Dumb Ways To Die 1

Usman Athar

CUNY York College

The game is trying to teach survival. The learning experience the game is attempting to create for the player is to think fast and to be able to be effective as well. The dominant form of interaction the player has with the game is tapping or tilting the screen to fulfill the game’s objectives or scenarios. The cognitive process system is most affected by the game design and it is the most affected because the design forces the player to speed up his thought process on what he/she has to do next. There is one player engaged in the game and that player interacts with different scenarios in the game by either tilting, swiping, slashing the screen. The primary objective of the game is to survive all the rounds of “dumb ways to die”. The game objective reinforces the learning objective because the player needs the learning objective to fulfill the game objective. The rules depend on each “dumb way to die” or each scenario. Each scenario increasingly quickly explains the rule and objective. The rules and procedures complement the game and learning objective because it then forces the player to read quickly and act quickly. Points are accrued during the game, after winning each scenario, so that the player can unlock the next level. As the player fails each scenario, the player loses or spends points and is set back. It’s up to the player to govern the exchange of resources, as it is up to the player to either win or lose each scenario. Each “dumb way to die” mission decreases the amount of time the player has to complete the scenario, which introduces conflicts between the player and game elements. Another conflict included in the game is when the player loses, he/she also loses points. It’s maintained and resolved by the player getting better at it each time. It prevents the player from achieving an end scenario. As the player beats each scenario, the game becomes increasingly hard and near impossible to win, which ultimately becomes not fun, yet addicting. This contributes to the objectives by forcing you to be faster at thinking and executing, so that you can win the game and be more efficient in life. The game never ends, and it ‘s ultimately up to the player and how long he/she can survive or in other words, how fast the player can think. The outcome of the game does not conflict with the objectives because the ultimate goal is for the player to have a better cognitive process, to think quicker and execute quicker in situations. The player is the main character and the motive is to successfully win every round presented in a limited time. There is no relationship between the character and the player, as the player is the character. The character does not have a face to it. Different scenarios are presented as challenges to the player. Another challenge includes using different techniques to fulfill each scenario’s objective. In addition, another challenge includes the time in which the player has to read and react to the scenario’s objective. The player must master the skill of thinking fast and reacting fast, based on set instructions. The game takes place in a fictional world where there are little bubbly looking creatures that are supposed to represent people and the situations they go through. The general premise of the story is to help the people or the little bubbly looking creatures survive, in essence helping the player survive the rounds. The story uses an emergent narrative as each scenario is brought up at random, after one another. Player interactions relate to the narrative as it forces the player to be quicker each time. The game is playful by desensitizing death and ways to die. Cooperative play is the most prevalent. The “Explorer” in Bartle’s Taxonomy is most likely to enjoy this game. Tension and resolution is controlled in the story by awarding the player points. The story creates conflict in the game when the player has a new scenario, which he hasn’t seen yet, to deal with. Trains, vomit, mustard, etc, are all objects that are used to build the game systems. No properties are required for the game systems. The little bubbly creatures movements are required behaviors for the game system. The basic relationship between system elements are the creatures are all trying to die, and you have to think fast to save them. There is no economy in the game system. There are different scenarios as emergent systems. All information pertaining to the goal of the scenario is given to the player to fulfill. Nothing is hidden. The players interact with the system by swiping and tapping at the screen. Yes the game is fully functional. The game is also complete. There is no voice that’s not being represented. The game is balanced by the reward system every time you win a round. The strategy is to think quicker. The game is also symmetrical. The game is engaging as it leaves you addicted to win as many rounds as possible. Choices are not meaningful in the game. No parts of the game are broken or boring or hard to beat. It is very easy to play the game. One can learn to play in a matter of seconds. They learn to play by swiping away.