GAMES STUDIES - FINAL COMPILATION
22/9/2025 - 29/12/2025 (Week 1 - 14)
In the Second half of the four weeks, the team moved from ideation to creation where we developed paper prototypes of the game's cards. This allowed us to perform an initial testing which allowed us to determine if the game is playable with proper game mechanics before moving to creating the actual cards for the game. The initial Playtest resulted in us changing the damage of the action cards and the number of shields and growth cards for the game, ensuring an enjoyable experience for the players.
Fig 1.9 - More testing with team members
SUN YUTONG (0377440)
GAMES STUDIES / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Final Compilation
JUMP LINK
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK PROGRESS
Ideating
"Sprout Up!" is a strategic, family-friendly card game where players compete
to grow their plants the fastest while facing unpredictable weather and
player sabotage.
Genre : strategy, party, educational
Target audience: aged 8 and above, 2-4 players
Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
Fig 1.1 - Card Game Ideating
Presentation
Update Progress
Week 1 - 4
The first four weeks of the project was dedicated to ideation and
decision-making. This resulted in our team successfully choosing the concept
for our game and ultimately agreeing to proceed with Sprout Up! This was
immediately followed by us focusing on the core game mechanics where each
member was cooperative and contributed feedback to ensure that our game and
its mechanics was engaging to the players. We meticulously tried to eliminate
any loopholes that players may exploit and result in ruining other player's
playing experience.
Fig 1.2 - Creating and ideating the card game
In the Second half of the four weeks, the team moved from ideation to creation where we developed paper prototypes of the game's cards. This allowed us to perform an initial testing which allowed us to determine if the game is playable with proper game mechanics before moving to creating the actual cards for the game. The initial Playtest resulted in us changing the damage of the action cards and the number of shields and growth cards for the game, ensuring an enjoyable experience for the players.
Week 5 - 6
For these two weeks, most of our time was spent on designing the actual cards
for the game, with changes applied to the mechanics according to the initial
playtest we did amongst ourselves.
Fig 1.3 - Writing game descriptions and drawing card artworks
This is the final results of our cards for these weeks, featuring pot cards
and growth cards (sunflower, bamboo, and cactus)
Fig 1.4 - Sprout Up! prototype design (growth card and bloom token)
Week 7
This week was spent on recording the first official playtest which is played
by our group members.
Fig 1.5 - First playtest with team members
This resulted in more changes to our game mechanics such as adjusting the
number of shields in the game and the damage that damage cards can inflict on
other plants.
Week 9
This week was spent on recording the second official playtest which is played
by new members from other groups.
Fig 1.6 - Second playtest with new players
We did our best in guiding the players throughout the playtest. This
resulted in feedbacks from the players asking us to look over the shields and
damages as it was difficult for them to raise their plants and increase the
number of action cards that will result in getting a new pot as players found
it hard to play through without a single pot to grow.
Week 12
In Week 12, we focused on refining the card designs where we spent the first
hour of the class decorating the cards so that it's easily recognizable by the
players and soo that Players won't take as much time reading the cards. This
makes the cards more intuitive. This was followed by the last and final
playtest with both new and returning players.
Fig 1.7 - Adding artwork to action cards
Fig 1.8 - Final prototype family photo
Third Playtest with both returning players and new players：
Fig 1.10 - Third playtest with new and returning players (2 each)
The 3rd test went really well, after fixing the game based on the feedback
given in the last 2 play test, The 3rd group of players found no issues with
the game.
Week 14: Presentation video and finished card game
Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/Ug2Rpajoq4o
Finished card game:
Fig 1.12 - Inside card game box cover
Fig 1.13 - Inside card game box
Fig 1.14 - Card game content
FEEDBACK
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REFLECTION
Through this course, I gained a deeper understanding of the importance of
game testing in the game design process. Initially, my understanding of
board game design was superficial, believing that as long as the rules
were complete and the gameplay was clear, it was sufficient. However,
through multiple rounds of actual testing and observing the gameplay of
different players, I gradually realized that many potential problems only
surface in real-world scenarios, such as misunderstandings of the rules, a
slow game pace, or insufficient player engagement. This made me realize
that game design is a continuous process of trial and error and
optimization, rather than a one-time achievement.
Furthermore, teamwork played a crucial role throughout the project.
Through continuous communication and idea exchange with team members, we
jointly developed the rules, designed the cards, and repeatedly tested the
gameplay. We also designed the cards together. This collaboration not only
improved my teamwork and communication skills but also taught me to look
at design problems from different perspectives. The discussions and
adjustments after each round of testing gradually improved the game.
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