Game Studies: Final Compilation
23/4/2025 - 23/7/2025 (Week1-Week14)
Amber Tan Jing Jing (0372746)
GCD61504 / Game Studies / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Instructions
2. Final Compilation
3. Reflection
INSTRUCTIONS
Final Compilation
Week1/ Project Briefing
Ms. Noranis briefed us on the module, which requires us to create a brand new tabletop game related to the Glucose-3 pathway. On the same day, we were divided into groups and began discussing ideas for the game. However, since we didn’t have much inspiration at the time, we decided that each group member would go home and come up with one game idea individually. Then, we would have a meeting to discuss all the ideas, give feedback, and eventually choose one to develop.
Week2/ Test game and improve
After our discussion, we decided to go with Cai Jun’s idea. We also suggested areas we thought could be improved. This week, we created a paper prototype of the tabletop game for trial use and tested it in class. Afterwards, we identified a few bugs during the gameplay and discussed them together to make improvements.
Week3/ Go Out and Play
On this Wednesday, our group went to UnboxmoU to play board games and table games. When we got there, we chose to play Ticket to Ride. It took us some time to study the rules, but after we got familiar with them, we played it very quickly. We need to think ahead and plan the route we want to take, because as long as one of the players occupies the route you want to pass, you need to change the route. According to the points, the first one to reach 100 will be the winner.
Week4/ Feedback from lecturers
In Week 4, my group member and I dedicated time to sit together and thoroughly playtest the new board game we designed for our project. This session allowed us to experience the gameplay firsthand, identify areas that needed improvement, and evaluate how well the educational elements were integrated. We also invited our lecturer to observe the session and provide constructive feedback, which was incredibly helpful in highlighting both the strengths of our concept and specific aspects that could be refined to enhance engagement and clarity.
Week5/ Presentation
This week we had a group presentation in class. We shared the game concept, components and explained how players collect ATP to win. Overall, the presentation went well.
After the presentation, we discussed the next steps for our project. Each group member needs to design several cards by Sunday, after that we will vote to select the final design. We also talked about the type of chess pieces we need for the game and considered buying them from online platforms such as Shopee or Taobao.
Figure 1.3 Tabletop Game Proposal- PDF
Week6/ Making Our Cards!
On Sunday, we voted on the card design. After finalizing the design, Yee Qin went to print and laminate the cards. On Wednesday, she brought the laminated cards and we started cutting them and drawing our game board.
Week6/ Game Testing
After that, we started playing our Gluconomy board game. We realized that it was difficult to win and no one succeeded because of the 18 ATP challenge. So in the end, we decided that the player with the most ATP would be the winner. We played for about an hour.
Week7/ Playtest-Alpha
During Week7, we conducted a playtesting session with other groups by dividing ourselves into two smaller teams to test different games. Yee Qin and me were assigned to playtest Group 6's game, Sugar Heist, while the remaining members of our team participated in the playtest for Glucose Rush. At the same time, other groups had the opportunity to playtest our game, The Gluconomy, which took approximately 40- 50 minutes to complete. After each session, we exchanged feedback with the respective groups and provided constructive suggestions for improvement based on gameplay experience, mechanics, and overall engagement.
Week8/ Beta playtest preparation
There is no class on Week 08. We had completed the feedback form for the groups that we played.
Week9/ Online
This week, we conducted our final iteration online due to unforeseen circumstances. Last week, the group that playtested our tabletop game took a longer time and couldn’t finish the game before class ended, forcing them to stop midway. Because of that, we considered reducing the amount of glucose required to win the game. We consulted Ms. Noranis for her opinion, and she suggested having the same group play again and timing the session. If it still takes too long, then we can proceed with making adjustments.
Week10/ Continue Developing Game Assets
This week, we didn’t have class on campus. However, our group still met up to continue testing our game. We discussed whether we should reduce the winning condition from 20 ATP to 18 ATP, since another group mentioned that 20 ATP makes the game too long. In the end, we decided that the winning condition will be 18 ATP.
Week11/ Continue Developing Prototyping of tabletop games generation & project consultation
There is no physical class this week. We had discussed about the representative for the playlets with bioscience students in the group chat.
Week12/ Final Playtest
This week, Cai Jun and Rogan as representatives of our group have attended the final playtest with bioscience students. Cai Jun was the game master that leads the game, while Rogan was one of the player of Gluconomy.
During the gameplay, there’s a lot of laughter and unpredictable dramas happening within the four players as they kept on stealing glucose tokens from each other. Although the game can’t be finished due to time concern, we enjoyed the time bonding together. The winner of the game was the one who has collected the most ATP currency.
The instant feedback we gained at that moment was quite nice, but when comes to the mechanic review, the bioscience players mentioned that the rules should remain consistent and easy to understand, while suggesting to reduce the side effects of players who lose their glucose tokens from steal cards.
Therefore, we decided to ask for Ms. Noranis’s advice during the next class and conduct another game trial internally within our group to reduce frustration of players.
Week13/ Hybrid Session
This week we went to the campus to discuss and complete the Iterative_Playtest_Report_Template form, and asked Ms. NORANIS about the steal card issue. We made corrections to the rules and conducted internal tests to experience the game step by step and more accurately grasp the time of the game. Then we assigned the task of the final slide.
Week14/ Final Presentation
This week, which is also Week 14, marked the end of our project and the day of our final presentation. It was an important for our group as we had worked hard over the past weeks to prepare and refine our ideas. On the day of the presentation, all group members arrived on time and came fully prepared. We took turns presenting our parts clearly, covering all the key aspects of our project. The entire presentation lasted around 12 to 15 minutes, during which we explained our concept, design process, and the final outcome in detail. Overall, we felt that the presentation went smoothly.
REFLECTION
This module was very interesting to me, and I never imagined that I could design a tabletop game with my teammates. Although it only lasted 14 weeks, I truly appreciate my teammates and I am glad that we managed to complete everything together.
At the beginning, I had no idea what to expect from this module, especially because I am not a science student. I didn’t understand how PPP works or what ATP is. Even though I tried asking chatgpt and doing research online, I still couldn’t fully understand it, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the project. But luckily, with six brains in our group, we could always discuss together and find solutions.
I think the most challenging part was receiving feedback and making changes. For our own group, the game already played very smoothly. But other groups told us that the rules were a bit complicated. We felt that this is normal. When we play other board games, we also need time and a few rounds before we can remember the rules and understand how to play.
Throughout these 14 weeks, I learned a lot, not only about game design, but also about teamwork, creativity and adapting to challenges. It was a meaningful and valuable experience for me. I am grateful to my teammates. It was great working together during these 14 weeks.
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