Dev.Log Entry Indigo

While reading this week's text on prototyping, a few things stuck out to me. I have noticed a great clarification of the prototyping process and its benefits. I think even when a team of designers has the ability to do the programming and artwork, it would still mean a great deal in the concept stage for any project to start with a physical prototype. While looking ahead at making our upcoming physical prototype of a game, this chapter basically maps out how to accomplish this in a step-by-step fashion. The most obvious reasons to use this type of prototyping would be that members of each team generally have different skills, but for the most part, should obviously be able to understand mapping out a core mechanic as a group and starting off the project with a much more cohesive understanding of what steps need to be taken next to bring this prototype closer to a finished product.

Last week, I got the new Jackbox 7 Party Pack which includes 5 new Jackbox games. I was able to play on two separate days with a group of friends online, and it seems the two favorites of the group were Talking Points and Champed Up. Talking Points has interesting gameplay in which each player chooses a prompt to speak on for their audience, and is assisted by another player who chooses images based on the text prompts, and it's played similarly to a PowerPoint presentation. One of the great parts of this game that I would find interesting to include somehow in future games would be the photo-interpretation of the presentations. During the presentation, each player reads one text card and then goes on to a photo slide chosen by their assistant and randomly starts talking about the image until something makes sense. This gives the other players who are judging by an up or down click the opportunity to create a basis in which the player is judged. If the player gets more, steady "up" clicks, they will end up winning the round.

The idea that there's really no "right" way to win these rounds is more intriguing and gives an opportunity to have a different kind of experience with each attempt at the game. At the end of the last round, players are able to make up a prize and award it to any player they choose. It seems like the first playthrough, it's not necessarily understood that a player who scored lowest in the presentation can still win with enough prizes awarded by opposing players at the end. I think it should be explained a bit in the beginning rules what the prize at the end can do, but it is also fun to see the ridiculous and almost chaotic nature of what makes a winner during a presentation. This game had me thinking about how to use future presentations as well. I like the aspect that you have a topic, yet another person is assisting with visuals that they've interpreted as relevant that you have not chosen or seen before. I think this is my favorite part of the game. I'd enjoy business meetings if they could be conducted this way!