GAME CREATURES
Let kids create their own games.
Introduction
Game Creatures is a game design method with its toolkit designed for teachers to teach age 9-12 to create their own games in classes.
Our Game Design Method
Build a story and turn it into a game.
During case studies, we’ve found out that it was actually quite difficult for kids to come up with a new game on their own since a complete game contains players, goal, relationship and lots of rules to make it playful and workable. Thus, we created a “game design method” for kids. Before designing a game, we let children create stories first, which contains characters, goal, relationship and actions, the important elements of designing a game. Finally, through brainstorm and discussion, we help kids turn the elements in their stories into game rules to build a workable game. Let’s see how this game design method and its toolkit work in classes!
our Game Design TOOLKIt
01. Creature
With four shapes of body and 16 kinds of components be installed at different positions of the bodies, there are more than 10,000,000 combinations of game creatures that can be made, which provides a huge space for divergent thinking during the storytelling process and lead to different game outcomes.
02. Landscape
Landscapes serve as scaffolds for kids and facilitators who first attach the game design method. The landscape boards provide game creatures with various habitats, which can stimulate kids imagination during the story building process. In different landscapes, there are also different images that are metaphors to "targets" and "obstacles" in the stories.
03. Storyboard
The storyboard is a tool to draw down ideas of the stories. Kids can consolidate and visualize the detail of their thoughts on the four-scene storyboard, which will be later used in the process of transforming stories into games.
scenario in class
Let kids create their own game creature with different body shapes and components. Define their characteristics and special abilities. By imagining themselves as an unknown creature, kids can come up with audacious and creative ideas, which lead to innovative outcomes.
Use the characters and storyboard to create a story with “target”, “obstacles” and “relationship”. The elements in the story will become the key for designing a game.
Turn “story” into “game”. Turn characters into players; connect the target in the story with the target of the game; turn characters’ abilities into body movement or replace it with real objects to build game rules.
A new game born! Share it and play it with friends and try to iterate. Change the rules that are not suitable and then play again!
OUR FOOTPRINTS
↓ check out games designed by kids ↓
FEEDBACK FORM USERS
How do teachers think?
“In my understanding, design is a profound knowledge which is hard to practice. However, utilizing this kind of design method to create a game is quite helpful for kids.”
“They (students who had participated in the workshop) have changed. They concentrate more on classes now .”
How do kids think?
“I thought it would be easy to design a game, but it is actually quite difficult. I would like to design a game again.”
“I have a sense of achievement when playing a game designed by myself during the break time.”
↓ check out all feedback from teachers and kids ↓
Designed by: Chien Chih Hsu, Hou-Jen Chen, Hsuan-Tzu Shen
Responsible for: problem clarify, product design, visual design