1

Monster:

Hopscotch Hamlet

Status:

Defeated

Warrior:

Auldyn Matthews

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Auldyn Matthews

Game Design

22 January 2013

Part I: 50 Hopscotch Ideas & Pros/Cons

Pros/Cons:

Why Hopscotch Is Fun Why It’s Not Always Fun

1. Easy to learn 1. Limited to environment (outdoors, has to

be nice weather, etc.)

2. Easy to set up (efficient) 2. Not always accessible--those with physical

disabilities most likely cannot play

3. Little supplies for set up 3. Must be done in some physical space--can’t

play hopscotch in an airplane

4. Great for a range of ages 4. May be considered easy for some adults

(depends on scale of board)

5. You may have to wait a while to play if a lot

of people are around (not a good play to wait

ratio)

50 Ideas:

1 Hopscotch Memory Matching: with a different type of board, you have to match the

two numbers in order (match 1’s, then 2’s, etc.)

2 Hopscotch Twister: Have a Twister board to determine what body part combination

would be used. Don’t limit it to feet! (maybe 1 hand, 1 foot) 1 hand/2 hands only may

be impossible (but interesting!!)

3

3 Finger Hopscotch: (Address con 1) On some mobile (phone/tablet) device, use your

fingers rather than feet. Now you can play in an airplane! Be timed to get through the

board quickly. To throw an item, it’d be like the paper toss game for iOS (flick it).

4 Different alphabet hopscotch: rather than having numbers in 1,2,3 then have “uno, dos,

�” to learn the numbers in the new language

5 Unknown Hopscotch: Rather than knowing what numbers there are (they’re written),

the player is given a starting location (they know 1), but has to figure out the correct

pattern (where is 2, 3, etc.). Some kind of manager/judge would be needed to confirm.

6 DDR Hopscotch: Have a DDR game using the DDR pad, but the player would have to

press the arrows depending on their order.

7 0 Based Indexing/Programming concepts: Use variations to teach ideas about

programming like 0 based indexing, loops, arrays. For example, the board would only

go 0-9. While loops could be taught by making players continue until some condition is

met. For loops could also be taught in a similar manner.

8 Timed Hopscotch: Make it interesting and time it!

9 Add more objects: After a few rounds, add more objects to throw to make both

throwing/skipping challenging.

10 Hopscotch on the wall: Have the board on the wall and use a tennis ball to get through

the sequence.

11 Hop+Scotch: Literally hop scotch. This could be a new drinking game (or sobriety test...)

Perhaps the player has to take a shot/drink if they fall over.

12 Mental hopscotch: Rather than having a physical challenge, have trivia or questions

along the way. Play in teams and have lifelines to get help with questions. Something

like Cranium maybe?

13 Island Hopscotch: Make each of the pieces like a country with water in between to

require some interesting

14 Blindfolded Hopscotch: Pair up with someone. The person not blindfolded will throw

the token and the blindfolded person will have to navigate the board from the words of

the

15 Addition hopscotch: As the player goes through the board, add the numbers, but be

careful not to add the number the token is on! (could do subtraction, multiplication

too!)

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16 Limbo hopscotch: At the point of the token, 2 other players would hold a limbo stick.

Another physical constraint!

17 D&D/Story inspired hopscotch: Players with tokens navigate a similar board (miniature,

though) with monsters on each space. Somehow, they must sneak around/defeat the

monster to advance through the board.

18 Interactive Hopscotch: Have a mat with the board with DDR sensors in each location.

Sometimes the mat may ask you to spontaneously perform an action (ask a question,

do something physical).

19 Two player Hopscotch: something similar to 3 legged race, but with a hopscotch board

and two players. Physical limitations would be imposed, such where 1 foot is required

for a square, only 2 (total, not for each person) can be used. Make the board really

small for some fun!

20 3D Hopscotch: Have a play structure with holes/slides, etc. with numbers. Perhaps a

playset like at McDonalds/Burger King would be really cool!

21 Additive Hopscotch: Every time a round is played, another piece is added on by the

previous person playing. A limited number of rounds would be decided.

22 Buddhist Hopscotch: Rather than using chalk, the players would use the tool for

Chinese calligraphy to draw the parts of the board.

23 Turtle hopscotch: moving parts in a pool/shallow water!

24 Stepping stone hopscotch: don’t slip and fall! Try and play in a stream with others.

Make multiple/crossover boards.

25 Multiple token hopscotch: The number on the board = the number of tokens you have

to throw. (Perhaps you would turn the board around too to have 1 the farthest away

and 10 the closest.)

26 Beer pong hopscotch: combine the rules of beer pong with hopscotch. For example, if a

ball is thrown into cup #4 the opposing player must do the same to “check” the first

player.

27 Portal hopscotch: use the portals to navigate through the hopscotch board. Perhaps a

map is set up like a hopscotch board with each room as a tile.

28 Tetris hopscotch: somehow apply the idea of hopscotch (with varying shapes) into the

chaotic setting of Tetris

29 Finger hopscotch #2: On paper, same board, but rules require certain number of

fingers to be used

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30 Post-Its hopscotch: Use some post its. Have fun.

