Assignment 4: Constructionist Gaming

1. Title: ABC Hunter Game Design

2. Context: After school at home activity, or summer camp activity

3. Target Learners: Target activity learners: primary school and middle school students.
Target game learners: pre-schoolers.

4. Subjects/Topics Covered: Reading/language fundamental skills, coding, critical thinking, basic

design, creativity

5. Duration: One- two hours/day over the course of two weeks. Total time: 15- 20
hours.

6. Game Design Task: The students will be asked to work in pairs to design a top-down
computer game that will help a preschooler to learn their ABC’s by sight. In order to
accomplish this, they must follow these design instructions:

Design Instructions:
Game designers: your task is to work as a team to design a mixed computer/real
game for preschoolers that will help them to learn their ABC’s by sight. The game
will consist of both the software the game will be played in and physical, real world
game pieces in the form of cards to be drawn and played throughout the game.

Gameplay will consist of preschool students teamed up to play in pairs. Each pair
will have specific tasks within the game. One player (player 1) will be in control of
the computer interaction, while the other player (player 2) will be in control of the
cards. Player 2 will shuffle and draw cards in sequence and call out the letter
identified on the card to player 1, who will then locate the corresponding letter from
the card to the letter within the game. All cards must be drawn and all letters
identified/eliminated accurately in order to complete the level. The preschooler pair
may interact and share knowledge with one another in order to complete the level.
Once a level has been completed, the players will switch positions and
responsibilities and resume play.

So, the design problem is two-fold: first, design physical playing cards using
whatever design methods you choose; and second, design the video game.

6.1. Designers will create a deck of 26 cards, one for each letter of the alphabet.
The cards should be consistently themed and have easily identifiable letters in both
upper and lower case.
6.2. Design and create level(s).Using the selected software, decide on the
appropriate playing area and environment, that is, how big should each level be?
Should there be more than one level, or should the game be on loop using the same
environment? How should the player be able to move around within the level? For
 example, is the default room an adequate space for the game, or should it be
different than the default? Once you have decided on the answers to these
questions, create the level in the game software.
6.3.Design and create player avatars. Decide how you want the player’s
avatars to look. Should you use the default characters, or let the players design
their own? How will this be determined?
6.4. Decide on and create the letter form sprites within the computer game
environment. Should they be similar or different to the game cards previously
created? Which will be used for game play: upper case, lower case, or both,
and why?
6.5.Decide on manner of attack. What method will the player use to
accomplish the goal of identifying the ABC’s by sight? For example, do the letter
forms appear in order at random, and how will the player interact with them?
6.6. Decide how levels proceed. Do the letter forms change behavior? How is
the player impacted as the game play progresses?
6.7. Decide how game ends. What is the “reward” for success? Are points
allotted and acquired, or is there some other manner of identifying victory?

7. The Main Purpose of the Game Design Task: The main purpose of the game design
task is to teach problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, programming skills,
and the design process. Additionally, learners will be challenged to be creative
and collaborative.

8. Software Selection and Justification

Game Development GameMaker Studio 2
Software

Link https://www.yoyogames.com/get

Description According to its publisher, “GameMaker Studio 2 is the

latest and greatest incarnation of GameMaker. It has
everything you need to take your idea from concept to
finished game. With no barriers to entry and powerful
functionality, GameMaker Studio 2 is the ultimate 2D
development environment.”
Justification Simple, powerful tutorials. Easily modifiable or
customizable sprites and levels. While this software
has a higher learning curve than some other similar
products targeting the game design beginner (mostly
because it is not a simple drag and drop, and the
learner might have to learn some coding), there is a
greater possibility for truly custom games that better
suit the designer’s wishes. Also, GameMaker Studio 2
is free. Other game building software is simpler to use,
but does not offer the control that GameMaker Studio
2 does.
9. Individual vs. Collaborative Game Design: this game design will be collaborative. The
collaborative approach will allow each learner to benefit from the other, even with an age gap
(this is a constructionist exercise after all). The younger learner will benefit from the additional
maturity, knowledge base, and experience of the older learner, and the older learner will
benefit from the experience of teaching new concepts to the younger learner and at the same
time will receive unique input for the design they might not otherwise have considered
themselves.

10. Procedures: this game design activity will rely heavily on viewing of and
understanding of various tutorials (provided in appendix A. Once the design team
has viewed the tutorials, especially 1-3, they are ready to move into the design
phase.

Step 1 (1-2 hrs)- Team begins ABC card design as stated in the design
instructions (6.1). Decide on hand-drawn or computer designed cards and do
some initial layouts. Discuss among team members which are more successful
and why. Once you have settled on a design, begin to produce cards.

Step 2 (1/2-1 hr)- Team decides on game levels according to instructions (6.2)
Once that decision has been made, create first (possibly only) level.

Step 3 (1-2 hrs)- Design player avatars based upon team discussion and
awareness/understanding of players limitations. It might be interesting and fun to
have the players help, but it also might present some significant challenges in
terms of having usable art for screen depiction.

Step 4 (1-3 hrs)- Create letter form sprites (enemies?). This step will be more
involved as you’ll have to create all 26 letters, possibly in upper and lower case,
depending your team decision. Be sure to follow labeling suggestions from the
tutorials as there will be so many they may become confusing.

Step 5 (2-4 hrs)- Create player/letter interaction rules/mechanics in the game.

Decide how you want the player to interact with the letters. Will there be an attack
on the letter forms, or simply contact with them to fulfill the requirements/rules you
have set up? You may determine different rule for various types of contact. The
choice is up to your team.

Step 6 (1-2 hrs)- Decide on game progression. Will the entire game take place
within one single environment, or will there be a progression of some kind, from
level to level? If so, how will player/ letter interaction change, or will it?

Step 7 (1-2 hrs)- How does the game end? Are points acquired, or is merely
identifying letters enough? Will there be time limitations, or no restrictions at all?

11. Research Questions: This game design activity will not include a research study. If it
did, however, the main research question I would be interested in would be, what
types of knowledge transfer occurred between learners, as well as what learning
occurred with the players?
12. Research Design: If a study were to be conducted, it would be a mixed
methods study. For the game designers, the study would be qualitative and
consist of a pre and post-assignment survey as well as observation of the
learners during the design and implementation phase of the game to
preschoolers, followed by semi-structured interviews with each learner, along
with a group interview.

I would also administer a quantitative pre and post-test to the preschoolers to

determine what, if any learning had occurred. Additionally, I would also
conduct observation of the preschoolers at play to determine the effectiveness
of the design on learning with the intended player group.

Appendix A
(GameMaker Studio 2 Design tutorials)

Please view in order

Each of the following tutorials is approximately 10-15 minutes long and provides
detailed examples of all the necessary instructions for elements of the game you
are being asked to create. Use these tutorials as a starting point for your design.
The first three tutorials are essential to your game design. As the tutorials move on
after 3, there is more offered in the sense of less essential information, but would
still be useful in your game. It is up to you to choose how far you want to go.

Part 1- your first game- Movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEb4gzG8S24

Part 2- Your first game- Projectiles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28pEbQ_TIcQ

Part 3- your first game- Enemies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqS8rWQgML8

Part 4- your first game- Tiles and Views

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZw9vGw1odM

Part 5- your first game- Drawing Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0JxS1QM3iI

Part 6- your first game- Basic Audio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSeB-V8PPlM

Part 7- your first game- Title Screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5hgDP21sk

Part 8- your first game- Spawning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNLee9TnmaQ