Game Studies - Tabletop Games

22/09/25 - 02/01/26 ( Week 1 - Week 15 )
Carren Yeliandi / 0376990
Game Studies / Bachelors of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Tabletop Games

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Reflections

Lectures

LECTURE 1 - Principles of Game Design

Game Design :

The art and science of creating interactive experiences for the purpose of fun and playfulness.

Core Principles of Game Design :

Player Experience (How the game feels to the player)

Adventure -> Discovery, Exploration, Captivation.
Excel oneself -> Suffering, Challenge, Completion.
Social -> Fellowship, Submission, Competition.
Excitement -> Thrill, Subversion, Humour.
Imagination -> Expression, Fantasy, Simulation.
Caretaking -> Nurture, Sympathy, Control.
Physical -> Sensation, Relaxation, Eroticism, Cruelty.

Gameplay Mechanics (The rules and systems that drive interaction)

Primary Mechanics -> The core actions players perform in the game (Ex. Turn Actions, Dice Rolling, Cards Drawing)
Secondary Mechanics -> Additional enriching gameplay feature (Ex. Resource Management, Trading, Exploration)
Feedback Loops -> Positive and negative reinforcement systems (rewards and penalties).

Storytelling (The narrative that unfolds through play)

Player Agency -> Allowing players to influence the story, creating a sense of ownership.
Environmental Storytelling -> Stories told through world design, visuals, and settings.
Narrative Arcs -> Structuring the story around conflict, climax, and resolution.

Balance and Challenge (Ensuring a rewarding experience without overwhelming the player)

Difficulty Curve -> A smooth escalation in difficulty keeps players engaged without frustration.
Skill vs. Luck -> Design challenges that require player skill but also allow for luck/randomness.
Player Progression -> Rewarding progress while maintaining a sense of growth and achievement.

Enhance & Refine Game Design :

Feedback and Iteration (Continuous improvement of gameplay and player experience)

Playtesting -> Helps identify areas of the game that need improvement or adjustment.
Feedback loops -> Identify where difficulty may be too high or low, or story that feel flat.
Fine-tuning the experience -> Iterating the feedback to ensure polishness of gameplay.

Immersion and Worldbuilding (Creating a believable world for players to engage with)

Immersion -> Helps players feel connected to the world and invested in the story.
Context for actions -> Worldbuilding provides context for player’s actions and deepen the emotional impact of the game.

Challenges in Game Design :

Over Complication -> Simplicity often results in a more enjoyable experience.
Failing to Adapt -> Ignoring player feedback or market trends can lead to games that failed to engaged.
Monetization vs. Player Experience -> Balancing profit motives with player’s enjoyment.

LECTURE 2 - Balancing Fun and Educational Elements in Game Design

Fun :

Games are inherently fun when they offer engaging mechanics, rewarding challenges, and an experience that feels emotionally satisfying.

Education :

The educational aspect may involve teaching concepts, improving skills, or enhancing understanding in areas like math, language, science, or history.

Strategies for Fun & Edu Balance :

Learning Through Play (Educational content emerges naturally from game mechanics).
Layered Learning (Unlock educational elements as players progress).
Game Mechanics as Educational Tools (Directly teach concepts through gameplay).
Storytelling with Purpose (Use narrative to reinforce educational goals).

Avoiding Over-Instruction Gameplay Mechanics :

Use gradual learning, don’t bombard the player with information all at once. Designers must ensure that learning feels natural and integrated into the flow of the game.

LECTURE 3 - Playtesting & Iterative Design

Design Thinking Process :

Emphatize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test

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Instructions

We were briefed regarding our task in this module which is to create/improve a tabletop game. Here are to finish 2 individual exercise regarding our chosen online game as well as a tabletop game that has both an online and offline version. We were then separated into groups and with our chosen group we were to create a tabletop game and propose it to our lecturer in week 5 and finish the game by week 13-15.

After the first lecture, we were given some board games to play with. My group chose "Up Words", some kind of scrabble but the twist is that you can stack it up to 5 times. Sadly the instructions was not in the box and we had a really hard time finding out the scoring system.