31 Strategy hopscotch: Move the tile (i.e. “1”) your token landed on after successfully

completing 1 round

32 Tabletop hopscotch: Rather than using tiles, use tables. While this is highly unsafe, it

sounds fun...

33 Wikipedia hopscotch: A variation of the Wikipedia race game. You have to get to a

certain page within the number of tiles (i.e. 10) but avoid one topic within those. When

a round is successfully completed, reduce the number of tiles by 1.

34 Tabletop hopscotch #2: A variation of “the floor is lava game”, use pieces of furniture

and some kind of object you must get and navigate around the room.

35 Bootcamp hopscotch: Use tires in place of the tiles to make an interesting physical

challenge.

36 Pool hopscotch: have a floating board with a fossils ball. Go underwater and pop your

head up at each tile.

37 Hot coals hopscotch: Your board tiles 1-9 are hot coals. 10 is a break. Good luck.

38 Jousting hopscotch: 2 opposing players play through the board. On the way back they

joust. Whoever gets knocked out loses.

39 Pizza box hopscotch: Used at restaurants, perhaps. When people are done with pizza

boxes, make the board. Don’t fall over though.

40 Racing hopscotch: Players must race against other players. To add difficulty, certain

tasks may be asked of players such as balancing an egg in a spoon or putting a ball

between their legs (don’t know how you’d hop...). Or perhaps you must keep a piece of

paper under your foot at all times.

41 Strip hopscotch: Every time someone successfully goes through a round, take off a

piece of clothing. ;)

42 Cussing hopscotch: As players navigate through, they must yell cuss words. Perhaps

this would be therapeutic...

43 Multiple token hopscotch: Each player gets two tokens. One is thrown for the

traditional rule, but the other one requires other players to perform some action

determined by the owner of the token.

44 Mad Libs Hopscotch: Each of the numbers is associated with a word or phrase. With

some interesting play, a story emerges and the players may have some input with the

story.

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45 Location based hopscotch: Using a game built on a mobile device, players will have to

navigate to specific landmarks without entering certain neighborhoods. It could have

elements of Risk (with teams?). Geocaching?

46 Water fountain hopscotch: In those cool water fountain park areas, there could be a

permanent painted hopscotch board with fountain spouts--it may be fun to dodge (or

not!) the water.

47 LOTR Hopscotch: Make a map of traveling to Mordor and back... in the form of a

hopscotch board. Monsters will have to be avoided along the way and you have to

make the journey back.

48 Motivational Hopscotch: To-do list type mobile app with a player-chosen obstacle to

confront each week. This would be to let people get over their fears, help with any

confrontations, etc. The first half would be one emotional aspect and “coming back”

would be another.

49 Virtual Hopscotch: Using the accelerometers, etc. in a mobile phone, attempt to control

an avatar through the hopscotch game with increased constraints such as number of

blocks (>10) and time.

50 Dance game: with numbers on a hopscotch pad/board the player must learn new

dance moves.

51 Two boards one player: players must navigate not one but two boards. Clearly, rules

will have to be changed to accommodate number of limbs. (Can use hands and legs.)

Part II: Develop Concepts (at least 3)

Choosing which 4 redesigns of Hopscotch was a difficult process. I found many of my

ideas to be interesting, exciting, and curious. However, given the constraints of time,

development, and my own expertise, I found 11 redesigns I thought about exploring. From

there, I found 4 to explore in terms of their rules, potential aesthetics, emotions, and

experiences for players.

From this point, I attempted to merge some of the ideas to look at how multiple

changes to technology, aesthetics, story, or mechanics could create a variation of Hopscotch

addressing one of the “cons” listed. While some may seem trivial, I noted that most of my

ideas came from the fact that Hopscotch is fairly simple and easy for adults. However, I still

hoped to create a variation applicable to those with a physical disability. A few of the following

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ideas came from combining some of the 50 ideas to create more challenges/interesting

scenarios for players.

My first idea was to combine Post-Its Hopscotch and Race Hopscotch, which I thought

would be an interesting physical challenge for players. One reason I found this interesting is

that adults may find traditional Hopscotch to be simple and/or easy. Thus, constraining the

size and time for the player would add pressures, thus, adding some fun for the players. This

would also allow players to not wait as long to play, as there will be more boards. There also

could be half as many boards as players.

In terms of gameplay, Post-Its Hopscotch would be the same rules as traditional

Hopscotch, but the only difference is that the tiles are made out of Post-Its rather than chalk.

This also addresses another problem with Hopscotch--chalk, a nice sidewalk/driveway, and

good weather are required. Now office workers can take a quick break and play Post-Its

Hopscotch.

The next idea came from a similar foundation: use Race Hopscotch while also

constraining the person visually with Blindfolded Hopscotch. This is a great solution not only

to the problem of adults finding traditional Hopscotch possibly as boring, but also for those

who may not physically be able to play Hopscotch, especially those with a visual impairment

or are blind. This variation would allow those players to join in. Solving one of the problems

with Hopscotch helps widen the target audience for Hopscotch.

