Game Study: Exercise 1_My favourite video game/table top game
22 April 2025 - 6 June 2025
CHONG CHENG TAO (0371072)
Game Study | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Taylor's University
Exercise 1: My favourite video game/table top game
List
LECTURES
Week 1
In the first week, Ms. Anis brief us regarding the module overveiw.
EXERCISE 1
- Review my fav game.
- What make you come back to the game?
- What make you a fan?
- What are the potential improvement?
- Can include clips & gameplay
- Submission: Blog in E-portfolio
EXERCISE 2
- A non-digital that evolute into digital game, examine its remediation.
FINAL PROJECT
- A simple mock-up of game.
- IMPORTANT: How ot convert concept into a board game.
- Focus on game mechanic (playable prototype).
- Take reference concept from existing game.
What is Game Design?
Game design is to create interactivity, with fun and playfulenss. A ggood
game has engaging mechanic, compelling narrative and balanced
challenge.
Core Principle:
- Player experience
- Gameplay mechanics
- Storytelling
- Balance and Challenge
1. Player Experience
- Focus on emotion, player should feel immersed.
- The "FLOW" state, with optimal balance of challenge and skill.
- User-centered design, consider target audience & plastyle.
2. Gameplay mechanics
- Primary Mechanics: The core actions players perform in the game. (Get or Lost point)
- Secondary Mechanics: Additional enriching gameplay future.
- Feedback loop: Positive & Negative reinforcement systems (Rewards and Penalties). Dynamic Feedback Loop!
3. Storytelling
- Player agency, allow players to influence the story. (E.G: Chess, black & white). Give players' choices where their actions impact the progression.
- Environmental storytelling, immerse playes in the world.
- Narractive arc, with structuring story
4. Balance and Challenge
- Difficulty curve, challenge increased along the gameplay.
- Skills & Luck.
5. Feedback and Iteration
- Ensure game is playable & enjoyable at all level.
- Playtesting, get feedback loop and fine-tuning the experience.
6. Immersion and Worldbuilding
- Add immersion & provide context.
Challenge:
- Over Complication
- Failing to Adapt
- Monetization vs. Player Experience
*Ludology Game, focuses on the mechanics, rules, and systems that make games
unique, rather than just the narrative or story.
Week 2
Fun:
- Engaging mechanism & rewarding challenge
- Fun come from choice, competition, discovery and achievement.
Education:
- Involving teaching concepts, improving skills or enhancing understanding.
WHY:
Challenge in design games that are both entertaining and educational.
GOAL:
Make learning feel natural & rewarding without sacrificing fun.
CHALLENGE:
How to not overwhelm player & ensure the fun doen't feel secondary and gimmicky?
Strategy for Fun & Educational
Learn through play:
- Games as simulations, engaging with decision-making.
- Layering game experience.
- Problem-solving / puzzle mechanisms in game.
- Using narrative as reinforcements
User is not that "intelligent".
INSTRUCTIONS
This is the Module Information Booklet for this module:
Exercise 1:
- My favourite video game/tabletop game
- What makes this game playful
Exercise 1
Overview
In this exercise, we will need to select one of our favourite video or
tabletop game that have a high replay value.
We will need to complete our report via observing and analyzing skills
to different aspects of digital gaming. The growth of this knowledge
will contribute us in the creation of your group’s tabletop game design.
Exercise 1
Introduction
I select my all time favourite game
Attack on Titan Tribute Game (AoTTG) created by Fenglee. It is a
free fan-made browser game inspired by the popular anime and manga
series Attack on Titan. Developed by indie developer Fenglee and
released in 2013.
At that time, this game became a viral hit among fans for its
unique and high freedom gameplay mechanics taken from the Attack
on Titan universe.
It used to be a browser-based game, developed using Unity. In the recent
years, a global volunteer community builds AoTTG2 by Fenglee’s
original game, introducing enhanced mechanics, improved visuals, and
expanded gameplay options. The game is available to downlaod in Windows,
macOS, and Linux platforms.
The game supports both single-player and multiplayer modes, with a
variety of maps and missions ranging from survival challenges to Titan
extermination.
Despite its unpolished graphics and bugs, the game’s fluid mechanics,
fan-driven updates, and passion community have kept it alive and
refreashed.
*Following gameplay will use AoTTG 2.
Figure 2.1 AoTTG 2 (Attack on Titan Tribute Game 2)
Figure 2.2 Volunteer community
Gameplay
In AOTTG, players take control of characters from the manga, like Eren,
Mikasa, or Levi. Player use 3D Maneuver Gear, also known as
omni-directional mobility gear (ODM) to zip around environment
elements, Titans and other players to
move freely through the air. To eliminate the titan, player will need to target the titan's nape and attack it to eliminate the titan.
Figure 2.3 Titan's nape
The physics-based swinging system is one of the game’s most iconic
features, allowing players to move through the air with different skills
and movement. The high degree of movement allows the community to
develop variety of skills and movement.
