Current Games

What's working currently:

Pie Face

- Whipped cream or a wet sponge on the hand of the game unit and turn the handles. It could go off at any time, this is what makes the game fun 

- You score a point for every time you turn the handle without getting pie-faced. the one who scores 25 points wins

This game works because of the unknown element of when/if a person will receive whipped cream in the face. It is also humorous for all ages. 

Themed Cluedo

- Cluedo is regularly reinvented to keep up to date with the latest tv series/films. 

- The characters of the original game are changed to fit the theme

- Appeals to fans of the theme

- Keeps a traditional game current with today's trends

Having a theme to a traditional game keeps it current in the market and also means that it can continue to be released with each new theme. 

Ugg-Tect

- Challenges players to build a series of 3D structures while communicating only in primitive cave-man grunts

- If a mistake is main the player will receive a smack on the head from one of the inflatable plastic clubs that come with the game

There is a level of interaction with each other and the game, keeping the audience involved even if it is not their turn. 

Pandemic, Dead of Winter, Freedom - The Underground Railroad are games that are structured around an apocalyptic event. 

Catan

- Players are aiming to be the dominant force on the island by building settlements, cities and roas

- Each turn of the dice determines what resources the island produced. These are collected by players to build up their civilization and win the game

- The game has won awards due to its ability to appeal to experienced gamers as well as those new to the hobby

- Multiple editions to the game

Cards Against Humanity

- Each round, one players asks a question from a black card and everyone else answers with their funniest white card 

- The rules do not state how to win the game - the objective is simply to have fun

- The flexibility of the rules allows for players to incorporate their own

The Metagame

- An alternative to Cards Against Humanity

- 200 culture cards, 100 opinion cards

- 6 separate games that can be plaid with the cards

- 2 to 50 players

What Do You Meme

- Pair caption cards to make the best meme, as judge by a different player every round

- 3 to 20 players

- Adult content

Through The Window

- Card Game

- A simple game that can be competitive

- Each player receives 4 cards. The gamer begins by saying "I looked through the window and saw..." each player then turns over one of their four cards so all can see. Each player must try and say animal, object or place that begins with the same letter as the card shown.  For example if the card is an Ace players might call out apple, aardvark or Arksansas. The first player to call out a correct word takes the card.  The turn now goes to the player to the dealers left. The player follows the dealers lead and says "I looked through the window and saw..." and flips over one of their four cards for all to see. Each player creates a captured card pile separate from their original dealt cards. Play continues in the same way with each player taking a turn until all the cards originally dealt have been turned up and captured.

- You cannot use the same word or another word the same as another person

- The winner with the person with the most cards

This game can easily be adapted to suit various themes/added features to make it more current for today's market. 

Many of the researched games are structured around humour ad content that is appropriate for a more adult audience. 

Card Game Production

Shuffled Ink, 2017. 5 Steps to Creating Your Own Killer Card Game. 

1. Narrow down the theme
- Breaking the game down to the basics will all for a functioning concept that will ensure the idea will work in reality. 
- Research rules or additional elements that can be added to provide clarity

2. Write it down
- Rules, setting specifics, card design and other asthetics
- This will allow for elimination of areas of the game that do not work

Questions to ask during production:

3. Develop and test a prototype
- Test on a non biased target audience

4. Perfect your design
- Ensure the identity is unified across all elements of the game
- Font, colour palette, design style
- Create branding guidlines

5. Print and publish

Traditional/old games

Games mentioned in the brief:

Shove ha'penny
- Each player shoves five coins up the board in each tear. Each coin that is between or within the lines sores a point for that player. The scores are marked in the squares at either end of the bed. The aim is to get three chalk marks in each of the squares
This game requires the purchasing or making of the board. It is limited to a number of players due to the nature of the game. 

Hopschotch
- Traditionally a game that was drawn on the ground with chalk. It is more typically painted on school playgrounds. 
- Variations of the game can be made by changing the pattern of the squares or involving other rules.
- Thrown a marker into a square and hop over the square it lands in. Pick up the marker on the way back

Charades
- A single person acts out each syllable of a word or a phrase in order, followed by the whole phrase together. The rest of the group must guess what it is
- Variants; teams act out scenes together while the others guess

I-Spy
- 'I-spy with my little eye something beginning with...' Players have to get what the person saw.
- The simple concept of the game results in it being able to be played anywhere at anytime. The number of players involved in the game can differ to change the pace and interaction of the game. 
- How could this game be made into a product sold in the gaming market? 



Other: 

The Balderdash is a traditional board game that we have recognised as being traditional forgotten game however, has the potential to be popular in current day society. 