Blindfolded Hopscotch would be played with the same materials as Hopscotch, but

some mechanics would be different. At least 2 teams of 2 (total of 4) players would be needed

for the optimal game, although 2-3 players could be used. Each team has their own board and

one player is blindfolded while another helps guide the blindfolded player. The board then

must be set up the same between all teams, but in a varying order of 1-10. The board could

change shape as much as the teams would like, thus, some creativity comes into play for

players. Blind or visually impaired players would be able to join in. Also, if each team of 2 has

a board, then each player will be playing, just with different roles, so downtime is limited.

The third concept of Hopscotch came from different types of constraints: the unknown

and memory. Some may not like temporal pressures, such as races or timed Hopscotch; thus,

memory may be another avenue for players. This allows for more variation in Hopscotch that

gives a variety of players to enjoy the game. With this version, other elements could be added,

such as time or racing if desired.

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In this version of Hopscotch, players are presented with a board of 1-10, which may

have to change if not difficult enough. However, the pattern for hopping would not be 1, 2, �,

n. Rather, players will have to figure out the correct pattern (1, 5, 7, etc.). For added challenge,

racing and teams could be implemented. For Unknown Hopscotch, the board may have to

change some to allow for more challenge with more than 10 tiles; however, that would be easy

to change if needed.

Finally, the last idea for a variation of Hopscotch is to employ strategy with the board.

This would also use the same board setup with 1-10 at the beginning with movable tiles (such

as paper, for example), but players would move tiles around at the end of each move

(described below). Strategy uses a different type of gameplay, where players must make

enough of a risk to “knock out” other players to win, but not make it too difficult as so they are

still able to win.

In terms of how the game would play, players would throw their token and whatever

tile it lands on, they are able to move the tile after successfully going through the board. If the

player is not able to finish, the next player must try and “beat” the player by going through the

same motion. If the next player successfully navigates the board, that player is “out”. This

mechanic may need to be tested, but elimination of players is an essential part of the game.

Overall, some of my 50 ideas were bizarre, very hi-fi for the project, and unfortunately not

buildable for the scope of the project. Regardless, I was still able to produce some interesting

variations for testing.

Part III: Playtest & Develop

Note: Two ideas were developed: Index Card Hopscotch and Strategy

Hopscotch.

“Index Card Hopscotch” Playtesting

1. Post-Its Hopscotch Playtest #1:

Version 1 Rules:

Number of players: At least two

Target audience: Anyone in an office/able to use office supplies

Rules: Number Post-Its 1-10 and lay in the similar design as the traditional Hopscotch

board (see below). Each player gets a magnet as a token. There will be one board per player.

When players are ready, say “Ready, Set, Go!” and attempt to place the magnet inside the Post-

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It with a 1. Hop like traditional Hopscotch and pick up the token on the way back. When

finished, toss the token to 2 and repeat. The first one to get to 10 and make it back wins.

Notes: For the first version I playtested of Post-Its Hopscotch, the rules were simple:

use Post-Its in place of the tiles and use a small magnet for the token. Two people will go at

the same time and race to the finish. Other than that, everything else was kept the same

including the board design.

During playtesting, there were a ton of problems. First, Post-Its are a cool idea, but

often stick to one’s shoes or socks. In addition, we found that trying to get the magnet onto a

Post-It was too difficult and delayed play for too long--something I hoped to avoid, as I found

that an issue with traditional Hopscotch. Finally, with the Post-Its, they kept moving as we

played, which became really difficult. Thus, I changed some of the rules (updated in Playtest

#2 Version 2 Rules).

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Notes Pictures (Taken during Playtesting):

Playtesting Pictures:

2. Index Card Hopscotch Playtest #2:

Version 2 Rules:

Number of players: At least two

Target audience: Anyone in an office/able to use office supplies

Rules: Number Post-Its 1-10 and lay in the similar design as the traditional Hopscotch

board. Each player gets a Sharpie as a token. There are two boards and players must split up

into two teams, like a relay. Each player will play 1 round (throw the Sharpie once and come

back for it), starting at 1, then 2, etc. If a player steps out of bounds or falls over, he/she must

start over. The token must not land on the tile, but rather, must be picked up from the tile

representing the round. For example, if a player is third, he/she can throw the Sharpie

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anywhere, but it must be picked up from the #3 tile. If any tiles move, then players must move

with them. The first team to finish (finish 10 successfully) wins.

Notes: From the first playtest, I found that the magnet was not a great token and the

traditional token mechanism wasn’t working. Thus, I thought that it may not be hitting the tile

to be the fun part, but trying to pick it up in awkward or funny ways. So, rather than having to

hit the tile, players must pick up the Sharpie from his/her location (if it’s round 3, then tile 3).

In addition, Post-Its were not working and had huge problems. Using index cards, though, still

provided a small space, but didn’t stick or move nearly as much as Post-Its. Also, I found with

playtesting players had fun if they had to move with the index cards. Thus, a new rule came

into effect.

