PERSONAL DESIGN ANALYSIS Of Racetrack, Open Field, and Card-Based Games By Robert Gervais

The Researched Games Are Effective Examples Of Their Respective Game Types Each of the researched game types; specifically racetrack, open field, and card-based games, have at least one or more core mechanics that should be present in their specific game type. The pictures and text on the box clearly indicate the specific game type researched for each game. The following games: Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It!, The Settlers Of Catan, and The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game, were chosen to serve as examples of a racetrack, open field, and card-based game respectively. The Key Elements Of A Racetrack Game A racetrack game must have at least two mechanics present in order to provide the player an authentic racetrack experience. Historical paradigms, such as Senet and Chutes & Ladders, exhibit the following key mechanics that must be present in order for a game to qualify as a racetrack game: The player must follow a set path in order to reach an end-goal. A randomizer governs piece movement. Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! Game Demonstrates The Key Elements Of A Racetrack Game The back of the box shows a photograph of children playing the game and illustrates a car being pushed along a set path towards an end goal. Additionally, a spinner (randomizer) with numbers indicating space movement is shown adjacent to the board that the children are playing on. Based on the core mechanics depicted on the box, Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! game qualifies as a racetrack game. The Game Contains Dynamics That Reinforce Its Core Racetrack Mechanics Additional game dynamics were advertised and illustrated on the box that reinforced the games core racetrack mechanic. The following are key dynamic elements of the game evident on the box: Use of Information: The randomizer (spinner) on the box conveys information regarding how may spaces the player can

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move. Additionally, the player can find objects that are conveyed on the cards that are shown on a deck juxtaposed to the illustrated board. Use of Space: This game serves as an archetypical model regarding the use of space. The entire board contains information that is visually communicated to the player. As the player moves along the wide track, they look for objects located within the artists illustrated world. The box makes great use of well-executed art. Process & Procedures: According to the box art, players move their car along a racetrack by using a spinner as a randomizer, which fits the classic racetrack archetype. Additionally, there is a timer for finding objects prompted by clue cards.

Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! Board Game Is A Good Example Of A Racetrack Game The aforementioned game is a good example of a racetrack game because it exhibits all of the classic racetrack elements on the box art and in the box description. My Choice Has Common Elements With Racetrack Games As mentioned earlier, racetrack games require players to move their pieces along a set path to an end goal with a randomizer governing piece movement. My choice exhibits the common paradigms of a racetrack game. The Pictures On The Box Art Effectively Communicate Racetrack Mechanics The game developer clearly communicated on the box art that the game belongs to the racetrack family by showing the following on the box: Children are moving a car along a set path toward an end goal. A randomizer (spinner) with space numbers is shown next to the board.

Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! Game Promises The Player A Classic Racetrack Game Experience With Solid Dynamics By merely looking at the box, it is easy for the player to know that the game I chose is a racetrack game with object-searching and teamwork dynamics. The Games Box Art Communicates Its Core Mechanics And Dynamics Clearly The player knows that the game shares the mechanics of a racetrack archetype, because photos of children playing on a classic racetrack with a randomizer are evident. Additionally, the player can start experiencing the

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object-searching element of the game whilst reviewing the box because there are already several objects that a prospective player can look for on the box. Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words Text on the box states, Join Huckle Cat & Lowly Worm on a funfilled race around Busytown searching for hidden objects. Clearly, the game developer is using a licensed intellectual property to increase sales. It is evident that the box art for Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! game is meant to capitalize on the audiences interest in an intellectual property that is already selling well in the marketplace. In essence, players will experience the visual world that Richard Scarry penned in his books within the context of a classic racetrack game. The Key Elements Of An Open Field Game An open field game must have at least three mechanics present in order to provide the player a genuine open field experience. Little Wars by HG Wells is an ancestral open field game that demonstrates the following key mechanics: The game must allow players to place their pieces throughout a field of play in a strategic manner. The game must have high re-playability value. The games system design must promote gameplay strategy. The Settlers Of Catan Demonstrates The Key Elements Of An Open Field Game The box shows hexagonal tiles with town and road pieces laid throughout the field of play. Additionally, the box states that players can replay the game with new strategies at the outset of every turn. Based on pictures and text shown on the box, The Settlers Of Catan meets the requirements to qualify as an open field game. Key Dynamics Are Evidence Of Open Field Game Mechanics Additional game dynamics were advertised on the box that reinforced the games core racetrack mechanic. The following were key dynamic elements of the game that were evident: Use of Information: Box art demonstrates that the game conveys strategic information by using playing cards. Example cards include a knight card, a university card, and a roadbuilding card. Additionally, there are hexagonal tiles that communicate different terrain types.

