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GAMEFUL CHALLENGE #5: I Feel Good!

Public Group, active 4 months, 1 week ago

Gamers wanna feel good. But HOW good? Your challenge is to design a game that makes gamers feel good in a very specific way. Scientists have discovered 13 positive emotions [...]

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Gamers wanna feel good. But HOW good?

Your challenge is to design a game that makes gamers feel good in a very specific way.

Scientists have discovered 13 positive emotions that motivate, engage and reward us more than any other – and that are proven to be an essential part of a Flourishing life (read more about flourishing here).

· Awe
· Contentment
· Compassion
· Curiosity
· Creativity
· Delight
· Determination
· Gratitude
· Joy
· Laughter
· Love
· Pride
· Surprise

Create a computer or videogame designed to evoke one specific positive emotion predominantly through its mechanics. That means that the way you interact with the game is what should make you feel a certain way, not necessarily the ‘story’ – the dialogue, pictures, characters, etc.

(Want to stretch outside the 13 major positive emotions? Here’s a list of more than 100 minor positive emotions!)

Bonus Consideration will be given to games that are:

- Short! Try to keep a play session under five minutes. Usually quick experiences are better at packing an emotional punch.

- Elegant! It’s the little things that count: exploring a single mechanic to its fullest is much more interesting than throwing several together and seeing what sticks.
Experimental! Do something NEW.

Rules:
• ALL genres are eligible, but it must involve digital technology.
• Original games only, please. (Please don’t submit a game you made last year. Make a new one!)
• All games MUST be playable by others. Give us a way to download it or play it online.
* All team members must be Gameful members!

Rewards:
• $1000 prize for the favorite game chosen by this challenge’s Gameful Fairy, Chelsea Howe (@manojalpa)
• Up to 5 top entries will receive support and mentorship for submitting their game to the annual Experimental Gameplay Workshop at the 2012 Game Developers Conference
• Up to 10 top entries will be tweeted by all four Gameful founders (reaching more than 25,000 people) to help your game go viral!

To Play:
1. Join the I FEEL GOOD Group.
2. Discuss what you’re up to.
3. When you’re ready, but BEFORE September 23, 2011, start a new forum topic for YOUR entry. (The forum topic is the easiest way for judges and contestants to see all entries in one place.) Describe what you’ve created. Include a link to your game, or a way to download it, so we can play it.
4. When you’re ready to officially submit your game, fill out this form.
5. Await game-tastic feedback from your fellow Gameful monsters.
6. Winners will be announced by October 23, 2011.

Tags: challenge
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Contest Submission: Potions & Poisons (3 posts)

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  • Avatar Image John M. Quick, a level 7 monster with 55 posts — 9 months ago:

    Game: Potions & Poisons

    Description:

    Potions & Poisons is a challenging puzzle game that will put your wits and memory to the test as you save the Great Yellow Wizard from the cauldron of despair.

    In P&P, you are an apprentice wizard. The Evil Red Wizard has used the curse of six poisons to trap the Great Yellow Wizard in the cauldron of despair. To save him and become a master wizard, you must cure the poisons with six healing potions.

    Features
    *Random puzzle that’s different every time you play
    *Pleasant music, sound effects, and graphics
    *Fling open boxes to reveal their contents
    *Mix ingredients and see them react
    *Cure the poisons with the right potions to win

    Find out more at: http://www.dailyi.org/apps/PotionsAndPoisons and http://www.johnmquick.com

    Positive Emotions:

    P&P was originally going to be a simple prototype for a box opening game. I had the elements of curiosity and surprise in mind and was inspired by the chest opening mini-game in Zelda OOT. After building the prototype, I realized that there was no meaning behind the contents of the boxes. Therefore, I created the other component of the game, which involves finding and mixing ingredients. This makes the contents of the boxes and keeping track of which ingredients are in which boxes very important.

    Having played the completed game, I would say now that surprise and curiosity are there to some extent, but that determination is the strongest emotion involved. The desire to rid one’s inventory of the poisons feels quite strong and seems to build over time, especially as victory is near. Whether or not my game ultimately succeeds in inciting the 13 positive emotions in its players, I am very pleased with the final product and thankful that this contest came around at the right time and inspired me to create it.

    Short:

    A well-played game will last about 5 minutes. The fastest I’ve played was around 3 and 10 would be a slow one.

    Elegant:

    Two primary mechanics are at work in P&P. The first is the slide and release, which is used to fling open box tops and reveal their contents. The second is drag and drop, which is used to pour ingredients into the cauldron.

    Platform: iPhone (iOS 4.3.3+)

    Dates:
    *started on 7/27
    *submitted to App Store on 8/12
    *approved by App Store on 8/18.

    How to Play:

    Download from iTunes App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/app/potions-poisons/id456543474?mt=8. A limited number of free download codes are available upon request. I’d be very happy to receive feedback and App Store ratings/reviews from other Gameful members.

    Team: John M. Quick (@john on Gameful)

  • Avatar Image Chelsea Howe, a level 7 monster with 31 posts — 8 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Oh wow, totally psyched to try this out! :D I’ll download it tonight!

  • Avatar Image Hanna Brady, a level 7 monster with 21 posts — 6 months, 3 weeks ago:

    The trailer looks really good ^_^ Alas, I have not the tech to try it.

    • Avatar Image
      John M. Quick · 6 months, 2 weeks ago

      Thanks. Sorry you don’t have iOS. If you want a download code to try it on someone else’s phone, let me know.