Aim: Not necessarily submit the right answer but submit an answer that tries to convince other people that your's is the correct answer.

Categories:

- Word: What is the definition?

- People: What were they known for?

- Initials: Groups and associates

- Movies: Brief summary of the film

- Dates: What happened on this day?

Considerations:

- Can be a long process game. This could be solved by having a shortcut to the game if the players wished to play a shorter version, therefore taking up less time

Evolution of game:
1984 - based on the public domain game Dictionary. The goal was to make up a definition for a word no one was familiar with in order to trick the other players
1991 - Balderdash Junior was released to make the game more accessible for children
1993 - Beyond Balderdash. An expansion/re-imagining of Balderdash which took the idea of the original game and added movie titles, dates, people and initials to the word definition. 

Reviews
+ 'easy and fun game to play. it made us laugh and added a little competition to the evening'
+ 'a good game to have a laugh and have some fun'
+ 'Adult humour and fun'
+ 'Bought this for an adult birthday gift'
+ 'Very quick to pick up'
+ 'Great easy game to play. You don't need any general knowledge just a good sense of humour and an imagination'
+ 'It is a different type of game and great fun for a group of adults as well as older children'
+ 'Without any flashy rules, game pieces, or pictures, Balderdash still manages to be one of the best board games I've played. It is important to keep the game simple so that it is easy to understand and time can be spend enjoying the game, rather than being confused.
- 'It can go on for a long time so we cute the game short'
- 'We did not use the board so consider it optional and not necessary' You want the board to be necessary so that the audience have to buy the game to play it.

- 'Difficult to understand at first. Once you start playing the game becomes clearer'

The majority of the reviews of the Balderdash game indicate that it is a humorous game that can be played with a variation of age ranges. There are comments that highlight the length of the game, suggesting that it could benefit from having shortcuts or a shorter end goal. Some of the negative points also address the understanding of the game. This depends on the company who has produced the game however is important to consider in response to this brief. The rules need to be tested with the target audience before production to ensure that it is simple to understand.

Similar/readapted games:

Query

- Players earn points for identifying the top internet search predictions and for fooling others into choosing their well-crafted answers

- This game has taken the concept of Balderdash and has adapted it to relate to current day. It is key in the response to the brief that the outcome does not resonate a similar nature of this game. The design also takes on a modernist approach, having a minimal design to ensure the ease of play. 

Balderdash Game Styles May Vary
- The rules of this game are similar/the same as the original however are worded in a different format
- Redesigned board and packaging
- Illustrative, playful, modern design

This is a modern version of the original game that has ben condensed, providing a short yet still fun game to play in a group. 

Telestrations:

- Each player begins by sketching a word dictated by the roll of a die. The sand timer limits the amount of time the player gets to execute their sketch. Once the timer is finished, each player passes their sketch to the next player, who must guess what's been drawn. Players then simultaneously pass their guess, which matches the original word, (or does it?) to the next player who must try to the word they see, and so on. 

- There is no winning element to the game, it is simply functioned around having fun 

- Inspired by Eat Poop You Cat

This game works around the element of fun between the group of players. As this is the only incentive to the game, it may lack a sufficient playing time between the age group for the brief.  

Spyfall:

- Played over several rounds to determine the winner

- At the start of each round, all players receive a card showing the same location. One player receives a card saying "spy" instead of a location. Players then start asking each other questions, trying to guess who among them is the spy. The spy does not know where they are located. 

- At any time, a player can accuse another player of being the spy. If all players agree with the accusation, the round ends and the accused must reveal their identity. If the spy is uncovered, all other players score a point. If the spy remains hidden, the spy scores the points. 

- This game has to be taken seriously in order for it to be completed. Although this is appropriate for the target audience, it has a different vibe to some of the other games explored. The direction our game could take is serious, tactical game or fun/humorous.

Go Fish, Card Game:

- 2/3-6 Players

- 52-card deck

- Goal of the game is to collect the most sets of 4

- Five cards are dealt to each player, all remaining cards are placed face down in a draw pile. On your turn, ask a player for a specific rank of card. If they have this card they must give it to you. If you get one or more cards from another player you take another turn. If you don't receive any cards, you must pick up a card from the pile

This is an example of a classic card game that varies depending on who knows what rules. The high level of engagement requires attention to be made however still involves an element of fun within the group due to the tactics required. 

Rummy

- 2 to 6 players

- A fixed number of deals or a game is played to a target score

- 52-card deck, low to high rank

- A different number of cards is dealt depending on the number of players. After the deal, the next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, with the remainder of the cards being used as the stole pile.

- The object of the game is dispose of all the cards in your hand through melding or laying off. This is done by picking up and putting down another card.

