Game Design Evaluation
A design evaluation of an indie boardgame released at Spiel 22, Spiel 23, Spiel 24 e.g. see the Spiel website - SPIEL ESSEN - https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/ Each student to select a recent game published within the last 3 years. No mainstream games or videogames. Cross check the game details on BoardGameGeek BBG https://boardgamegeek.com/.
The term-paper will be a practical project based on your personal-plus-friends evaluation of an indie (independent/small company) board game as the 'whole product'. You will consider overall design, its playability, potential for improvement, its digital aspects or digital potential, and product variants such as expansions, spin-offs etc.
Audience: Create a document that tells a story that people such as the designer, investor and publisher would benefit from learning about what you learnt by using and observing others using the product. It could be a useful input for a journalist to use in preparation for writing a product review. Content and structure may include any/all of the following...
Pitch warm-up
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In a sentence “It’s like…”
Single player, multiplayer, puzzle, builder, collaborative, cooperative, competitive, open-world, sandbox etc?
Family/Adult, player age, number of players, time to play. Casual vs campaigning etc.
Background research
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Inspiration?
Genre?
Related titles in this genre?
Published influences, related and similar titles (even, if you look for it, references in the game literature!!!!)
Design structural elements
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Game design elements? Gamifications?
Outcomes? Win/lose? Display/sharing?
The application of emotion principles?
The application of the uncertainty principles?
Narrative backdrop constructed by the design
Narrative potential constructed by the players
Complexity, scope? Too much, too little?
Developer perspective
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Paper prototype or mock-ups?
Any playtest feedback?
Comment on ease to ‘onboard’ new players? Simple version, complex version. House rules.
Identified ideal player types, market segment? Appeals to who?
Market perspective
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Potential to adapt or expand, levels, extent, add-ons, expansions? Is it a platform.
Market size of equivalent or similar titles?
Route to market? (publisher, self-publish, Kickstarter, Gamefound, crowdfunded)
Packaging/presentation? (box, components, online, platforms) look and feel.
Countries/languages? Cultural fit. Suggest markets.
Product Production: Value, costs, price, effort
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Price-point/Pricing? Cost to design/develop?
Cost to service/operate?
IP or licensing questions?
Potential to rebrand or repurpose the ‘engine’ to another genre?
