I'd like to showcase a cool game I found on the web known as "FISHY." It represents quite a few study halls worth of "work" back in high school. It is simple and quite compelling.
Studio: http://www.xgenstudios.com/
Format: Flash, 1 Player, Browser.
Core Mechanic: 1) Decide: Bigger or Smaller. 2) Avoid or Collide.
Control: Arrow Keys.
Interface: Minimal. Score Meter, and Fish Eaten Meter.
Design Notes: The general mechanic of avoiding adds a feeling of action. Its not too difficult to simply avoid everything but it makes the overall experience interesting.
The player must decide if they are big enough to eat another fish. If the player chooses larger fish to eat and gets away with it, its a rewarding experience due to the design. The larger the fish you eat the more you grow. There is also a reward animation, your fish gets bigger, and an increase in agency, the percentage of fish on the screen you can eat goes up.
The player choice also adds a "flow" mechanic in that they can choose to play risky or safe. This choice is well hidden and made continuously throughout play.
If the player does die, the prospect of restarting is not unpleasant. The game is fun in the current moment, and thus just surviving and eating is fun. The game has a rewarding wining condition.
Comments (1)
You are using this blog to its fullest potential.
Posted by Logan | October 12, 2008 1:26 PM
Posted on October 12, 2008 13:26