This semester I’m teaching a course on Intro to Game Engines. While yes, the course is mostly about game engines, there is another component to it. we started with what do all games have in common. Then we talked about the importance of rules, and if you don’t have rules you can make a game. And if you make poor rules, you’ll have poor play – which no one wants.
To demonstrate this, I had my students pick a well known game, and change one rule to see how it effects the game play. Here are some examples, both of what I gave them to get their minds going, as well as their answers.
Purpose of the Assignment
This assignment as all about getting students to think outside the box. I don’t believe that student learning should be just learning a set of facts. In today’s age we need students who know how to think and problem solve. How to look at solutions from a different perspective when necessary.
I would like to share these with you, as there is some interesting game play ideas. Do these changes make the game play faster? Easier? Harder? Impossible? That’s for you to decide. Feel free to try these out. Some of them did try their ideas out and play tested them. That was exciting. I hope more people try these ideas out. If you do, drop me a note so I know how it went.
Panic Chess
The game of chess, but you only have 15 seconds to move your piece. If you do not finish moving your piece, your piece resets to its current position, and you loose your turn.
Pawnless
The game of chess, except there are no pawns on the board.
Think about how that would effect strategy and play…!
Power Queen
Chess, but the Queen can jump over other pieces to get to where she wants to land. – I pointed out the rules around the queen would have to be modified as well. Maybe limit the number of pieces she can jump over, or the number of spaces she could move, or… she can’t kill the king.
Right Angle Checkers
Instead of playing checkers by moving the pieces diagonally, moving them straight forward and back and left and right only.
Sacrificial Checkers
Before starting the game, a player can choose to sacrifice up to one half of their pieces, to king another piece(s). For each piece sacrificed, another piece can be kinged. It is a game of quality of quantity.
You’ll Own Nothing
Monopoly, but you’re not allowed to own anything. It’s a battle of who will survive the longest.
D20 Monopoly
Instead of using two dice and rolling doubles, you only have a single D20 dice to throw. Look out for the utilities though, as your cost if influenced by what you role.
Four Dice Monopoly
You have 4 dice instead of 2. While the current rule for three consecutive doubles stay the same (3 turns and a fine or roll another double), if you roll two triples in a row, you go to jail for 4 turns or until you roll another triple.
However, if you roll a quartet (all 4 dice the same) then you go straight to jail for 5 turns or until you roll two doubles or a single triple or higher.
Roll a two quartets in a row, then you go to jail until a person passes Go or until you roll a quartet (no fine).
Made Up Scrabble ~ AKA ~ I Could Have Sworn That Was a Word
You can make your own words. They just have to follow logical spelling rules, and you have to be able to use the word in a sentence.
To Save a Life Minesweeper
Minesweeper, but you get an additional life for medium difficulty, and two lives for hardest difficulty setting.
Change Just One Thing was originally found on Access 2 Learn
