playful design workshop ferrara - uxlx 2014
DESCRIPTION
An introduction to game experience design for user experience designers.TRANSCRIPT
Playful Design
John Ferrara
An introduction to game experience design for UX practitioners
While you’re waiting to startScreenshot a game you’re playing and tweet it with hashtag #PlayfulDesign
‘Sup
John FerraraCreative director, Megazoid Games
User experience designer
“Let’s Move!” award winner
@PlayfulDesign
Today
We’ll talk about games
We’ll play some games
We’ll take a break
We’ll make some games
We’ll test our games
Why should UX designers care about games?
part 1
Best possible outcome if you...
Skip college.
Never move out of your parents' house.
Never get married.
Never have any children.
Never travel or take any vacations.
Work indefinitely past 65.
Die alone in a nursing home with lots of
money and no one to leave it to.
Leap Frog Sugar Bugs
Baranowski, et. al.PediatricsFebruary 27, 2012
None produced any difference in physical activity.
The problem is design.Games are hard to design well.Serious games are even harder.
Why should UX designers care about games?
part 1
Reason #1
We’re needed.
2. Game design is a lot like user experience
design
3. Games are a ubiquitous activity
4. Games are innovators in interactivity
5. Technology is bringing games & UX together
Other reasons
Things that games can do in the real world
part 2
Games can teach
Learning by doing
Practice is rolled in with theory.
Ideas are not just illustrated, but experienced.
Failure based learning
Getting it wrong builds a better understanding.
Games are a totally safe “virtual lab”.
Systems thinking
Working with the relationships between moving
parts.
Games are the best medium for this that
exists.
Games can motivate
Human computation
Useful outputs are a byproduct of play.
“Games are algorithms that run on people.”
-- Luis Von Ahn
Reframing
Casting real-life challenges in a different light.
Overlay
Reframing in-the-moment.
A fantasy world is superposed on reality.
Buy the advantage
Intrinsic rewards for external actions.
Players must greatly value the game
experience.
Games can persuade
Games are a form of procedural rhetoricProcedurality makes games unique as a communications medium.
Example
BANNED
Gam
ficai tio
n?
A growing backlash
“I don’t do ‘gamification,’ and I’m not prepared to stand up and say I think it works.”
–Jane McGonigal
“Gamification is bullshit.”
–Ian Bogost
Games can achieve great
things in the real world.**If they are well designed experiences.
Elements ofplayer experience
part 3
Immersion
Flow
Creativity
Social interaction
Competence
Catharsis
Interaction balance issues
Campaign balance issues
0
HINT
MENU
Games should be designed to be games first.
part 4
Paper prototyping video games
They’re fast and cheap
They focus on the fundamentals
You can playtest with them
They help people speak in a common language
Why paper prototypes?
Can you really do a video game on paper?
Can you really do a video game on paper?
Stone Librande
Guidelines for paper prototyping
Strip off the aesthetic and usability layers
Work on the underlying gameplay
XX
Guidelines
Don’t be too literal
Work on small things
Make it a real game
Iterate
Strip off the aesthetic and usability layers
Focus on the underlying gameplay
So how might this be done on paper?
Let’s take a closer look at what’s really happening.
The objective is to climb 6 levels without getting hit by a barrel.
Sometimes you jump one barrel (hard).
Sometimes you jump two barrels (harder).
Sometimes there are barrels above you.
Sometimes they fall down a ladder.
Sometimes you get a hammer.
Then you get to bust some ass. :-)But if you ever get hit by a
barrell…
You start over at the
bottom. :-(
Super
JumpmanBros.
Tower cards
Objective:Reach level 6 before your opponent.
Each turn you’ll have a chance to move up one level.
Draw a card. Each gives you 3 options.
(1) Climb up
Move your coin one space up the tower card.
Draw a card. Each gives you 3 options.
(2) Exit right
Keep your coin where it is on the tower card.
Draw a card. Each gives you 3 options.
(3) Retreat down
Move your coin one space down the tower card.
Draw a card. Each gives you 3 options.
Look out for barrels!
To avoid the barrel, you must roll anything other than the numbers that appear above it.
Anything except 4
Two barrels
If there are two barrels, but must roll separately for each one. So above, you’d roll twice.
Roll twice!
This barrel is in front of the ladder. You must roll if you want to climb OR exit right.