Index Card Hopscotch (previously Post-Its Hopscotch) was not very fun at first.

However, with small changes and two rounds of playtesting, elements were changed to make

the game much more fun for office or home Hopscotch. For those trying to find an indoor

solution, more challenging game, or a competition, Index Card Hopscotch provides a great

opportunity to play with friends, coworkers, and family members. While this iteration seemed

closer to “fun”, I was not completely satisfied with the end result. Perhaps there are aspects

that are not fun that I’m having difficulty finding, but I feel as though more playtesting would

really help. Due to the time and desire to playtest another version, I left Index Card Hopscotch

at this point.

“Strategy Hopscotch” Playtesting

1. Strategy Hopscotch Playtest #1:

Version #1 Rules:

Number of Players: at least 2

Target audience: Anyone with paper, tape, and small token objects

Rules: Players lay down the board in a traditional way. Each waits to play as one

person plays at a time, like usual. The player must throw the token on one tile, skipping it, and

retrieving it on the way back (like the traditional rules) starting at 1, then 2, etc. However,

whichever tile he/she successfully retrieves the token from, the player can move the tile

anywhere, but must keep in mind the tiles still must be played 1-10 in order when hopping. If

the person falls outside of the tiles, then he/she is eliminated from the game.

Notes: While playtesting, I noticed fewer problems than for playtesting for Index Card

Hopscotch. However, some noted they felt as though the token slowed down some of the

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process and perhaps starting at 1 was unnecessary--why not throw the token anywhere, like

usual? Overall, players felt the token throwing process really “hurt the flow” of the game. This

would need to be reconsidered with the redesign. In addition, the elimination process was a

little boring and expected. Thus, this was something players hoped to be updated with the

next playtest. Finally, one question was left unanswered: what happens if there are more than

2 contiguous tiles? This also would need to be considered for the second playtest. All updates

are explained in the second playtest rules.

Notes Pictures (Taken during Playtesting):

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Playtesting Pictures:

2. Strategy Hopscotch Playtest #2:

Version #2 Rules:

Number of Players: at least 2

Target audience: Anyone with paper, tape, and small token objects

Rules: Players lay down the board in a traditional way. Each waits to play as one

person plays at a time, like usual. The player must throw the token on any one tile, skipping it,

and retrieving it on the way back (like the traditional rules). However, whichever tile he/she

successfully retrieves the token from, the player can move the tile anywhere, but must keep in

mind the tiles still must be played 1-10 in order when hopping. Also, only 3 contiguous tiles

are allowed (see below). If the person falls outside of the tiles, then the next player has the

opportunity to “check” the current player. If the next player is able to do the same action as

the current player, then the current player is eliminated; however, if the next player is

unsuccessful, the current player is not and the next player’s turn is taken. Extra: For extra fun,

after every 5 rounds, add another tile!

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Example of Allowable and Not Allowable Contiguous Tiles:

Allowed:

Not Allowed:

Notes: This time, the game was extremely fun and much more successful than the first

time. I had more people join in from watching than from the Index Card Hopscotch from

being around in my studio, which I found as encouraging. The changes really seemed to

“follow the fun.” It also engaged those who weren’t playing by mentally planning how they

wanted to move tiles or how certain tiles may mess up their plan! Thus, at least they were

cognitively active during the game, helping to fix the problem traditional Hopscotch has of

passive players. In addition, we played this indoors with our shoes off and pieces of paper

taped to the floor, offering an indoor alternative as well. Finally, this was much more

challenging physically and mentally than traditional Hopscotch. Strategy Hopscotch addresses

3 main concerns I had with traditional Hopscotch. I’m proud and satisfied of this redesign.

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What’s Up Next?

Journal/Log Kept through Project

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Monday, January 21:

General Notes: 1 Pictures added after downloading 2 Doc put together from various dates 3 Put in PDF (font)

“Index Card Hopscotch” Playtesting 1. Post-Its Hopscotch Playtest #1: Version 1 Rules: Number of players: At least two Target audience: Anyone in an office/able to use office supplies Rules: Number Post-Its 1-10 and lay in the similar design as the traditional Hopscotch board (see below). Each player gets a magnet as a token. There will be one board per player. When players are ready, say “Ready, Set, Go!” and attempt to place the magnet inside the Post-It with a 1. Hop like traditional Hopscotch and pick up the token on the way back. When finished, toss the token to 2 and repeat. The first one to get to 10 and make it back wins.

