What Would Mario Do – A Simple Decision Tool!

Mario 1 1 What Would Mario Do 8211 A Simple Decision Tool

Super Mario Bros on the NES has been around for a very long time now, yet still, it exudes class and is a masterclass in game design. One of the reasons for that, in my view, is the simplistic choices that Mario has to make in the early stages of the game – especially the first screen. He has essentially four choices, two when presented with a bad guy and two when presented with an obstacle.

  • Obstacles: Use it, avoid it
  • Bad guys: Kill it, avoid it

So, when Mario is faced with an obstacle, he can try to break – which might yield goodies or just clear his path. He could try to just move around or over it, or he can use it to get to higher parts of the screen (or lower if you consider a pipe taking him to bonus sections). Read More ...

What I am Learning from Playing Fortnite with my Daughter

H2x1 NSwitchDS Fortnite image1600w What I am Learning from Playing Fortnite with my Daughter

I have finally caved and given Fortnite some proper time.

It all started when my 12-year-old daughter noticed it was on my PC. I had downloaded when it first came out, but after one go, decided it wasn’t for me. However, it had been quietly updating in the background, just waiting for my return.

Fortnite is something of a gaming phenomenon, in a similar way to Minecraft a few years ago. It has had an enormous impact on society. It has spawned toys, board games and I am sure a film can’t be far away as EPIC tries to milk as much as possible from its latest cash cow. Of course, it is not without its controversies as well. Claims of gaming addiction, copyright infringements and more. Read More ...

Gamification: Meaningful Choice

Heavyrain3 Gamification Meaningful Choice

Heavy Rain. That was the name of the game that first made me understand that meaningful choices could take a game to new levels of immersiveness.

If you have never heard of it, Heavy Rain was a PS3 exclusive in 2010 from game makers Quantic Dream. You played the roles of several people through a convoluted mystery. There was the father who had lost his son, the private eye, the reporter and the FBI agent all linked to the mysterious Origami Killer. As the story unfolds, you have to decide how each character acts, how they handle conversations and what choices they make. Read More ...

The Green Button – A Short Story

Green Button 2 The Green Button 8211 A Short Story

Hi all.

A little self promotional, but it does have a gamification twist! I just published  short story on WhatPad that some of you may enjoy. If I get a decent response, I will probably write some more around the concept. Below is short segment and a link to the full story. You do have to register though it seems!

Thanks in advance 😀

“Good morning Dave.”

Dave lay motionless, unsure what was happening. “It’s time for you to get up now”. Dave opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing looked or felt familiar, least of all the disembodied female voice. Read More ...

Skill Trees and Gamification

InventorSkillTree Skill Trees and Gamification

Now that I have redone the User Types, I wanted to run a small series of how elements from games can be used with gamification. If you remember, I look at Game Thinking rather than just gamification as a singular path to solutions. Games handle complex problems and ideas in a fantastic way. They can simplify the complex without losing hte meaning.

For this one, I want to consider Skill Trees.

Most commonly seen in Role Playing Games (RPG’s) such as World of Warcraft and strategy / world domination games like Civilization. The image below is an example from a game called Legends of Aethereus. Read More ...