ED 102: Displays and Graphics for Educators

Project 4:

Designing
Games
Folder Games, Board Games,
Computer Games
By Zita Podany

Decision
You need to decide if your game will be a
Board game
Folder game
Computer game (this cannot be one
that is already created by someone
else.)

The Assignment
Your mission is to create ONE game of
your very own.
It must be created by you. Designed by
you. Developed by you.
Choose an age group for whom the game
will be designed.

Criteria

Choose an age group for whom the game is

designed.
Based on the age group, use appropriate
vocabulary for the instructions, color
scheme, graphics, manual dexterity, etc. In
other words, the game must be age
appropriate.
Must be educational i.e., teach a concept
or concepts, reinforce concepts, or provide
supplementary curricular reinforcement.
How will students be held accountable for
what they learn?

Criteria - Instructions
Your game must have written (typed)
instructions.
Explain how to play the game, how one
wins, and what needs to be turned in to
the teacher (if applicable).
You can include tips or variations of how
to play the game.
Include a list of items in the game.

Game Piece Management

Very critical to the game! Missing or
damaged pieces render the game useless.
Think of the age group and how they
handle game pieces (chubby little hands
digging deep into a paper envelope, sharp,
small pieces inhaled into nostrils, staples
cutting fingers, game pieces being licked,
or worse, runny nose liquid spread all
over the game items, etc.)

Game Piece Management (cont)

Plastic envelopes (accordion style work well)

Velcro works better than magnets (especially
cheap magnets).
Magnets attached to the yellow pages work really
well for quite a while if you want to use magnets
instead of velcro.

Duct tape frays after a while and gets sticky.

Laminate, laminate, laminate easy to
disinfect laminated items.

Game Piece Management (cont)

Dice? How will you store them in the
game?
Spinners? How will they be stored?
Are you using a folder for your game?
Then you need to consider how all those
pieces will be stored.
Are you creating a board game? Consider
using a box (gift or shoe boxes work
well). Have smaller containers for the
game pieces.

Design the Cover

Make sure to design a cover for your
game along with the Game title and
created by you.
If you are creating a folder game, make
sure to put the game title on the folder
Tab.
If you are creating a board game in a box,
be sure to label the sides of the box with
the game title.

Test It Out!
Test out the game on the intended
audience.
Testing will allow you to iron out the
instructions as well as other aspects of
your game.

Presenting the Game

You will present the game in class.
Gloss over how to play it.
Show off the pieces and how you are
managing them.
And, if you tested it, what were the
results?