Game design
Literacy Lesson 4
Make your game good!
Introduction
Watch the video for an introduction to the lesson.
Understanding the tasks
Rating the tasks
This lesson contains a few activities. Each activity will have one or more tasks. These tasks have been given a rating.
Some of the tasks in this lesson are must do. These are important to help you understand the introductory ideas or skills.
Have a go at the should do tasks and reach out to your friends or teacher if you need some advice. These will usually take a bit longer to complete than must do tasks.
Could do tasks will probably take you some extra time and might need you to get creative or problem solve. We strongly encourage you to try these.
Activity 1 - Creating an atmosphere in games
Task 1 - Splash screens
An essential part of many games is the pop up Splash screen which is used to add game highlights such as beating a high score, short action descriptions, plot details and to create atmosphere.
Read the following Google Slides to learn more about Splash screens.
Check your understanding by completing the questions in the interactive below.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Task 2 - Planning a splash screen
Now it is time to plan your own splash screens. Use alliteration and puns to create some catchy and engaging Splash screens for different points in your game. E.g. Losing 1, 2, 3 lives, or gaining points.
Click on the hot spots in the image below to learn more.
Use the Splash screens concept map Google Slides template to brainstorm some Splash screen ideas for 'Eat the fruit'.
If you created a whole new game use Slide 2.
Click on the button above to open a new tab and view the Google Slides.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Activity 2 - Creating interest within games
Note: While we have linked to videos in this activity, any other pages or linked material beyond these videos are not endorsed by the department.
Task 1 - Worldbuilding
Developing a storyline (plot), building an elaborate world (setting) and creating characters can also make games more engaging. When combined with clever marketing we might have a game that can go global!
Fruit Ninja is basically a game which involves cutting fruit in half, a ‘slice ‘em up game’.
Watch the video to see how the Brisbane game designers have developed a whole world around Fruit Ninja to market their game and engage audiences.
Then read the Worldbuilding google slides to learn more about worldbuilding.
Check your understanding by completing the interactive questions below.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Fruit Ninja
Duration: 2:02
Task 2 - Paint the picture
In film, we can use visuals and sound to set the scene and build meaning. In writing, we need to use a range of language devices to ‘paint this picture.’
Let’s take a closer look at setting and see if we can do some worldbuilding with words.
Check your understanding by completing the interactive questions below.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Task 3 - 'Eat the Fruit' Splash screens
Now that we have added some language tricks to our skillset, let’s write some more detailed Splash screens for 'Eat The Fruit'.
Read through the following interactive and complete the activities.
Activity 3 - Plot development
Task 1 - Establishing a Storyline
The plot, or storyline is an essential component of RPG and strategy games. For an arcade game, or game less reliant on a story, a backstory or plot can be used to engage the audience prior to game play and add meaning within the game (through Splash screens).
Complete the interactive activities below.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Task 2 - ‘Eat the Fruit’ plot development
Dodge the junk and eat the fruits! While ‘Eat the Fruit’ does not require a backstory or a rich elaborate setting it doesn’t mean that we can’t use our imagination to create them. Let’s see if we can go global and make 'Eat The Fruit' the next big thing. We need to consider purpose, target audience and plot development.
Read through the Words and images brainstorm Google slide which shows how 'Eat the Fruit' could become an educational game to teach kids about bush tucker.
Task 3 - Scenario Planning
Open the Words and Images Brainstorm Google Slides.
Click on the image to open a new tab and view the Google Slides.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Brainstorm some new ideas about 'Eat the Fruit' or your own game. Here are some scenarios you could consider:
Educational game – teach nutrition to young kids.
Role playing game – Are the cakes a weapon from an evil overlord who wants to destroy your fruit farm?
Can you make a game which focuses on eating the junk and avoiding the fruit?
Can you replace the fruit theme for something else entirely? Let your imagination go wild!
Note: Code Club Australia has some interesting game ideas which focus on environmental themes, such as bush regeneration, saving threatened species like sharks and tracing the migration paths of sea turtles.
Task 4 - Comic strip
Create a comic strip of your new 'Eat the Fruit' story, or of your completely new game.
Open the Writing Scaffold Google Slides.
Click on the image to open a new tab and view the Google Slides.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Remember: like any good story you need the orientation (setting the scene), a complication which drives the story, a series of events, and a resolution or conclusion.
Want to check your written answers for Activity 2 and 3?
Activity 2, Task 1:
Question 2 - Which buildings/landmarks would you choose to establish an Australian setting?
Suggested Answer:
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Uluru, Seven Sisters, Parliament House, Great Barrier Reef
Activity 2, Task 1:
Question 3 - What might the fruit themed door suggest or symbolise about the occupant of the house?
Suggested Answer:
The decoration on the door could suggest that the owner really likes fruit, might be interested in buying fruit or fruit based games, and is a good potential customer for the Salesman. It could also symbolise his knowledge of fruit, which is far greater than the salesman’s.
Activity 2, Task 1:
Question 4 - If ‘Eat The Fruit’ was set in Australia, what music would you choose for the soundtrack to make it seem authentically Australian?
Suggested Answer:
This would depend on your taste, style, knowledge of Australian music!
Activity 2, Task 2:
Question 2 - Use some adjectives to describe any object in this image.
Hint: you could choose the lake, the boat or the tower.
Suggested Answer:
Tower – distant, dominant, foreboding
Boat – timber, rowing, beached, abandoned, neglected, discarded, unwanted, sturdy
Lake – still, serene, reflecting, mysterious, calm, strangely-still
Activity 3, Task 1:
Question 2 - How do we know that the game 'Fruit Ninja' was in the chest? Provide evidence from the text to justify your answer.
Suggested Answer:
The Chest glows with a variety of bright colours – these are the colours of the game 'Fruit Ninja'. After the chest has been sold, the fireworks explode and then the game 'Fruit Ninja' begins. These two clues suggest that the game was the exciting source of the glowing colours within the chest.
Handing in your work
Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!
Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.
Make sure you keep any handwritten work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.