Tabletop Network lightning Game Design JaM
(Read below for my description of the event and each challenge.)
At the Tabletop Network Game Designers' Conference, I was asked to lead a workshop on game design. With only 45 minutes, depth was unlikely, so I went the other direction--breadth!
I spent a few minutes talking about glorious design thinking mindsets, from Fast and Cheap to Bias Towards Action. Both of these concepts basically mean--make fast, imperfect games.
Then, I gave the designers three ten minute game design challenges. The idea would not be to finish a game in that time, but present a variety of challenges that work different parts of the design brain. By giving them very specific challenges, the designers wouldn't have to start with a complete blank slate, but could push them in a very specific direction in which to start.
Challenge #1: This Race Game's in the Bag
Sound familiar? You know I love having kids design race games because it's a familiar type of game. Well, kids grow into adults (mostly), and adults are very comfortable with race games too. I gave everyone a paper bag filled with five different kids bits in different wooden shapes and colors (ten pieces per bag). Using just the bag itself and the bits, players were to make a game. It was really cool; people were incredibly creative in how they used the bits and the bag. Quite a few people told me afterward that this was their favorite challenge, and many said they wanted to keep working on their game after the workshop. Some even pitched their game to publishers at BGG. That's so cool.
Challenge #2: Send in the Clowns
This is an Intellectual Property/Social Media challenge. Fast food chains have become incredibly social media savvy, and many have made "advergames" (like Wendy's RPG and Burger King's Sneak King). I wanted to give designers a challenge that is common when working with IPs and publishers--you don't always get your dream IP, but you have to pay the bills and make the game. So I went with McDonald's McDonaldland characters.
I gave each designer a dossier and two pieces of cardstock, telling them that the client intended on these being flatpack inserts. So, all game components had to be made from those two pieces of cardstock (I did allow them to use the food or Happy Meal boxes as part of their games). This was probably the hardest challenge, as they had to understand the IP and create a workable game for that IP. The room got really quiet once they were to get started. I understand the frustration, but then, if you want to be a game designer and work with IPs, you have to separate what you love from making a viable, engaging product that pleases the client.
Challenge #3: Do Ya Feel Me?
I had participants yell out emotions, and I picked rage. (Maybe not a surprise after the previous challenge?) I then gave each participant a pack of 18 blank cards (varying sizes from 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" inches to 6" hexagons) and 12 wood star bits in two different colors. Using just those resources, players had to create a game that evoked that particular emotion.
It was fun to see how people crafted their prototypes--some were almost nihilistic experiments in torture and quite a few were dexterity games.
Overall, this was really fun, and I recommend these types of challenges for game designers either on your own or with others.
Other Ideas I considered:
I spent a few minutes talking about glorious design thinking mindsets, from Fast and Cheap to Bias Towards Action. Both of these concepts basically mean--make fast, imperfect games.
Then, I gave the designers three ten minute game design challenges. The idea would not be to finish a game in that time, but present a variety of challenges that work different parts of the design brain. By giving them very specific challenges, the designers wouldn't have to start with a complete blank slate, but could push them in a very specific direction in which to start.
Challenge #1: This Race Game's in the Bag
Sound familiar? You know I love having kids design race games because it's a familiar type of game. Well, kids grow into adults (mostly), and adults are very comfortable with race games too. I gave everyone a paper bag filled with five different kids bits in different wooden shapes and colors (ten pieces per bag). Using just the bag itself and the bits, players were to make a game. It was really cool; people were incredibly creative in how they used the bits and the bag. Quite a few people told me afterward that this was their favorite challenge, and many said they wanted to keep working on their game after the workshop. Some even pitched their game to publishers at BGG. That's so cool.
Challenge #2: Send in the Clowns
This is an Intellectual Property/Social Media challenge. Fast food chains have become incredibly social media savvy, and many have made "advergames" (like Wendy's RPG and Burger King's Sneak King). I wanted to give designers a challenge that is common when working with IPs and publishers--you don't always get your dream IP, but you have to pay the bills and make the game. So I went with McDonald's McDonaldland characters.
I gave each designer a dossier and two pieces of cardstock, telling them that the client intended on these being flatpack inserts. So, all game components had to be made from those two pieces of cardstock (I did allow them to use the food or Happy Meal boxes as part of their games). This was probably the hardest challenge, as they had to understand the IP and create a workable game for that IP. The room got really quiet once they were to get started. I understand the frustration, but then, if you want to be a game designer and work with IPs, you have to separate what you love from making a viable, engaging product that pleases the client.
Challenge #3: Do Ya Feel Me?
I had participants yell out emotions, and I picked rage. (Maybe not a surprise after the previous challenge?) I then gave each participant a pack of 18 blank cards (varying sizes from 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" inches to 6" hexagons) and 12 wood star bits in two different colors. Using just those resources, players had to create a game that evoked that particular emotion.
It was fun to see how people crafted their prototypes--some were almost nihilistic experiments in torture and quite a few were dexterity games.
Overall, this was really fun, and I recommend these types of challenges for game designers either on your own or with others.
Other Ideas I considered:
- Rework an existing game (tic tac toe, something similar) to improve it.
- Nonverbal game: Using provided bits, create a game that is played nonverbally.
- Make an 18 card game that doesn't use numbers.
- Specific time limit to play (a game that is played in three minutes.
- A game that includes a blindfold.
- A game that requires players to lie, cheat, and bluff.
- A game with three rules only.
- A Team versus team game
- A game that can be played with infinite number of players.
- A game that must be played where players build something three dimensional.
- A game that fits into a specific shape (pie wedge).
