Game Design 3: Physical Prototype of a Digital Game
For this project, my partner Emily Moritz and I decided to look at a game we both greatly enjoy: Assassin’s Creed (2008). Not only do we both really like this game, but we know quite a lot about it, and thought it would be both fun and interesting to dissect the game and work backwards from the beginning to imagine how the developers could have come up with some of the really interesting mechanics present in the final game.
First we took a look at the Bartle Player types and which of these types would find the most joy in Assassin’s Creed. We detailed and explained each type in a Google doc located [HERE].
After that, we began our work on our Game Design Document where we outlined and went in depth with the game, how it functions, and how it appeals to players with it’s gameplay and visuals, complete with an Art Style Guide as well. You can find the full Google doc with all the accompanying information [HERE].
Together, we brainstormed quite a lot about what to make for the paper prototype. What did we feel like the most important mechanic in the game was? Surely, in a game called Assassin’s Creed, the killing and fighting would be the most important, right? Well, maybe not so. We thought that the mechanic of climbing was one of if not the most important mechanic in the game. Not only is it a puzzle to get up any building you see, it also provides you great vantage points to follow people, assassinate people, and also to view your map and the city you are in. Below, we created a video for the paper prototype we created for this mechanic.
