Gaming Invasion: Level 2

Welcome to the beginning of Level 2 of Gaming Invasion. In this level, I will explore some of the games that I have been playing lately due to the smart phone game explosion! The introduction of downloadable games for cellphones has created a whole new genre for game designers to explore, and with any new genre, a challenge for innovation. I will focus on two games in particular, 7 Little Words & Cut the Rope. Before getting into the objectives of the games and dissecting them, I feel like I should cover the limitations associated with cellphone games.

The most obvious limitation to a game using a cellphone as the console is the display size. Unlike with the now more traditional console based games using a television for monitoring, the average game must work with a screen around the size of an ipod, or smaller, in order to reach the majority of potential consumers. Of course, Nintendo released the Gameboy many, many years ago, but unlike a self contained system like a Gameboy, game designers are challenged to design games that can operate on multiple interfaces. In other words, Nintendo always knows their games will be played on their system whereas cellphone games must be compatible across a variety of phones, operating systems, and tablets in order to be successful. User interface is also very important, and cellphone games cannot overload the phones processor or resources to where it destroys the phones general functions or battery life. These are just a few of the many challenges faced by cellphone based game design.

The first game I'd like to review or dissect is the amazingly simple game (which is free) 7 Little Words. The concept is extremely simple, and borrows ideas from crossword puzzles, but it puts a new twist that makes it very fun. The game lists 7 clues, and then 20 "blocks" containing 2-3 letters. The object is to figure out the 7 words using the blocks which can only be used once each. It is an amazingly simple game, but I do love it for its simplicity. I do not have to devote my direct attention while playing the game as there is no real-time aspect. I can take as long as I want to guess a word. I find myself generally playing this game the most while performing some other action like attending class or having a conversation. I love this game because I actually learn new words when playing it and I can multitask while playing it.

The second game I play a lot is called Cut the Rope, and it is a bit more complex, but it is still simple enough to figure out within a minute or two at the most. The object is to make a piece of candy, attached to a string, hit 3 stars and then "deliver" it to a frog. Yes, it sounds very ridiculous, but it is very addictive and challenging. I'm not going to get into all of the variables, as it becomes more and more complex as you progress through the game. What I love about this game is the real-time strategy required to play it, and the fact that it is highly entertaining and you honestly feel a sense of accomplishment when you beat a level you've been stuck on for a while.

I cannot even imagine where the cell-game genre will be in the next 6 months or year, but it is a new and very exciting genre of game design. Even my mother plays games on her phone.

Games in Class vs. Pick 3

In class this past Thursday, I played two games, Trigger and Ticket to Ride. I found Trigger to be much more challenging than one would anticipate due to the constant use of negatives and double negatives in the questions. It was a very different game but I enjoyed playing it. My group barely had time to play Ticket to Ride because we had to refer to the rules online as the hard copy was missing from the game box. It seemed to have a good amount of strategy requires and I would like to play it again.

These games I believe fall into the "fun" category if you will (with a touch of education). They definitely have more teaching potential than the games we created during our Pick Three assignment. Trigger could be easily modified to a specific subject, and use more factual questions pertaining to that subject. For example, they could be historical facts, and the player would not only have to be the first to answer, but if the statement was false they would have to answer why it was incorrect. I really can't say how educational Ticket to Ride could be because of the very little playtime we had with the game.

Trigger had some great Player vs. Player interactions, in that you had to be the first one to slap the "target" as well as be correct. As a penalty for answering incorrectly, you would lose a card. Cards essentially kept you in the game, so it did become very competitive on a Player vs. Player basis. There was a ton of Player vs. Game Interaction, in each round, a question was read from a card and a player would have to slap their hand down, their right hand for true, and their left hand for false. The Player vs. Game interaction was somewhat competitive as well because it required you to think on your feet and respond as quickly as possible to the questions, which in some cases, were very confusing to answer as either true or false.

In general, I find Player vs. Player interaction more fun as opposed to Player vs. Game interaction. In my opinion, when a game becomes competitive, a game becomes fun. The actual game is essentially a forum or grounds in which the competition takes place. The game must be clear, concise, and easy to pick up in order to be truly enjoyable. My favorite board games can usually be completely understood after the first game. I really find it annoying when it takes hours to grasp the rules and/or goal of a game. I'd rather do something constructive than "study" a game in order to "have fun" playing it.