- You want to have one sequence (e.g the same suit 4,5,6,7) and one group (e.g.different suit, 7 7 7 ). 

This is another example of a card game that requires a standard 52 pack of cards. This is something that every household typically has and therefore highlights that this is not an appropriate gap in the market. However, a game that requires cards that differ from a standard pack would address this issue and ensure that to play the game, the audience would have to purchase the item(s). 

A Crash Course on Game Design

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1018707/brief-crash-course-game-design-issues-processes-an

Oliver Kiley

1. Make note for the theme or mechanics
2. Design goals/gameplay objectives - what do you want the game to accomplish? player experience? choices? number of players?
3. Pace and how players win
4. Prototype - test the basic flow of the game
5. Internal testing. Make notes about what works and what doesnn't
6. Feedback; on ideas, concept
7. Document the design; write down the rules, develop the language and terminology used to communicate game
8. Graphic interface
9. Test game

This is a structure of game development that we decided as a group to follow. It ensures that all elements of a game are considered and tested. 

D&AD Hasbro, Course Collaboration

The Brief:

annotations of the brief have been made to document thought and considerations.

This brief will be responded to as part of a collaboration team. Due to the various aspects required for this brief (game design, packaging, video) it allows for each individual to take the lead in their desired area. Each of the members in the group have different strengths which are suited to this brief. This also allows for peer teaching and development, to strengthen individual skills through others.

This brief is current in today's trends as games are becoming increasingly popular forms of entertainment. In many independent cafes/bars there is the opportunity to play card/board games. This suits the social audience who go to such places. I also play a number of board and card games at social occasions and therefore have a personal interest towards this brief.  

Copyright Information:

- Protection will be available not for the idea of the game but for the way in which the idea is expressed i.e. the explanation of the rules and the design of the board etc

- Copyright comes into existence automatically with the creation of rules and design

- Advised to mark the rules and the board with the copyright symbol

- If someone else were to take the idea and produce a different game based on it, there would be no infringement of copyright

Key information when completing this brief as it is essential not to copyright a game. This would also not be fully responding to the brief. 

Outdoor games

+ Active

+ Getting people outside

- Not as appropriate

Board Games

+ Interactive

+ Play multiple times

+ Transportable

- If there are parts required, these can be lost

- Can be time consuming

01 Meeting, The Brief

In the briefing, we rewrote the brief to suit our response, taking into consideration the the original brief requirements and the target audience.

The Brief:

Demonstrate how the National Art Pass can offer inspiration and the chance to step out of everyday life. There must be a strong comparison between everyday life and life with an Art Pass. The content must be appropriate for print and digital media.

Target Audience: University Students of 2018

Notes from discussion:

30th Jan

• Colours from guidelines

• Decided on animation story direction. Showing to others that they can escape from their individual bubble of ‘everyday life’ through visiting the places through Art Pass

• Breaking out of the bubble

• Sound with video; students typically looking at social media in social environment/education/at home

• Inside bubble, muted colours to represent everyday life, what you typically expect to see

• Outside of the bubble represented through primary colours

• Interactive poster

To do, Monday 5th 1PM:

• Photographs of Parkinson's Building + Gallery

• Simple sketches of animation

• Research into how people behave with video and sound  

Collaboration

In response to recognising that the outcome for the brief could involve an element of animation, I contacted an animator who has previously expressed his interest in collaborating with me. This is a brief that we have previously discussed. Before meeting to discuss collaborating, the initial research notes were shared with him so that he had an understanding of my current status with the brief.

Consent Form

Following feedback into the requirements of a psychological study, the following consent form was written. This ensured that participants were aware of the study they were taking part in, as well as reducing factors that may influence their response to the task.

Case Study, Consent Research

http://www.psychology4a.com/research-methods.html

Roberto Matta's, Psychological Research and Scientific Method

Deception
Deception involves either concealing the real intention of a study from participants or taking steps to mislead them at the outset. For the nature of this study, deception would be needed to ensure that the participants were not influenced by the study in the clothing that they wear.


Debriefing
It is really a matter of common courtesy to debrief your participants at the end of any procedure and inform them of the point of the research.  Debriefing is crucial if any form of deception has been employed.  Debriefing is essential in this study as it will allow for the participant to be fully aware of the nature of the photographs and for allows for the participant to remove themselves from the study. 

A proper debrief should:

• Inform participants of the purpose of the research
• Ensure that there are no negative or unforeseen consequences of the procedure
• Ensure that the participant leaves in ‘a frame of mind that is at least as sound as when they entered.’  (Aronson 1988).
• Give the participant the right to withdraw their data and to see the finished write-up of the report if they so wish.