Notes: For the first version I playtested of Post-Its Hopscotch, the rules were simple:

use Post-Its in place of the tiles and use a small magnet for the token. Two people will go at the same time and race to the finish. Other than that, everything else was kept the same including the board design. During playtesting, there were a ton of problems. First, Post-Its are a cool idea, but often stick to one’s shoes or socks. In addition, we found that trying to get the magnet onto a Post-It was too difficult and delayed play for too long--something I hoped to avoid, as I found that an issue with traditional Hopscotch. Finally, with the Post-Its, they kept moving as we played, which became really difficult. Thus, I changed some of the rules (updated in Playtest #2 Version 2 Rules). Notes Pictures (Taken during Playtesting): Playtesting Pictures:

2

2. Index Card Hopscotch Playtest #2: Version 2 Rules: Number of players: At least two Target audience: Anyone in an office/able to use office supplies Rules: Number Post-Its 1-10 and lay in the similar design as the traditional Hopscotch board. Each player gets a Sharpie as a token. There are two boards and players must split up into two teams, like a relay. Each player will play 1 round (throw the Sharpie once and come back for it), starting at 1, then 2, etc. If a player steps out of bounds or falls over, he/she must start over. The token must not land on the tile, but rather, must be picked up from the tile representing the round. For example, if a player is third, he/she can throw the Sharpie anywhere, but it must be picked up from the #3 tile. If any tiles, move, then players must move with them. The first team to finish (finish 10 successfully) wins. Notes: From the first playtest, I found that the magnet was not a great token and the traditional token mechanism wasn’t working. Thus, I thought that it may not be hitting the tile to be the fun part, but trying to pick it up in awkward or funny ways. So, rather than having to hit the tile, players must pick up the Sharpie from his/her location (if it’s round 3, then tile 3). In addition, Post-Its were not working and had huge problems. Using index cards, though, still provided a small space, but didn’t stick or move nearly as much as Post-Its. Also, I found with playtesting players had fun if they had to move with the index cards. Thus, a new rule came into effect. Index Card Hopscotch (previously Post-Its Hopscotch) was not very fun at first. However, with small changes and two rounds of playtesting, elements were changed to make the game much more fun for office or home Hopscotch. For those trying to find an indoor solution, more challenging game, or a competition, Index Card Hopscotch provides a great opportunity to play with friends, coworkers, and family members. While this iteration seemed closer to “fun”, I was not completely satisfied with the end result. Perhaps there are aspects that are not fun that I’m having difficulty finding, but I feel as though more playtesting would really help. Due to the time and desire to playtest another version, I left Index Card Hopscotch at this point. “Strategy Hopscotch” Playtesting 1. Strategy Hopscotch Playtest #1: Version #1 Rules: Number of Players: at least 2 Target audience: Anyone with paper, tape, and small token objects Rules: Players lay down the board in a traditional way. Each waits to play as one person plays at a time, like usual. The player must throw the token on one tile, skipping it, and retrieving it on the way back (like the traditional rules) starting at 1, then 2, etc. However, whichever tile he/she successfully retrieves the token from, the player can move the tile anywhere, but must keep in mind the tiles still must be played 1-10 in order when hopping. If the person falls outside of the tiles, then he/she is eliminated from the game.

3

Notes: While playtesting, I noticed fewer problems than for playtesting for Index Card Hopscotch. However, some noted they felt as though the token slowed down some of the process and perhaps starting at 1 was unnecessary--why not throw the token anywhere, like usual? Overall, players felt the token throwing process really “hurt the flow” of the game. This would need to be reconsidered with the redesign.In addition, the elimination process was a little boring and expected. Thus, this was something players hoped to be updated with the next playtest. Finally, one question was left unanswered: what happens if there are more than 2 contiguous tiles? This also would need to be considered for the second playtest. All updates are explained in the second playtest rules. Notes Pictures (Taken during Playtesting): Playtesting Pictures: 2. Strategy Hopscotch Playtest #2: Version #2 Rules:

Number of Players: at least 2 Target audience: Anyone with paper, tape, and small token objects Rules: Players lay down the board in a traditional way. Each waits to play as one person plays at a time, like usual. The player must throw the token on any one tile, skipping it, and retrieving it on the way back (like the traditional rules). However, whichever tile he/she successfully retrieves the token from, the player can move the tile anywhere, but must keep in mind the tiles still must be played 1-10 in order when hopping. Also, only 3 contiguous tiles are allowed (see below). If the person falls outside of the tiles, then the next player has the opportunity to “check” the current player. If the next player is able to do the same action as the current player, then the current player is eliminated; however, if the next player is unsuccessful, the current player is not and the next player’s turn is taken. Extra: For extra fun, after every 5 rounds, add another tile! Notes: This time, the game was extremely fun and much more successful than the first time. I had more people join in from watching than from the Index Card Hopscotch from being around in my studio, which I found as encouraging. The changes really seemed to “follow the fun.” It also engaged those who weren’t playing by mentally planning how they wanted to move tiles or how certain tiles may mess up their plan! Thus, at least they were cognitively active during the game, helping to fix the problem traditional Hopscotch has of passive players. In addition, we played this indoors with our shoes off and pieces of paper taped to the floor, offering an indoor alternative as well. Finally, this was much more challenging physically and mentally than traditional Hopscotch. Strategy Hopscotch address 3 main concerns I had with traditional Hopscotch. I’m proud and satisfied of this redesign. Formal Write Up: Part II Choosing which 4 redesigns of Hopscotch was a difficult process. I found many of my ideas to be interesting, exciting, and curious. However, given the constraints of time,