Barrels in front of the ladder
OK
Roll
Roll
This barrel is behind the ladder. You only need to roll if you’re exiting right.
Barrels behind the ladder
Roll
OK
OK
Barrels above the ladder
Barrels above can fall down a ladder onto you.You must roll if you’re climbing the ladder.
Roll
OK
OK
Pop quiz: What could you do here?
If you get hit by a barrel...
Go back to
level 1
The hammer card is awesome
1. Draw again right away.2. Any barrels on the bottom level are
smashed.3. You still have to roll if a barrel is above.
Let’s play!Press start
Discussion
In what ways was this similar to the original
game?
In what ways was this different?
What might you change to improve the
experience?
Lessons for design
The central conflict of the game
Basic strategy & tactics
What the obstacles are & how often they
appear
How hard it should be to jump a barrel
What consequences for mistakes are fair
How the stakes change over time
How the game ends
Abstraction vs. representationalism
Gameplay vs. aesthetics
Luck vs. skill
Going deeper
part 5A quick primer on essential game design concepts
Core mechanic
The activities players are engaged in
moment to moment throughout a game.
Roll
Move around the
board
Buy properties
Pay rent
Objectives
Specific conditions that players are either
trying to...
achieve avoidor
Objectives
Longer games have nested objectives.
Constraints
Limits on what the player can and cannot do.
2 types of constraints:
Environmental
Formal
Environmental constraints
Hard limits set by inherent physical
characteristics.
Soft rules that all of the players agree to follow
in order to enable the game experience.
Formal constraints
Conflict
The relationship between objectives and
constraints.
Conflict
The relationship between objectives and
constraints.Games necessarily involve challenge.
Ideal experience in UX design
Ideal experience in game design
Arbitration
Some games have mechanisms that enforce
the rules so people don’t have to.
2 types of arbitration:
Mechanical
Computerized
Mechanical arbitration
Computerized arbitration
It’s okay for you to do anything that the game
doesn’t specifically prohibit.
As a result, the design is vulnerable to
degenerate strategies.
Arbitration limits cheating
Degenerate strategy: Is this cheating?
To reach objectives, players may need to make
choices that can have positive or negative
outcomes.
Uncertainty is fundamental to risk.
Risk
Greater risks require greater rewards
You usually don’t directly design the play
experience.
You design the parameters in which play
executes.
The players, objectives, and constraints
interact in complex ways to construct the
experience as you go.
Games as systems
30 minutesUp next: You prototype your own games.
Break time!
A game design game for 5 players
(each played by another person)
10 dragon heads
4 warriors
The game ends when either all dragon heads or warriors have been removed from the board.
(played by 1 person)
If you get anything other than a 1, nothing
happens.
The dragon rolls all 4 dice at once
Fang attack
Kill any 1 warrior next to any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Fang attack
Kill any 1 warrior next to any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Fang attack
Kill any 1 warrior next to any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Fire attack
Kill any 1 warrior at least 3 spaces from any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Fire attack
Kill any 1 warrior at least 3 spaces from any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Fire attack
Kill any 1 warrior at least 3 spaces from any dragon head.(Including diagonals.)
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Move
All dragon heads move 1 space in any direction.All must move in the same direction.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
Heal
The dragon regrows 1 lost head, which may be placed in any space directly up, down, left, or right from any other head.
Heads may regrow up to a maximum of 10.
So how do the warriors work?
That’s up to you!Make up roles and rules for each warrior
(e.g. elf, fighter, sorceress, etc.)
Write everything down on the character sheets.
Design a system of rules that interact to make
a game experience that’s:
The designer’s objective
Sustained.Challengin
g.
Fair. Enjoyable.
Let’s design!10 minutes.
Then play begins.
SUSTAINED - CHALLENGING - FAIR - ENJOYABLE
Time to play!15 minutes.
Make changes as you go.
SUSTAINED - CHALLENGING - FAIR - ENJOYABLE
Discussion
Did anyone develop a character that worked
well?
What was the biggest problem in your game?
What might you change to get rid of that
problem?
Iteration 2
Start over. Try to improve the experience.
Make new characters with new rules.
You can change the rules for the dragon.
Incorporate at least 2 environmental pieces.
?
Let’s designagain!
10 minutes.Then play begins.
