Introductions

So this assignment is looking pretty fortuitous for me right now. Having recently become more ingratiated with card games through friends, I’ve found myself more and more interested in the varying mechanics of such games and how these are affected by the themes and contexts of their subject matter. To name a few which have particularly piqued my interest recently are Bohnanza, Love Letter, and (more so than the others) Fluxx. I guess these titles interested me most due to how much they divulge from standard card game mechanics. Bohnanaza more represents a farming simulator than the traditional 52 variants but this does not hamper it’s appeal as a multi person party game. Love Letter is so refreshing in it’s simple mechanics, resulting in gameplay that is short, sweet and to the point. However, Fluxx is the most interesting to me in how it entirely dispences of convention and making that the purpose of the game. It results in a game playing experience that rarely repeats itself which makes it all the more dynamic and fun. This is where I somewhat prefer card games to other variants such as tabletop and digital.

Playing cards is something most of us do from a young age through to death. Starting with simpler games such as Go Fish, Snap, and UNO and then progressing on to more challenging types such as 500, Euchre, Hearts etc. It lends such a universal quality to the game play as it remains so familiar, despite the rules that change between them (and obviously games requiring certain specific cards). In my experience, this creates a somewhat easier learning curve to maneuver as board games and the like usually contain pieces and elements which are foreign to new users and can usually hinder game play as it requires a more experienced player to know the skill and strategy required in order to be successful. I know, I know, games are supposed to be about having fun but when there are obvious discrepancies in ability, it can be somewhat frustrating for new players. That’s why I’ve decided to pursue creating a game using the stock standard 52 deck of playing cards. While it may be a fairly strict imposition I’m making on myself, especially considering this is the first game I’ve ever developed, I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that limitation breeds creativity in reinvention. It means I need to work on creating a game that diverts enough from existing games to be engaging which may be taxing, I believe it will result in a game I can be fairly proud of and happy to possibly further expand on and exhibit beyond this course has finished.