The charts below provide two ways to look at assessment: 1) assessing the game design process and 2) assessing a game itself.
Here we provide criteria for an effective design process, and criteria for good games. We also provide methods to help you assess your students, or have your students assess themselves. These methods are drawn from features in Gamestar Mechanic and from offline activities.
Assessing the Game Design Process
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What makes an effective Design Process
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Methods to assess the Design Process |
Preparing/Brainstorming
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Understanding the elements of game design (explained in the Gamestar Mechanic quests)
Focusing on an inspiration
Deciding on the kind of game and who it’s for
Understanding design constraints (provided by a teacher, or by a design challenge)
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Students can brainstorm by keeping notes and ideas in a design journal
Premium teacher accounts have the ability to track student progress in the GSM Quests - learn more -
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Designing
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Relate the game
design to the design constraints
Meaningful selection of specific components
and sprites
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Writing in a design
journal or discussing choices students made about specific components in their game. Why did they choose the avatar, background, mechanic, or
music? What do their
design choices mean for the player? |
Feedback/Playtesting
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Provide constructive, meaningful feedback after playing each other’s games
Considering each other’s feedback
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Using playtester feedback worksheets (attached to many of the lessons) to assess the quality of feedback |
Iterating |
Redesign the game drawing from the feedback given
Continue to focus on design goals and design constraints
Continue the playtest-iterate cycle
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Using the reflection question worksheets (attached to many of the lessons) to assess how students take feedback into account
Looking at changes made in the game to assess if students understand the process of iterating
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Assessing a Game
Five Elements of Game Design: |
What makes a Good Game
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Methods to assess a Game |
Common Mistakes |
Space
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Unique
Makes the player think of strategies
Works well with the game mechanics |
Look at Game Alley reviews: visual reviews
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Confusing space: The game space is so crowded or confusing that the player cannot think of strategies to navigate through it
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Rules
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Define and guide the player’s experience
Fit well with the space and the sprites used
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Look at the rules in the game label
Have students describe why they chose these rules
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Unnecessary rules: a very high time limit for an easy game
Unbalanced rules: very low avatar life in a game full of enemies and obstacles
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Goals
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Clearly presented in the game label
Fit the overall design of the game
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Look at the goals in the game label
Have students describe why they chose these goals
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Too many goals in an already challenging game: collect all points, blast all enemies, and survive for a certain amount of time in a game where completing so many goals is confusing and difficult |
Mechanics |
Work in unison with the space and sprites used
Are unique within the space
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Look at Game Alley reviews: gameplay reviews
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Mechanics do not fit the space: a maze space with difficult jumping mechanics, where only navigation mechanics would be appropriate |
Components
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Fit with the core mechanics and game concept
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Have students describe why they chose to use certain components and how the components alter gameplay
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Miscellaneous components: keys that don’t lead to locks, or providing timer bonuses when the game has no time limit |
More Factors in Game Design |
What makes a Good Game
(continued)
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Methods to assess a Game |
Common Mistakes |
Balance of Challenge and Fun
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The game makes you want to keep playing until you win
The game isn’t tedious or frustrating
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Premium accounts can check the game stats to show how many players try and complete each level - learn more -
Game Alley: ratings of fun and difficulty, reviews and comments
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Designing a frustrating or boring play experience
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Game Label
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Helps you understand what the game is about
Intriguing
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Read the game label without playing the game and then try to predict what makes up the game. A good game label will give an accurate idea about the game
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Using the default text provided without personalizing it
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Storyline
(if applicable)
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Unique
Fits with the elements of game design
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Look at Game Alley: story reviews
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A storyline that starts off strong, but never concludes or veers off |
Congruent Levels
(if applicable) |
Logical connections between levels in terms of story and challenge
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Have students explain the level progression in terms of common themes, difficulty, or storyline
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Levels that do not seem to have a common theme – they feel like they come from different games |
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