Fig 2.1. Up Words Board Game (Week 1 | 22/09/25)

The game play is pretty straightforward, if you played scrabble before this game won't be hard to learn. I just had a problem with the scoring system since there are different scoring for the stack. The "Qu" was also confusing and we didn't know if the "u" in it is part of the tile.

Fig 2.2. In Game (Week 1 | 22/09/25)

Overall it was fun in the beginning but in the middle the joy just starts to disappear.

We conducted an online discussion to discuss what kind of game we want to improve. Here we had multiple ideas like improving Ludo or straight up making a new one. However when we thought of the time limitation and the complication we may faced, we decided to improve an already existing game since the idea was also very interesting. Here we concluded that we will make Ludo x Superpowers to make it not as bland.

Fig 2.3. Group Discussion (Week 1 | 25/09/25)

We wanted to get ahead with the game so we first searched for a nearby tabletop cafe that we can visit and check out some table top games. We found one in SS15 under the name of "UnboxmoU" and immediately visited it the day we're all available.

Fig 2.4. Tabletop Cafe Visit (Week 2 | 03/10/25)

Here we found that long and complicated instructions may cause players to be confused and discouraged players to play the game despite how fun the game might seem. We also discovered a werewolves card game that has so many different type of characters and powers.

Fig 2.5. Werewolves Card Game (Week 2 | 03/10/25)

After getting approval from the lecturer, we went ahead and made the low fidelity version of the game to test it out.

Fig 2.6. Low Fidelity Process (Week 4 | 13/10/25)

Here we found that the power still needs some adjustment as some might be too overpowered and some might lead to player not using it instead. So following what we learned from the game test we did, we did some adjustment to the power and how it can be used. From using the next round as compensation to limiting it to maximum 3 times per game.

After that, we proceeded to make the high-fidelity version of the game which is just improving what we had by remaking a cleaner and smaller pawn as well as coloring the game board.

Fig 2.5. High Fidelity Prototype (Week 5 | 23/10/25)

We then presented our game proposal to the class. Below is the proposal PPT as well as the individual exercises that was done.

Proposal PPT :

Individual Exercise Link

We then went ahead and hold a game tests with ourself, new players and returning players for the next 8 or so weeks. Taking note of what they thought of the game and responding to the feedback in our mechanic reviews. Overall, we only need to add minor adjustment like adding more power cards to be used as a reminder of the powers that players have and an instruction manual.

Below is the link for our mechanic review and iterative playtest report from the playtests as well as the recorded playtest video.

Mechanic Review :

Iterative Playtest Report :

Recorded Playtest Videos

We then proceeded to record our final presentation on what changes we did since the proposal and the playtest. Below is the final presentation PPT as well as the visual files and the final presentation video.

Final Presentation PPT :

Visual Files :

Final Presentation Video

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Reflections

I was extremely excited at first and the module didn't let me down at all. Despite it being a morning class that I so dreaded because I struggle with waking up early but the class itself was fun to do. I suppose it has got something to do with games since I do love playing games whether online or offline. The process itself is not as hard as I thought it might be but I know that it's because it's a group project and my group is actually pretty great since we manage to finish the task quite fast and on time. I do admit that I need to work on my time management since I think that I did procrastinate quite a bit but all is well, I did my part and everyone else also did their part.

I did feel that sometimes I don't do enough but at the same time there's nothing to do since everything has already been divided, somehow, naturally. I tried to help out more by giving the group some insight and opinions on what I thought the player might think. For example, during the making of the instructions, I heard some feedbacks that I conveyed to them but at the same time those feedbacks allowed me to think more like them and be more critical, too critical if I say so because I think I did manage to annoy my team with my "complaints" despite my reasonings. For example the power wordings and some other "how to play" steps, one side of me feel justified because I do know that the players do struggle with the wordings but at the same time I also understand that I was just adding more unnecessary burden with the minor wording adjustment. Even then, I did tried my best to help out from giving ideas and helping with minor adjustments as well as the playtestings. Overall, I think everything went pretty well and the result was pretty satisfactory for me. Looking forward to Games Development next semester.

Carren Yeliandi (0376990)

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