AET 335 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Playtest
18 Jan 2019
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Solo playtests: setting up the game as if it was played by multiple people, then making moves for each dummy player in turn. Confirm the game"s dynamics are working as expected. Playability: how easy it is to learn and play a game. Designer can expect a new player to already know. Discoverable rules: means of accomplishing must be deduced by player. Hidden rules: designer does not want players to gain too clear of understanding. What is permitted and prohibited in a game. Strategies and rules players should but are not obligated to follow. Can break and still be in the game. A strategic violation may be considered the game well played. Blind playtest: playtesters learn the game from the rulebook alone and no guidance. Use mechanics rather than story as basis of game. Build story around mechanics rather than mechanics around story. Good writing in a story doesn"t necessarily make a game marketable.
