Team: 5 members (for physical game), 4 members (for digital adapted version)

Duration: 3 weeks (digital development)

Role: Mechanics Designer/Level Designer, Programmer

Time: December 2019

What is ‘Dream in Berry Forest’?

‘Dream In Berry Forest’ is a game we developed based on our school ‘Game Design Week’ project.

As the design topic challenges game design of both physical and digital games, our group designed the core mechanics of a fun physical game and then 4 of the group members adapted the mechanics into a digital version.

Before we get into the digital version, let’s take a look at the physical game.

Physical Game : ‘Tax Evasion’

The physical game is set in a big playground in order to leave space for running and other physical activities.

In the game there are two teams of players, one team is the Taxpayers (prey), and the other team is the CRA (hunters).

The goal of the taxpayers is to keep their money bags away from the CRA, the CRA’s goal is to steal the money from the Taxpayers and bring it to their safe zone. They do this by ripping their money away from them, along with their hopes and dreams.

After deciding on the core mechanics of prey-hunter gameplay, we start to specify and adapt them into a digital version.

So, what are the challenges adapting a physical game to digital?

To adapt a physical game into digital version, firstly, what is the difference between physcial and digital game? What are their features? Adapting these physical game mechanics, what could be the possible factors that affect and differ player experiences?

Of course, physical games require players’ physical participation, and digital games focus more on the virtual side.

Thus, in physical games players’ abilities and performances are largely depended and limited by there own physical attributes, while in digital game the only limit is players’ skills or strategies.

In ‘Tax Evasion’, running is the main activity that player execute during the game. Hunters catch up with preys, grab the money bag, and bring the money back to the safe zone. Running speed, reactivity, explosive power actions, endurance etc. together with emergency strategy capacity are the keys for players’ to win the game.

As the physical abilities and limitations serve as part of the gameplay, how do we convert it into a digital game where players has no physic bodies in it?

Instead of copying and pasting physical attributes from physical games into digital games (like energy bar, tricks with Unity RigidBody, etc.), we decide to foster the advantages and bypass the shortcomes of digital games. While follow along the core mechanics of ‘Tax Evasion’, we applied level design in the digital version to engage the gameplay.

By replacing the requirements for players’ physical attributes with level design, we are able to emphasize on player’s strategies combined with the use and interactions with the environments.

What is in Level Design?

Alone with the character mechanics, I designed 3 main interactable environment feature that player could apply during the gameplay.

High Grass: Player become invisible after entering the high grass region (be revealed if too close to Wizard).

Stone: Huge and heavy. Player could move it by pushing with a low speed.

Magic Platform: Could transport the player to other magic platforms. Only able to use when its magic power is fully charged (light up). Also, serve as the Crew’s three members’ original spawn spot.

The level design focuses on balancing and players’ interactions.

By having the Interactive environment features spread out on the map and form different kinds of functional areas, we are expecting players to run back and forth on the map and constantly make meaningful choices and utilize the environment features to win the game.

In-Game Level Overview

Gameplay flowchart with new mechanics

In our digital version ‘Dream In Berry Forest’, the Crew is bringing Energy Stone to a temple in the berry forest, while they need to refill the Magical Energy Pool in the temple, an evil wizard is trying to snatch the Energy Stone from them.

If the Wizard gets all the Stones, the Crew fails the mission. If the Crew successfully refills the Energy Pool, the Wizard never gets the Stone. However, if the Wizard catches a Crew member without a Stone, Wizard will kill the Crew Member.

game feedback loops

In the game, players could make achievements to get in Positive Feedback Loop to boost their winning, while the opponents can also hinder one’s winning and create Negative FeedBack Loop.

Positive Feedback Loop

Wizard: The more Energy Stones the Wizard brings back to the base, the Wizard’s overall speed goes up.

The Crew: The more Energy Stones the Crew bring to the Temple, the faster the energy refills.

Negative Feedback Loop

Take the Energy Stone From the opponent.