After last weeks exciting game focused warmup, i decided to go with something a little more low key this week. Kirsti had been reading a bushfire themed book to the students, so i took up the mantle and the mic to read out to them on this day. 

With most students having picked their template board game, we dove into gameplay designing. I began this section with some preamble about gameplay concepts and design processes. Some of this might have gone over their heads a little, but I wanted to challenge them with the higher end stuff, then let them focus on using the template design structure. The students got out the various board games I’d brought in, then we handed out my Game Design Document worksheets that I usually use for game design workshops. These provided the students with some prompts for what needs to be designed for their own game, and with the templates next to them they could reference a functioning game to help them piece together their own design.

As usual, there were some groups working well, and others struggling to move on from playing to learning/working. By the end most groups were managing to fill out sections of the worksheet and form the basics of a unique game that fits the fire safety/flood theme.

Our creative community grows! This time the students were adding animals to the habitats from last week. Now that this is a consistent, alternating reflection activity, the students are getting used to what is required for it, including writing the creative habit on their drawing, and explaining their reasoning to us as they stick it to the glass.

We’re still aiming to have the basic prototypes of the games ready in a few weeks, and for parents/school community to come in and see. We will monitor the progress the students make on their designs over the coming weeks, and prepare for the potential of the games to not be playable, if the students have not had enough of a chance to playtest their games.

They are certainly still enjoying the integration of games into their classroom, but sometimes the processes and methods I discuss are a little challenging for them to understand. It is always a mixed bag though, as some groups of students are doing well with the task, one in particular is developing a game I’m genuinely impressed with.

Kirsti will continue to prompt the students to make small progress on their games every morning in class. This task is a significant undertaking for the students, so they need all the time they can get.

For when the students begin crafting their prototypes, I pre-emptively brought in old cardboard boxes for them to use.

The current plan is for the parents/school community to see early prototypes of the games in a few weeks, then for the improved prototypes to be showcased at the Creative Schools Showcase later on. We’re excited to see how the students will approach public playtesting of their creations, and how they will process the feedback to improve upon their designs.