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Use of Space: The games use of space is evident in a photo of the hexagonal game board. There are city and road bits shown on the edges of the hexagonal tiles, which reinforce the core open field mechanic of free piece placement. Repeatability: This game promises to be extremely repeatable from the observation that a players pieces and strategy can change from game-to-game.

The Settlers Of Catan Is A Good Example Of An Open Field Game The aforementioned game is a good example of an open field game because it exhibits archetypical elements on the box art and in the box description. My Choice Demonstrates Common Elements With Open Field Games Little Wars was an archetypical open field game because it allowed players to place their pieces on the field of play in a strategic manner so as to promote high repeatability. My choice exhibits those key elements common to the archetypical open field game. Game Item Lists And Game Board Photos Communicate Open Field Gameplay The game developer effectively communicated on the box that the game belongs to the open field family by showing the following on the box: Text on the box promotes the use of strategy as being core to gameplay A list of in-box items indicates that players must effectively manage their in-game resources to develop cities. A photo of the game board shows a harbor and water surrounding the island of Catan, thus indicating open movement throughout the field of play.

The Player Will Expect Open Field Gameplay In Playing The Settlers Of Catan After reading item lists and observing the hexagonal tile arrangement with bits strategically placed throughout multiple terrain types, the player should expect to play a game that is rich in open-field game mechanics with high strategic and repeatability value. The Box Communicates The Games Open Field Mechanics A player who is familiar with open field gameplay will recognize that the list of resources and that the pictures of resource and strategy cards is an indication of strategic gameplay, which are essential for an open field experience. Additionally, a discerning player will recognize that the harbors and roads along the hexagonal game board promotes open field bit placement.

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Lists And Cards Dont Lie The summary on the box tells the player that they will obtain victory through clever trading and cunning development. Additionally, by showing the following: Resource Cards. Lists of resources.

The player knows that they will have to utilize a fair bit of strategy in the game. Finally, the player will have an open field to place their pieces in order to exact their strategy on a hexagonal game board. The Key Element Of A Card-Based Game A card-based game must have at least one mechanic present in order to provide the player a standard card-playing experience. As an example, Grandmamas Improved Game of Riddles provides the following key mechanic that must be present in order for a game to qualify as a card-based game: Information must be conveyed to the player via cards. The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game Demonstrates The Key Element Of A Card-Based Game The back of the box shows a photograph of people reading cards. Based on the core mechanic depicted on the box, The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game qualifies as a card-based game. Key Dynamic Is Evidence Of A Card-Based Game Mechanic An additional game dynamic was advertised and illustrated on the box that reinforced the games core card-based mechanic. The following is a key dynamic of the game that was evident on the box: Use of Information: The game is designed to convey information and solicit answers from players. Additionally, the different symbols communicated to the player on the cards represents actions that players can take during the course of the game, which introduces a card stealing dynamic.

The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game Is A Good Example Of A Card Based Game The aforementioned game is a good example of a card-based game because it exhibits the key gameplay element on the box.

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My Choice Demonstrates Common Elements With An Archetypical Card Based Game Grandmamas Improved Game of Riddles was a card based game because it conveyed and solicited information from players in much the same way that my choice does so. The Box Communicates Card-Based Gameplay The game developer effectively communicated on the box that the game belongs to the card-based family by showing the following on the box: A group of people reading cards. Various symbols on the cards indicating trivia, buzzing-in, blocking player, and double-stealing cards.

The Player Will Expect Card Based Gameplay With A Strategic Twist In Playing The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game The player will readily expect to not only answer trivia, but to utilize a basic form of strategy in order to successfully play the game. The Box Communicates The Games Card-Based Game Mechanic The pictures on the box demonstrate the core game mechanic. Symbols And Pictures Tell The Story There is a picture of hands holding cards and phrases indicating that the player will expect a trivia card game with a twist. Symbols of various strategy cards communicate a twist to the player that will allow them to utilize some form of strategy to help them win the game. Conclusion Each of the three types of games I researched requires at least one or more elements in order to be representative of their respective game type. All of the games that I have chosen exhibit those proper elements; Richard Scarrys Busytown Eye Found It! racetrack game has players move pieces along a set path to an end point with the use of a randomizer; The Settlers Of Catan open field game has players play with strategy on an open field in a highly repeatable game; and The Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game utilizes cards to communicate and solicit information from the player. The player knows what to expect with the games I have chosen because they will have the core elements shown on the box in the case of each game. !

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