Rapid Prototyping Activity
The goal of this activity is to practice the process of rapid prototyping. The activity will have you prototype a small game, test it out, receive feedback, and modify the prototype based on that feedback. Knowledge of game design is not required to complete this activity. The objective is not to create a high-quality game, but to practice going through the process of rapid prototyping and understand why making low-fidelity prototypes is helpful.
Table of Contents
Materials
- A stack of 9 notecards (provided by the instructor)
- One blank sheet of paper for testing & reflection question responses
- A writing utensil. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a writing utensil, you may complete this activity using your computer or other medium specific to your needs.
- Other than for students with accommodations, no electronic devices may be in use during the activity.
Prototype Requirements
You will build your game prototype by describing (in words and/or drawings) 3-5 "game areas" on your notecards. The game areas should be connected in some way. For example, if your game is set in a town, the areas could include the main road, a few shops, or the center of town. Each game area should have at least one element that the player can interact with, such as other characters, puzzles, objects to interact with, adversaries, or anything else you decide you want to prototype. You should briefly plan what will happen when the player interacts with these elements.
See Game Titles for Inspiration for a list of game titles you can use for inspiration.
If you have an idea for a different type of game, you may prototype that instead as long as you can do so with the provided materials.
Activity Steps
- 15 minutes, individual: Using your note cards, develop your first prototype as described in the previous section.
- 5 minutes, in pairs: Designate one partner as "Game Leader" and the other as "Player". The Game Leader should "run" the game like a computer program might. That is, present the first game area to the player (either verbally or by showing your drawing), and play out the interactions based on what the player indicates they would do.
- Repeat step 2 with roles swapped.
- 5 minutes, same pairs: The Game Leader should ask the Player the following questions and write down the answers on one half of the front side of your blank sheet of paper with the header "Feedback 1." Do this for both games.
- What was your favorite game area or interaction?
- What was a time when you were feeling the least sure of what to do next?
- Did the player have enough time to experience enough of the game?
- 7 minutes, individual: Based on the feedback, revise your prototype.
- With a new partner, repeat steps 2 - 4.
- On the back side of your blank sheet of paper, write your first and last name, email address, and UMass ID at the top, then answer the following reflection questions:
- What is one way you'd use your time differently if you were to do this activity again?
- How do you think the constraint of making a low-fidelity prototype influenced your design process and experience?
- How do you think the low-fidelity-ness of the prototypes affected the kind of feedback you received from your players?
- Turn in your full sheet of paper with the testing & reflection answers. You may keep your prototype.
Grading
Completion of the activity (demonstrated by turning in your full sheet of paper with the testing & reflection answers) is worth 10 points towards your Homework/Activity grade.
Game Titles for Inspiration
You may use one of these titles for inspiration or come up with your own:
- Towers and Lizards
- Sasquatch’s First Date
- Grandma’s Kitchen
- Alien Invasion!
- Ninja Brian and Steve the Llama
- Cars: They Go Fast
- Treehouse Adventures
- Happy Birthday!
- Uphill Skiing
- The Great Goose Migration
- Cloudstruck
- Life on Pirate Island
- Attack of the Bees?
- Hive Life
- Turkeys on the Loose
- Sports on the Moon