This week in Game Design led us towards creating more solid ideas and foundations towards our first projects. It was quite interesting to see some of the rough drafts that people presented, and their thought processes behind the projects themselves. This perfectly exemplified for me the creative process, and how everyone tackles their abstract ideas in different ways. For example, most of the games presented in class tackled a certain idea or mechanic in general, instead of encompassing many broad ideas or difficult topics. This makes sense due to the nature of all of our beginnings, and the exercises we practiced last week in class. My project tackles the idea of tier lists, and the competitive and opinionated nature of the form itself. Tier lists originated with the competitive fighting game, but online personalities have taken tier lists in a new direction, creating tier lists for fast food restaurants, movies, entire games, and even mascots that they could beat in a fight. This idea captivated my friends and I, becoming a pastime we would enjoy during late weekend nights. Therefore, I took this idea and started to play with it, envisioning a playable game around this phenomenon. It seems as though tackling small gaming challenges such as this can prepare you for more challenges ahead, and improve your critical thinking skills when it comes to designing games.

This ideology came to me in part due to playing “The Beginner’s Guide” during class this week. It tells the story of a mysterious and, perhaps misunderstood, amateur game developer known as Coda. The narrator, Davey Wreden, tells the story of his relationship with Coda, and how they were driven apart over the years. Each “level” showcases a different game that Coda created, starting with his first creations, and progressing through his journey of creation. While every game is different in its own way, it seems that each game encompasses one single idea in a flowing narrative inside Coda’s mind. One game might focus on puzzle solving, one might play with the idea of player interaction, some are just small corridors or rooms with little gameplay. It is hard to say what each individual project means, but each one certainly meant something to Coda. It seemed he hated the idea that every game needed a narrative or gameplay that serves the player, which Wreden tried to force upon Coda, eventually driving them apart. Wreden even tries to force meaning in the game through his narration, and intentionally skipping past portions of Coda’s work or manipulating his work. I think the most important take away from this game is that everyone thinks very differently about their projects, and envision ideas completely differently from others. While some may not see things the way you do, it is important to visualize your own success and seek to solve the problems in your own mind. While our projects have to be PLAYABLE in their final iterations, I hope to learn more from the entire process of creating a game, and how to fine my abstract idea into a fun and lively product.