Here is some basic maps:
Figure 2.4 Maps
Figure 2.5 Map 1_Forest
Figure 2.6 Map 2_City
Figure 2.7 Map 3_Rock Mountain
There is a several game modes:
- Kill Titans (Singleplayer/Multiplayer)
- Eliminate all Titans in an area to clear the map
- Waves Mode
- Survive against multiple waves of Titans. Each wave gets harder.
- PvP / Bomb PvP
- Compete against other players using swords or explosives.
- Racing
- A speed-based mode to test your ODM skills by reaching goals quickly.
- Capture
- Teams fight for control over map zones.
- Trost/Colossal Titan/Custom Maps
- Mange/Anime-inspired missions with special objectives like defending the city or fighting specific titans.
What's Make This Game So Playful
1. Freedom of Movement using Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) Gear
In my personal opinion, this is the main reason why this game has ULTIMATE REPLAY VALUE. Mastering this system is both challenging and rewarding, contributing significantly to the game's playfulness.
Figure 2.8 AoTTG Gameplay Clip
Besides the standard movement keys, W, A, S, D for directional movement, players rely heavily on:
- Q: Shoot the left grappling hook, anchoring it to a nearby surface or Titan.
- E: Shoot the right grappling hook, enabling dual-point attachments for greater swinging control.
- Left Shift: Activates the gas boost, used for rapid movement & direction changing in mid-air.
These three keys form the core movement of ODM.
Figure 2.9 Attack
Figure 2.10 Hooks
Figure 2.11 Jump & Gas
Figure 2.12 Reel in & Reel out
{{However, the game lacks built-in tutorials or assisted modes, which can make it challenging for beginners to familiarize the fundamentals of movement. }}
2. Creative Techniques developed by Community
With the combination of ODM movement and special attack, the community has contributed significantly to the game's depth by developing advanced techniques. These techniques add diffuculties, creating a more interesting gameplay experience. There is literally no skill cap on how good you can be because the flexibility of this games.
Here is some notable techniques:
- Critical Reeling
- Reel is a good technique to slow down or speed up the speed.
- This can be used to change your direction in mid-air, while adding acceleration.
- Blinding Shot/ Blinding Spin
- A technique used to take down large and medium sized titans.
- D-Gyro
- Done by using Levi's skill.
- This can make a circular movement around the titan's neck.
- Jäger Drive
- Done by using Mikasa's skill.
- While falling, align blades to the titan's nape, create a great damage.
3. The Positive Feedback Loop
The gameplay features some simple but useful positive feedback:
- Small but effective sound effect
- High speed moving "Wind" sound.
- Brandishing weapon, slash sound.
- Cruncky slicing sound when killing titan (THIS IS SO SATISFYINGGGGGG)
- Damage-based point system
- The score / point in AoTTG is given when a critical strike is landing on titan's nape.
- High speed + Well angles = High Score.
- All most all the techniques list above are aiming to achieve a higher score by accelerating speed and finding a good attacking angles.
- Instant reward & failure for risk
- Every player only have one life during a mission, as there is no second life or health bar system.
- Every movement, whether swinging toward a Titan, flying low to the ground, or choosing where to land is significant.
Potential Improvement
Althogh AoTTG fulfil a an excellent game in my point a view. Some room of improvement exists.
1. Assist / beginner mode for new player
There is limited tutorial for beginners to get familiar with the basic gameplay. Thus, new players often face a long and monotonous learning curve at the beginning, struggling to even move through air or land basic hits.
- Introduce an optional aim assist feature to help beginners hook onto surfaces or Titans more accurately.
- Add a special Training Mode featuring slower and nerfed Titans.
2. Movement / weapon customization
Althoguh AoTTG is a game with high flexbility in movement. It still has limited customization on character's physical mechanism (besides Speed, Weapon Durability).
- Introduce more customization that would change the game physics. E.g. hook speed, character's gravity and boost/gas strength.
3.Variety of titan behavior
Currently, titan movement in AoTTG is monotonous and predictable. For example, the classic "Three punches" and "Grab and Eat". There is lack of challenges for some veteran and hardcore player.
- Introduce more titan behavior. E.g. fake attack, roar and group attack.
Conclusion
AoTTG is a perfect example of how a simple, well-designed mechanism can create a high replay value. Despite it's low fidelity graphics and basic animation, the flexibility and strong feedback loop for players easily outweight the drawbacks.
Players are free to develop their own techniques, and every successful swing or kill delivers instant, satisfying feedback. Instead of using on upgrades or progression systems, the game rewards pure skill improvement, making each session feel meaningful. By focusing on gameplay over visuals, AoTTG proves that strong core mechanics can sustain player interest for years. (YES I BEEN PLAYING SINCE 11 YEARS OLD)
REFLECTIONS
Such an inetresting exercise! Feel so good to share my opinion regarding my favorite game.
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