test how good it is.
 
Here are some playesting tips for you:
 
1)Silence=gold! When running your game avoid telling your players what is the best strategy to win the game or what to do when they get stuck. As a designer you want to observe the points that your game might be broken and think of ways to improve it.
 
2)Your players are your most valuable asset! At the end of your playtesting make sure to ask everyone for suggestions that will improve your game. 
 
To complete this task write a blog post summing up what you learned while playtesting your game. 
 
Your blog post should address the following; 
  • Experience: Was the core mechanic fun? What words did your players use to describe the actions they took in the game?
 
  • Balance; Are the mechanics balanced with each other? Is their a dominant strategy that might break the game? Do players have equal chances to win? 
 
  • Replayability: If played again would your game generate the same set of experiences and outcomes?
 
  • Suggestions for game improvement made by your play-testers

 

*Photo: Groove Moove, by Chloe Varelidi, Tracy Gromek & Subalekha Udaysankar 

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