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development, and my own expertise, I found 11 redesigns I thought about exploring. From there, I found 4 to explore in terms of their rules, potential aesthetics, emotions, and experiences for players. From this point, I attempted to merge some of the ideas to look at how multiple changes to technology, aesthetics, story, or mechanics could create a variation of Hopscotch addressing one of the “cons” listed. While some may seem trivial, I noted that most of my ideas came from the fact that Hopscotch is fairly simple and easy for adults. However, I still hoped to create a variation applicable to those with a physical disability. A few of the following ideas came from combining some of the 50 ideas to create more challenges/interesting scenarios for players. My first idea was to combine Post-Its Hopscotch and Race Hopscotch, which I thought would be an interesting physical challenge for players. One reason I found this interesting is that adults may find traditional Hopscotch to be simple and/or easy. Thus, constraining the size and time for the player would add pressures, thus, adding some fun for the players. This would also allow players to not wait as long to play, as there will be more boards. There also could be half as many boards as players. In terms of gameplay, Post-Its Hopscotch would be be the same rules as traditional Hopscotch, but the only difference is that the tiles are made out of Post-Its rather than chalk. This also addresses another problem with Hopscotch--chalk, a nice sidewalk/driveway, and good weather are required. Now office workers can take a quick break and play Post-Its Hopscotch. The next idea came from a similar foundation: use Race Hopscotch while also constraining the person visually with Blindfolded Hopscotch. This is a great solution not only to the problem of adults finding traditional Hopscotch possibly as boring, but also for those who may not physically be able to play Hopscotch, especially those with a visual impairment or are blind. This variation would allow those players to join in. Solving one of the problems with Hopscotch helps widen the target audience for Hopscotch. Blindfolded Hopscotch would be played with the same materials as Hopscotch, but some mechanics would be different. At least 2 teams of 2 (total of 4) players would be needed for the optimal game, although 2-3 players could be used. Each team has their own board and one player is blindfolded while another helps guide the blindfolded player. The board then must be set up the same between all teams, but in a varying order of 1-10. The board could change shape as much as the teams would like, thus, some creativity comes into play for players. Blind or visually impaired players would be able to join in. Also, if each team of 2 has a board, then each player will be playing, just with different roles, so downtime is limited. The third concept of Hopscotch came from different types of constraints: the unknown and memory. Some may not like temporal pressures, such as races or timed Hopscotch; thus, memory may be another avenue for players. This allows for more variation in Hopscotch that gives a variety of players to enjoy the game. With this version, other elements could be added, such as time or racing if desired.

In this version of Hopscotch, players are presented with a board of 1-10, which may have to change if not difficult enough. However, the pattern for hopping would not be 1, 2, �, n. Rather, players will have to figure out the correct pattern (1, 5, 7, etc.). For added challenge,

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racing and teams could be implemented. For Unknown Hopscotch, the board may have to change some to allow for more challenge with more than 10 tiles; however, that would be easy to change if needed.

Finally, the last idea for a variation of Hopscotch is to employ strategy with the board. This would also use the same board setup with 1-10 at the beginning with movable tiles (such as paper, for example), but players would move tiles around at the end of each move (described below). Strategy uses a different type of gameplay, where players must make enough of a risk to “knock out” other players to win, but not make it too difficult as so they are still able to win.

In terms of how the game would play, players would throw their token and whatever tile it lands on, they are able to move the tile after successfully going through the board. If the player is not able to finish, the next player must try and “beat” the player by going through the same motion. If the next player successfully navigates the board, that player is “out”. This mechanic may need to be tested, but elimination of players is an essential part of the game.

Overall, some of my 50 ideas were bizarre, very hi-fi for the project, and unfortunately not buildable for the scope of the project. Regardless, I was still able to produce some interesting variations for testing. Things to Include for Final Write Up:

1 Target Audience 2 How many players? 3 Rules

Sunday, January 20:

Final Brainstorming Ideas: 1 Turtle hopscotch: moving parts in a pool/shallow water! 2 Stepping stone hopscotch: don’t slip and fall! Try and play in a stream with others.

Make multiple/crossover boards. 3 Multiple token hopscotch: The number on the board = the number of tokens you have

to throw. (Perhaps you would turn the board around too to have 1 the farthest away and 10 the closest.)

4 Beer pong hopscotch: combine the rules of beer pong with hopscotch. For example, if a ball is thrown into cup #4 the opposing player must do the same to “check” the first player.

5 Portal hopscotch: use the portals to navigate through the hopscotch board. Perhaps a map is set up like a hopscotch board with each room as a tile.

What else do I need to do?

1 Find >= 3 ideas to discuss whether they may be fun. (Highlight those!) 2 Begin to build/playtest ASAP.

Part II: Begin

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Ideas I Like/Could Do 1 Finger hopscotch #2: On paper, same board, but rules require certain number of

fingers to be used 2 Unknown Hopscotch: Rather than knowing what numbers there are (they’re written),

the player is given a starting location (they know 1), but has to figure out the correct pattern (where is 2, 3, etc.). Some kind of manager/judge would be needed to confirm.

