GAME ELEMENTS ANALYSIS
Game title Get smart
LEARNING ELEMENTS
Learning objective – What is the game trying to teach? What learning experience is the game attempting to create for the player? To learn new words and learn how to spell
Primary game mechanic – What is the dominant form of interaction the player has with the game? How does this support or obscure the learning objective? Learning the word on the flash card, spelling it, saying and finding that exact word in a sentence.
Physiological/cognitive/social/behavior processes – Which of these systems is most affected by the game design? How does the design attempt to affect this system? The most affected systems are psychological and behavioral. The physiological aspects would be the brain power involved in the learning and the behavioral aspect would the behavior they show after playing the game, either happy or sad.
FORMAL ELEMENTS
Number of players – How many players are engaged in the game? How do players interact with each other and the game (e.g., competitive or coorperative)? One, or can be two if trying to make it competitive.
Game objective – What is the primary objective of the game? Does the game objective reinforce the learning objective? The primary objective of the game is to help dyslexic children to spell and learn new words.
Rules and procedures – What are the rules of the game? How do these complement or conflict with the game and learning objectives? The participants have 3 attempts to win the first round to accumulate points, in order to move to the next level.
Resources – What items are accrued during the game? What resources are spent? What governs the exchange of resources? Rewards or points are accrued to move on to the next level.
Conflict – How is conflict between players or game elements introduced, maintained, and resolved?
Boundaries – How does the game prevent players from behaving in a certain way? How might this limitation be fun? How might it contribute to the objectives? If the participants to lose all 3 chances to move on to the next level, they have chance of starting over.
Outcome – How does the game end? Does the outcome conflict with the objectives? The game ends when the participants is able to say, spell, and red a whole sentence at a given time.
DRAMATIC ELEMENTS
Character – Who is the main character? What is their motivation? What is the relationship between the character/avatar and the player? The participants, points accrued and trying to unlock the next level.
Challenge – What challenges are presented to the player/character? What skills must the character/player learn or master? 3 chances to win a level or start over.
World building – In what fictional world does the game take place? It’s a non-fiction game
Premise – What is the general premise of the story? learning
Story – Does the story use a linear, branching, or emergent narrative? How do player interactions relate to the narrative? It’s a very linear game; win a level and move on to the next.
Play – In what way is the game playful? Of the many types of play, which is most prevalent? Which of the players in Bartle’s Taxonomy is most likely to enjoy this game? It’s very playful, if played competitively
Dramatic arc – How are tension and resolution controlled in the story? How does the story create conflict in the game? There’s tension when the participant is trying to figure out the word.
SYSTEM DYNAMICS
Objects – What objects are used to build game systems (e.g., houses in Monopoly)? Cards
Properties – What object properties are required for the game systems (e.g., house values)? Points or rewards
Behaviors – What object behaviors are required for the game system (e.g., buying)? Accruing points
Relationships – What are the basic relationships between system elements? What controls the dynamics of the system?
Economies – Does the game system exist as an economy (e.g., Monopoly or SimCity)? If so, how does the economy change over time? no
Emergent systems – What new systems emerge from game play? Are there procedurally generated systems? New levels to the game
Interacting with systems – What information about the system is exposed to the player and what is hidden? How do players interact with the system, control the system, and received feedback from the system? Every aspects of the game is exposed to the players, the levels, points accrued, what to do to unlock the next level.
FUNCTIONALITY, COMPLETENESS, & BALANCE
Functionality – Is the game fully functional? Yes.
Completeness – Is the game complete? Is there a voice not being represented? The game is quite complete
Balance – Is the game balanced? Is there a dominant strategy? Is the game symmetrical? If not, is the imbalance intentionally part of the design? Yes the game is balanced, nothing unrelated to the game pops up, everything in the game is expected.
FUN AND ACCESSIBILITY
Fun – Is the game engaging? How do elements that support engagement promote or obscure learning? It could be when the participants gets frustrated, but can be fun when it is played in a competitive manner.
Player choice – What choices are meaningful in the game? How do these relate to the objective? The choices meaningful in the game are to start over if confused.
Fun killers – Are there parts of the game that are broken? What parts feel like micromanaging? What parts of the game are stagnant or boring? Are there insurmountable obstacles, arbitrary windfalls/calamities, or inconsequential choices? The part of the game that might be boring is when the participants get stuck trying to figure out the word.
Accessibility – How easy is it to play the game? How long does it take to learn the game? How do players learn how to play? The game is very easy to play, because the game starts with baby steps then progressively get challenging.