Dev.log Entry Red

What really spoke to me while reading chapter 2 of Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton this week involved the author attempting to define games yet having the conclusion that there is much more to be explored by new game designers that may not fall into what a game is at this point. I feel connected to this idea in the way that I have enormous thoughts when it comes to some of the games I've wanted to create. I know that in the past, I've often had ideas out of scope for current technology, but not very far out of reach. Focusing on the core of what a game is and joining that idea with some out-of-the-box thoughts on what could be done with something new will keep me focused on creating immersive experiences for players that feel similar enough to things they may know while also introducing something more unknown. The further the unknown, potentially, could be the answer to innovation and even more fun.

This weekend, I played a new game for the first time called Among Us by Innersloth. This top-down multiplayer game did not have what would be difficult mechanics to write yet it was able to be very entertaining with a well-thought-out imposter finding goal. The armless space explorers were interesting to use, simple design yet still stylized and "cool" looking. I feel that is something that I strive toward when working on a project is to use a character design that is cute, functional, visually appealing, and simple to make the artwork for in the game.

Something else that stands out is the map sizes in these levels. The goal of the game is to catch an imposter on various space stations with a maximum group size of 10, and a maximum imposter size of 3 per game. The levels are created with enough room for the players to walk around and take care of tasks while also adding an element of surprise. There will not always be a clear view of all or many players at once. Thinking about how knowing something is nearby that you can't see adds a nice element of mystery which I think I would use and really enjoy about the play area of the game.

Overall, Among Us had mostly only good things to note. I feel like playing in a group with all random online players would be best and most challenging though. Often when playing with your regular game-playing groups while in audio chats on Discord, it's potentially giving away clues about imposters in this one without fully intending to do so. I am interested in playing around with the mystery, board layout ideas, and defining simple artwork style after playing this game.