3 Timed Hopscotch: Make it interesting and time it! 4 Add more objects: After a few rounds, add more objects to throw to make both

throwing/skipping challenging. 5 Island Hopscotch: Make each of the pieces like a country with water in between to

require some interesting 6 Limbo hopscotch: At the point of the token, 2 other players would hold a limbo stick.

Another physical constraint! 7 Two player Hopscotch: something similar to 3 legged race, but with a hopscotch board

and two players. Physical limitations would be imposed, such where 1 foot is required for a square, only 2 (total, not for each person) can be used. Make the board really small for some fun!

8 Post-Its hopscotch: Use some post its. Have fun. 9 Strategy hopscotch: Move the tile (i.e. “1”) your token landed on after successfully

completing 1 round 10 Racing hopscotch: Players must race against other players. To add difficulty, certain

tasks may be asked of players such as balancing an egg in a spoon or putting a ball between their legs (don’t know how you’d hop...). Or perhaps you must keep a piece of paper under your foot at all times.

11 Blindfolded Hopscotch: Pair up with someone. The person not blindfolded will throw the token and the blindfolded person will have to navigate the board from the words of the partner

Introduction: Choosing which ** redesigns of Hopscotch was a difficult process. I found many of my ideas to be interesting, exciting, and curious. However, given the constraints of time, development, and my own expertise, I found ??? redesigns I thought about exploring. From there, I found ** to explore in terms of their rules, potential aesthetics, emotions, and experiences for players. From this point, I attempted to merge some of the ideas to look at how multiple changes to technology, aesthetics, story, or mechanics could create a variation of Hopscotch addressing one of the “cons” listed. While some may seem trivial, I noted that most of my ideas came from the fact that Hopscotch is fairly simple and easy for adults. However, I still hoped to create a variation applicable to those with a physical disability. A few of the following ideas came from combining some of the 50 ideas to create more challenges/interesting scenarios for players. Combined Ideas/Ideas I Want to Try:

1 Post-Its Hopscotch + Race

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2 Blindfold + Race (or Timed) (could be done with someone visually impaired/blind) 3 Unknown hopscotch (could have variation for those in a wheelchair) 4 Strategy hopscotch (Possibly with combination of finger hopscotch) (could have

variation for those in a wheelchair)

Saturday, January 19:

New Brainstorming Ideas: 1 Tetris hopscotch: somehow apply the idea of hopscotch (with varying shapes) into the

chaotic setting of Tetris 2 Finger hopscotch #2: On paper, same board, but rules require certain number of

fingers to be used 3 Post-Its hopscotch: Use some post its. Have fun. 4 Strategy hopscotch: Move the tile (i.e. “1”) your token landed on after successfully

completing 1 round 5 Tabletop hopscotch: Rather than using tiles, use tables. While this is highly unsafe, it

sounds fun... 6 Wikipedia hopscotch: A variation of the Wikipedia race game. You have to get to a

certain page within the number of tiles (i.e. 10) but avoid one topic within those. When a round is successfully completed, reduce the number of tiles by 1.

7 Tabletop hopscotch #2: A variation of “the floor is lava game”, use pieces of furniture and some kind of object you must get and navigate around the room.

8 Bootcamp hopscotch: Use tires in place of the tiles to make an interesting physical challenge.

9 Pool hopscotch: have a floating board with a fossils ball. Go underwater and pop your head up at each tile.

10 Hot coals hopscotch: Your board tiles 1-9 are hot coals. 10 is a break. Good luck. 11 Jousting hopscotch: 2 opposing players play through the board. On the way back they

joust. Whoever gets knocked out loses. 12 Pizza box hopscotch: Used at restaurants, perhaps. When people are done with pizza

boxes, make the board. Don’t fall over though. 13 Racing hopscotch: Players must race against other players. To add difficulty, certain

tasks may be asked of players such as balancing an egg in a spoon or putting a ball between their legs (don’t know how you’d hop...). Or perhaps you must keep a piece of paper under your foot at all times.

14 Strip hopscotch: Every time someone successfully goes through a round, take off a piece of clothing. ;)

15 Cussing hopscotch: As players navigate through, they must yell cuss words. Perhaps this would be therapeutic...

Sketchbook Scans:

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Above: First thoughts of Hopscotch

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Above: Second thoughts of Hopscotch

Friday, January 18:

Later Friday Brainstorming:

1 Multiple token hopscotch: Each player gets two tokens. One is thrown for the traditional rule, but the other one requires other players to perform some action determined by the owner of the token.

2 Mad Libs Hopscotch: Each of the numbers is associated with a word or phrase. With some interesting play, a story emerges and the players may have some input with the story.

3 Location based hopscotch: Using a game built on a mobile device, players will have to navigate to specific landmarks without entering certain neighborhoods. It could have elements of Risk (with teams?). Geocaching?