USE AT LEAST 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PIECES
Time to play!10 minutes.
AT LEAST 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PIECES
Was the game better or worse this time?
Were you able to solve the problems?
Did new problems come up?
What’s the most significant problem now?
Discussion
part 6
Playtesting
What should playtesting evaluate?
UI usability
Control mappings & ergonomics
Control mappings & ergonomics
Balance
Puzzles
Puzzles
Skill level
Skill level
Fun!
one more...
The “good-tough” problem
Ask yourself
Are players having a hard time for the right reasons?
Do players see the challenge as engaging or
discouraging?
Is the challenge appropriate for the current level of the
game?
What actions to players take in response to the
challenge?
How do players reflect on the challenge after
surmounting it?
General playtesting guidelines
Recruit selectively.
Test in a cozy space.
Do an observation script.
If your game is long, run long sessions.
Watch. Listen. Chill.
Iteration 3
Carry forward your favorite characters and
rules from iterations 1 & 2, or create new ones
as needed.
Change the rules to promote one of these
effects:Easy: Maximize risk taking among the warriors.
Easy: Maximize the dragon’s aggressiveness.
Medium: Maximize collaboration among the warriors.
Medium: Incentivize the dragon to hold one edge of the
board.
Hard: Incentivize the warriors to betray one another.
Hard: Create a way for the dragon to trick the warriors.
Let’s designagain again!
15 minutes.Then play begins.
ACHIEVE AN EFFECT FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS
TEAM SWAP!!!
10 minutes.
2 players from another team will join your table.Explain your game and conduct playtesting.
Thank you!
Please complete the assessment form.
Connect with me: @PlayfulDesign
A case study
Understand the nutritional attributes of food
Build a knowledge base of food choices
Develop skills to interpret nutrition information
Learn to value healthier food choices
Kids need to:
More than anything, the problem is
cultural.
Challenge to create games that teach
8- to 12- year olds healthier eating habits
Virtual pets. Real nutrition.
Player is responsible for maintaining the health of a virtual petMust shop for the critter's food, cook for it, and feed it
Each day the player must fill the critter's green bars without filling the red bars
A quick demo
Designing persuasive games
1. Define a core message
A persuasive gamemust be designed around
a clear and concise statement
of what you want playersto do or to believe.
2. Tie the message to strategy
Games drive playersto find the most efficient ways
to win.
If the message representsthe ideal strategy,
then the process of playingserves as a proof of its truthfulness.
Tiered system of rewards
Better food choices
Health goes up
Greater productivity, more sports wins, sick less often
Earn more money
Trick out your pad
Social rewards
3. Enable self-directed discovery
Self-directed discovery persuades
by giving peoplea feeling of ownershipof the insight they've
uncovered.
Discovering better food choices
Discovering better food sourcing
Discovering healthy recipes
Players can cook, combining ingredients into prepared meals.
Meals of greater nutritional merit are worth more than their constituent ingredients
Meals can be sold to the restaurant for a profit.
Other players can then purchase them, enabling social learning.
4. Offer meaningful choices
If there is no benefitto making the wrong
choice,then there is
no choice at all.
Effects of high-calorie foods
Advantages:● More energy for sports
games● More energy for workConsequences:● Exceed daily limits faster● Critter starts rejecting
healthier options
5. Keep it real
Video games' capacityto simulate the conditions
of the real worldcan impart credibility
to embedded arguments.
Fitter Critters has real nutrition data for 675 actual food items
...and the daily objectives are based on real consumption guidelines
Pilot Study, November 2011Northbridge Elementary, MARun by University of Massachusetts Medical School100 5th graders, 4 class periods1. Significant increases in positive
attitudes toward nutrition and fitness2. Significant increases in students' self-
efficacy3. Moderate increases in nutrition
knowledge
Balanced gameplay
Often, you don’t directly design the play
experience.
You design the parameters in which play
executes.
The players, objectives, and constraints
interact in complex ways to construct the
experience as you go.
Games as systems
Although some games aren’t systems, e.g...
There are some big design issues here!!
Games execute outside of the designer’s
control.
The real-time interactions between game
elements are complex and hard to predict.
Unintended degenerate strategies can emerge.
Players may not understand a game or they
may struggle with its UI.
Players might not be having any fun.
UI usability
UI usability
Balance