Flight
Avoid and Collect game
Aims
- I wanted to create a game that would be more physically involved and require physical skills.
- The game should be able to be played and enjoyed by all ages, ideally this game should be suitable for a family to play together.
- For this game I wanted to create something physical that uses space rather than making a digital game.
Coming up with the concept
For this game I decided to use paper planes as a method of making the game physical and requiring some skills when throwing paper planes. I decided that the game should involve the player attempting to land a paper plane on a base or in the correct colour section in order to collect supplies (landing on the base will earn more supplies). While avoiding landing on the wrong base or colour section. To make this a fun family game I decided that players should pick up cards at random that display a colour and a supply that the players then need to try and collect. This is so players always have an aim.
The Rules
The bases must be set up on a table with each colour base placed within its colour section.
The players must then put some distance between themselves and the bases, players may choose any distance they like as long as they all agree. They must then place a marker on the floor to indicate the agreed upon distance.
The youngest player will then take the first turn, they will pick up a card from the top of the deck and this will inform them of which base they should aim to land their plane. They get three tries to land on the correct colour.
If the player lands on the correct base specified to their card, they will earn 3 supply tokens and use their supply tokens to fill their quota sheet. Then return the card to the bottom of the deck and their turn for the round is over.
If the player lands off the base but in the correct colour, they will earn 1 supply token to add to their quota sheet. Then return the card to the bottom of the deck and their turn for the round is over.
If the player lands off all colours and elsewhere in the room then nothing happens. They must try again if they have remaining tries or they must return the card to the bottom of the deck if they have used all their tries.
If the player accidently lands on a different colour, then they receive -1 supply token. If they still have remaining tries then they may try again, if not then they must return the card to the bottom of the deck.
If the player has no points when landing on the wrong colour, they will receive a -1 supply token which they will keep until they earn some supplies. The supplies they earn will cancel out the -1 supply token, for example if a player has a -1 supply token and then lands on the correct base to earn 3 supply tokens they will use those supply tokens to fill their quota and remove the -1 supply token to result in 2 supply tokens left on their quota sheet. If the player already has supply tokens than one token is removed.
In the event the plane lands between two colours, one being the aimed for colour, and it is not clear which colour the plane takes up more space on then that will be declared a miss and supply tokens will not be given or taken from the player. If they still have remaining tries, they may continue if not then they must return their card to the bottom of the deck and their turn for the round is over.
Once the player has taken their three tries, they must always return the card to the bottom of the deck.
The next player may then take their turn. The round is over when all players have taken their turn.
The game is over when four rounds have been played. Whichever player has the greatest number of supply tokens by the end of the four rounds is declared the winner.
Playtesting
Positive Summary:
- Players liked the idea of a game that requires physical skill and even though many players were missing the bases they still appeared engaged and willing to try again
Issues Summary:
- Throwing the paper plane at first was a challenge for some players
- More diversity of bases is needed to make the game more interesting
During play testing I observed that the game was quite difficult for some players. Players were having trouble landing the plane reliably on any of the colours. Over the play time, players did start to become a bit more comfortable throwing and landing the plane. This appears to be a learning curb that perhaps is necessary for the players to play. Once it is overcome the game appears to be playable.
Another addition to the game could be more diversity of bases, currently all the bases are similar in design and there is no unique challenge to then except their position on the table. Players suggested perhaps players can pick up multiple cards from the deck and decided based on the reward and difficulty of the base which to aim for. For example, there could be an obstacle in front of the base but landing on it will earn a higher reward.
Conclusion
Flight I think could be a working game after much more refinement. In its current stage I do not think it works as a game that can be enjoyed by all ages or suitable as a family game. I believe this as it appears the planes are too difficult for some players to throw and land, I feel this skill of throwing a paper plane would not necessarily be easy for a younger player to grasp easily.
However, I do think the game is physically involved as evidenced by the playtest. Payers liked the sense of physical skill involved and felt it engaging. The game also makes use of physical space being that players can use an entire room or even move the bases around the room as they please. There is a kind of freedom to players in that this game can be played in a way that involves an entire room. For example, players could place the bases further apart or even on different surfaces if they desire.
What I would improve
If I were to take this game further, I would definatly want to experiment with ways to make it easier for players to land their planes on the bases. This could potentially be done by increasing the size of the bases allowing more space and therefore more of a chance to land the plane. Possibly exploring other plane designs. The paper plane currently used works extremely well for long distances and flies well, however there could be potential for a better plane design.
Additionally, once the plane is easier to land and players can build a skill for throwing the plane quicker, I would then look to see how the games bases could be adapted to make them more challenging and so a larger reward for players could be earned if they are willing to take the risk of trying to land the harder bases. I am not sure however, if this game has potential for a much younger audience. There could be younger children that would grasp the game quickly and be able to play but I fear that this would not be a common occurrence. The game would defiantly need to be tested with a younger audience to determine whether the game has any potential as a family game.