As well as having the best interests of the participant in mind, debriefs can also be a useful source of additional information in an experiment.  Participants may tell you things that you would otherwise not be aware of.

• I confirm that I have read and understand the Participant Information Sheet

• I have had the opportunity to ask questions and had them answered

• I understand that all personal information will remain confidential and that all efforts will be made to ensure I cannot be identified (except as might be required by law)

• I agree that data gathered in this study may be stored anonymously and securely, and may be used for future research

• I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason.

• I agree to take part in this study

Psychological Harm
This can involve embarrassment, loss of self esteem, stress and anxiety.

Consent Form
A Consent Form should be no longer than one side of A4.

Some example statements include: Some example statements include:

• I confirm that I have read and understand the Participant Information Sheet

• I have had the opportunity to ask questions and had them answered

• I understand that all personal information will remain confidential and that all efforts will be made to ensure I cannot be identified (except as might be required by law)

• I agree that data gathered in this study may be stored anonymously and securely, and may be used for future research

• I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason.

• I agree to take part in this study

Participant’s signature                                                                           Make a space for the participants name to be printed, to sign and date.

Consent Form: 

Evaluation

This brief was completed over a two day period which tested research and development skills. However this has highlighted the importance and benefit of having a body of research behind an outcome. The development of the outcome was made easier due to the research stage. This also meant that time was available to demonstrate the outcome in a variety of forms, e.g as a social media profile image, on invoices, etc. This provides a visual to the client of what the outcome would appear like on their print and digital media. 

Submission Boards

Experimentation and Development of Logo

Feedback:

- The most prominent comment made in the feedback group was that the above designs are an obvious response to the brief. They will therefore have a higher chance of being submitted by another artist. However important comments to take forward are; the circle format works in a range of medias (an important feature for this logo to have due to the digital and print placement it will have) and the text is best positioned at the top or bottom of the circle (this ensures clear legibility).

- Limiting design if they use a range of tree materials

- The colours don't reflect the 'muted' colour scheme requested

The feedback on this design was mostly negative. The reoccurring issue was that many individuals were not aware of what the tool is. The design requires understanding of woodcraft and therefore is not appropriate to the large audience of the business. Although the name adds a clue, a logo should be instantly recognisable and understood. 

Feedback: 

- The text works well at the bottom of the design as the main image would be able to be used with or without the type. Positive comment however, it is a requirement for the name of the brand to be used within the logo and this perhaps would not be sufficient for the client. This could be overcome by having the name positioned through the centre of the square.

Feedback: 

- The overall comments were that the circle design reflects the annual rings of a tree however the square format is restricting of the design and appears more harsh due to the sharp edges. This is resolved through the circle format design. 

Research

The Brief - MadeByTheWoods

The Brief: Design a logo that is recognisable and highlights the ethos of the brand. The logo must be appropriate for digital and print media. 

Time Frame: 24rd January - 25th January 6pm. 

Considerations: 
Origins - woodland, reclaimed wood, recycling
- Muted, natural colours
- Include the name: MadeByTheWoods

The Brief (Direction)

From the research carried out, a case study is going to be completed to gather primary research on the subject of clothing and colour. The study will aim to investigate whether there are correlations with feelings and the colour of the clothing the participant is wearing that day. This has been informed by personal interests as well as gathering primary research to inform the investigation. The findings of this investigation will provide insight into the current colour trends as well as the effect that colour can have on individuals. This information can be applied to aspects of design. 

The content will be gathered and displayed in an informative format. This design decision has been informed by the typical way of displaying research findings. Through the research process, many studies were read as PDF files on the internet. The page to page structure reflects the nature of a zine however a more photographic approach will be taken to adhere to the visual findings recorded. This method of production allows for the information to be visually understood. A range of ideas were noted and developed to inform the final outcome. 

100 Day Challenge Evaluation

After completing 100 pieces and posting them on Instagram, I am able to reflect on the project. At the early stages of of the challenge, it became clear that there was a need for a bank of inspiration for each day. This was resolved through the use of Pinterest and through saving images/videos on Instagram. Furthermore, having a set theme for sets of days ensured that the following posts were thought of and inspiration prepared before the day. Although the aim was to create a piece of artwork each day, this raised its own challenges due to personal commitments. As a result of this, some posts were created ahead of time. This goes against the brief and motivations behind the project, however it did highlight the importance of scheduling work alongside private life. 

As a result of using Adobe Illustrator, After Effects and gouache painting I have developed a diverse practice. My skills with shortcuts and utilising the features that the Adobe programmes offer have bettered through the continuation of this brief. This will result in my creative practice being more efficient in the future.  

100 Day Challenge Complete