Stage 5: Implementing Games

In the fifth, and final, stage of the design process, designers instantiate the concrete rules into a fully implemented digital game. This includes the development of images, audio, narrative details, layouts of each level or area of the game, and software code. The details of this stage are beyond the scope of this article, as it is closer to that involved in the development of any software project based on a specific design.

Table 4-3: Possible Concrete Games Based on the Game With Objects, Plus Time Limit Abstract Game.

Game possibility Concrete rules or descriptions

Color Crystals _{• the game is split into levels}

• each level contains a grid with square-shaped cells ○ the grid starts at a size of 4-by-4

○ every fifth level, the grid increases in size by 1, up to a maximum size of 10-by-10 ○ each grid cell can contain 1 of a set of 10 possible color crystals, but a cell can also be empty

○ at the start of a level, 10% of the grid cells will have a crystal

• in each level, with a grid size of n, the player is given exactly n crystals of n different colors, that is, with a grid size of 4 the player is given 16 crystals: 4 crystals of 4 colors each

○ some of those crystals may already be placed on the grid

○ the player is randomly shown one of those crystals beside the grid ○ the player must select in which cell of the grid to place that crystal ○ when the crystal is placed, the next crystal is shown

○ the next crystal shown may be of the same color • when each grid cell is filled with a color:

○ if each row, column, and the two main diagonals of the grid are filled with one of each color then the player successfully completes the level

• if a row, column, or one of the main diagonals contains 2 of the same color, then the game ends and the player loses, regardless of how many cells remain empty

• each level contains a time limit that counts down by 1 every second

○ the timer is set to its maximum value at the start of the level, initially being 2 minutes ○ the timer’s maximum value is increased by 2 minutes whenever the grid increases in size ○ when the timer reaches 0, the game ends and the player loses

• when the player completes Level 35, the game ends and the player wins Number Swapper • the game is split into levels

• each level contains a grid with square-shaped cells ○ the grid starts at a size of 5-by-5

○ every third level, the grid increases in size by 1, up to a maximum size of 20-by-20 ○ each grid cell can contain one number between 1 and 400

○ each cell is filled with a number at the start of a level

• each level will have a numeric value, specifically chosen for that level ○ the available numbers must provide a correct solution

• the player can select any number on the grid and swap its position on the grid with any adjacent number

• during the level, if the sum of all the numbers in a row, column, or one of the main diagonals is equal to the numeric value chosen for the current level, then that row, column, or diagonal is lit up

○ when all rows, columns, and the two main diagonals are lit up, the player successfully completes the level

• each level contains a time limit that counts down by 1 every second

○ the timer is set to its maximum value at the start of the level, initially being 5 minutes ○ the timer’s maximum value is increased by 3 minutes whenever the grid increases in size ○ when the timer reaches 0, the game ends and the player loses

• when the player completes Level 50, the game ends and the player wins Egg Pusher • the game is split into levels

• each level contains a grid with square-shaped cells ○ the grid starts at a size of 5-by-5

○ every tenth level, the grid increases in size by 2, up to a maximum size of 11-by-11 ○ each grid cell can contain one egg or barrel with 1 out of 10 possible colors • in each level of the game

○ the top left grid cell contains a player-controlled character ○ five of the grid cells contain an egg

○ the remaining grid cells are filled with barrels

○ in each level after the first, one more egg is used instead of a barrel • each level contains a time limit that counts every second

○ for every 45 seconds that pass, one of the eggs on the level will crack ○ an egg can crack three times before no further cracks develop

○ when all the eggs on the grid are cracked three times, the next time a crack would develop all the eggs break, the game ends, and the player loses

• the player directs his or her character in any of the four cardinal directions

○ when the character moves, it pushes any eggs or barrels in front of it in the direction of the movement

○ an egg or barrel pushed off the edge of the grid will wrap around to the other side of the grid in the same row or column

○ if the character is adjacent to an egg with three cracks, and pushes that egg, then the egg breaks and the game ends with the player losing

• the player can change the color of his or her character to any of the colors available for that level

• during the level, if any row, column, or one of the main diagonals contains one barrel or egg of each color, then that row, column, or diagonal is lit up

○ when all rows, columns, and the two main diagonals are lit up, the player successfully completes the level

○ the color of the player’s character is included as well

• when the player completes Level 50, the game ends and the player wins