4 Water fountain hopscotch: In those cool water fountain park areas, there could be a permanent painted hopscotch board with fountain spouts--it may be fun to dodge (or not!) the water.

5 LOTR Hopscotch: Make a map of traveling to Mordor and back... in the form of a hopscotch board. Monsters will have to be avoided along the way and you have to make the journey back.

6 Motivational Hopscotch: To-do list type mobile app with a player-chosen obstacle to confront each week. This would be to let people get over their fears, help with any confrontations, etc. The first half would be one emotional aspect and “coming back” would be another.

7 Virtual Hopscotch: Using the accelerometers, etc. in a mobile phone, attempt to control an avatar through the hopscotch game with increased constraints such as number of blocks (>10) and time.

8 Dance game: with numbers on a hopscotch pad/board the player must learn new dance moves.

9 Two boards one player: players must navigate not one but two boards. Clearly, rules will have to be changed to accommodate number of limbs. (Can use hands and legs.)

Progress in Sketchbook: (Done during Tuesday-Friday)

10 Some ideas have emerged from simply thinking about the project (table below) 11 Pro/cons almost done

Pros & Cons of Hopscotch

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Pros Cons

1. Easy to learn 1. Limited to environment (outdoors, has to be nice weather, etc.)

2. Easy to set up (efficient) 2. Not always accessible--those with physical disabilities most likely cannot play

3. Little supplies for set up 3. Must be done in some physical space--can’t play hopscotch in an airplane

4. Great for a range of ages 4. May be considered easy for some adults (depends on scale of board)

5. You may have to wait a while to play if a lot of people are around (not a good play to wait ratio)

Ideas for Hopscotch (no intentional brainstorming)

1 Hopscotch Memory Matching: with a different type of board, you have to match the two numbers in order (match 1’s, then 2’s, etc.)

2 Hopscotch Twister: Have a Twister board to determine what body part combination would be used. Don’t limit it to feet! (maybe 1 hand, 1 foot) 1 hand/2 hands only may be impossible (but interesting!!)

3 Finger Hopscotch: (Address con 1) On some mobile (phone/tablet) device, use your fingers rather than feet. Now you can play in an airplane! Be timed to get through the board quickly. To throw an item, it’d be like the paper toss game for iOS (flick it).

4 Different alphabet hopscotch: rather than having numbers in 1,2,3 then have “uno, dos, �” to learn the numbers in the new language

5 Unknown Hopscotch: Rather than knowing what numbers there are (they’re written), the player is given a starting location (they know 1), but has to figure out the correct pattern (where is 2, 3, etc.). Some kind of manager/judge would be needed to confirm.

6 DDR Hopscotch: Have a DDR game using the DDR pad, but the player would have to press the arrows depending on their order.

7 0 Based Indexing/Programming concepts: Use variations to teach ideas about programming like 0 based indexing, loops, arrays. For example, the board would only go 0-9. While loops could be taught by making players continue until some condition is met. For loops could also be taught in a similar manner.

8 Timed Hopscotch: Make it interesting and time it! 9 Add more objects: After a few rounds, add more objects to throw to make both

throwing/skipping challenging. 10 Hopscotch on the wall: Have the board on the wall and use a tennis ball to get through

the sequence. 11 Hop+Scotch: Literally hop scotch. This could be a new drinking game (or sobriety test...)

Perhaps the player has to take a shot/drink if they fall over.

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12 Mental hopscotch: Rather than having a physical challenge, have trivia or questions along the way. Play in teams and have lifelines to get help with questions. Something like Cranium maybe?

13 Island Hopscotch: Make each of the pieces like a country with water in between to require some interesting

14 Blindfolded Hopscotch: Pair up with someone. The person not blindfolded will throw the token and the blindfolded person will have to navigate the board from the words of the

15 Addition hopscotch: As the player goes through the board, add the numbers, but be careful not to add the number the token is on! (could do subtraction, multiplication too!)

16 Limbo hopscotch: At the point of the token, 2 other players would hold a limbo stick. Another physical constraint!

17 D&D/Story inspired hopscotch: Players with tokens navigate a similar board (miniature, though) with monsters on each space. Somehow, they must sneak around/defeat the monster to advance through the board.

18 Interactive Hopscotch: Have a mat with the board with DDR sensors in each location. Sometimes the mat may ask you to spontaneously perform an action (ask a question, do something physical).

19 Two player Hopscotch: something similar to 3 legged race, but with a hopscotch board and two players. Physical limitations would be imposed, such where 1 foot is required for a square, only 2 (total, not for each person) can be used. Make the board really small for some fun!

20 3D Hopscotch: Have a play structure with holes/slides, etc. with numbers. Perhaps a playset like at McDonalds/Burger King would be really cool!

21 Additive Hopscotch: Every time a round is played, another piece is added on by the previous person playing. A limited number of rounds would be decided.

22 Buddhist Hopscotch: Rather than using chalk, the players would use the tool for Chinese calligraphy to draw the parts of the board.