GAMES STUDIES - EXERCISES
21/4/26 - 15/5/26 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Lim Jia Xuan 0371026
GCD61504 Games Studies
Task 1: Exercises - Field Study
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Instruction
2.0 Field Research Report
1.0 INSTRUCTION
2.0 FIELD RESEARCH REPORT
To get inspiration for our project, each group was tasked with playing a minimum of three board games or card games during the second week. Since my group only had two members, my friend and I invited our friends to play the games with us, which gave my teammate and me the flexibility to try games designed for two to four players.
1. WAVELENGTH
Yee Leng and I chose Wavelength as the first game we explored because I was new to board games. Therefore, we decided to start with a game that did not focus on winning or losing, allowing us to get familiar with the experience first.
Wavelength is a game that focuses heavily on interaction and communication between players. The main objective of the game is to predict and understand the thoughts, perspectives, or opinions of other players based on different clues and scales provided during gameplay. Players need to discuss, observe, and interpret each other’s thinking patterns to make accurate guesses. Unlike competitive games that mainly focus on winning or losing, this game encourages conversation, teamwork, and mutual understanding, making the overall experience more engaging and enjoyable for both new and experienced players.
I found Wavelength to be both fun and engaging because it encouraged a lot of interaction and communication among the players. The game was not very difficult to understand, but predicting what other players were thinking could sometimes be quite challenging, especially when everyone had different perspectives and interpretations. This made the gameplay exciting and often led to funny or unexpected moments during discussions.
Since the game focuses more on teamwork and understanding each other’s thoughts rather than direct competition, the experience felt more relaxed compared to other board games. Our team managed to make several accurate guesses because we paid attention to each other’s thinking patterns and communicated well during the game. However, there were also moments when we misunderstood the clues, which caused us to miss some points.
Overall, the game was enjoyable and suitable for beginners like me because it was easy to learn and created a comfortable atmosphere for social interaction. I would definitely play it again because it is a good game for breaking the ice, spending time with friends, and improving communication and critical thinking skills.
3 Great things:
(+)Highly Interactive
The game encourages communication and discussion among players, making the experience fun and engaging.
The game encourages communication and discussion among players, making the experience fun and engaging.
(+)Easy to Learn
The rules are simple and beginner-friendly, making it suitable for players who are new to board games.
The rules are simple and beginner-friendly, making it suitable for players who are new to board games.
(+)Encourages Critical Thinking
Players need to understand different perspectives and predict others’ thoughts, which helps improve creativity and communication skills.
Players need to understand different perspectives and predict others’ thoughts, which helps improve creativity and communication skills.
3 Meh things:
(-)Depends on Player Participation
The game may become less enjoyable if players are shy or unwilling to communicate actively.
The game may become less enjoyable if players are shy or unwilling to communicate actively.
(-)Can Be Difficult to Interpret Clues
Different players may have very different ways of thinking, which can sometimes make the clues confusing.
Different players may have very different ways of thinking, which can sometimes make the clues confusing.
(-)Less Competitive
Players who prefer intense competition or strategy-based games may find the gameplay less exciting.
1 thing to steal/ inspired
- Critical Thinking
2. Who did it?
The progression and intention behind choosing this game came from our visit to a board game store. While Yee Leng and I were standing at the game zone trying to decide which game to play, the staff noticed us and approached to recommend a suitable option. They suggested Who Did It? because it is flexible in terms of player count and does not have strict rules regarding the number of participants required.
Who Did It? is a fast-paced and chaotic card game that focuses on quick reactions, observation skills, and memory. In the game, players try to get rid of all their cards while blaming different pets for making a mess. Each player must pay close attention to the cards played by others and react quickly to avoid making mistakes.
One important aspect of the game is that players need to remember the cards that previous players have already placed or played. This is crucial because repeating or missing important cards can easily lead to losing the game. As the rounds progress, players must stay alert and use their memory to track what has already been played, which adds an extra layer of challenge to the gameplay.
What makes the game enjoyable is its fast pace and the funny interactions between players. Since everyone must react quickly, the game often creates excitement, shouting, and laughter during each round. However, it can also become quite stressful because players need to stay focused at all times, and even a small mistake or forgetfulness can cause them to lose the round.
Overall, the game is entertaining and energetic, especially when played with a larger group of friends. I would play it again because it is easy to set up, does not take a long time to finish, and creates a fun and interactive social experience.
One important aspect of the game is that players need to remember the cards that previous players have already placed or played. This is crucial because repeating or missing important cards can easily lead to losing the game. As the rounds progress, players must stay alert and use their memory to track what has already been played, which adds an extra layer of challenge to the gameplay.
What makes the game enjoyable is its fast pace and the funny interactions between players. Since everyone must react quickly, the game often creates excitement, shouting, and laughter during each round. However, it can also become quite stressful because players need to stay focused at all times, and even a small mistake or forgetfulness can cause them to lose the round.
Overall, the game is entertaining and energetic, especially when played with a larger group of friends. I would play it again because it is easy to set up, does not take a long time to finish, and creates a fun and interactive social experience.
3 Great things:
(+)Flexible player count
The game does not have a strict number of players, making it easy to include more friends without worrying about team size limitations.
(+)Fast-paced and fun gameplay
The quick reactions and guessing elements create a lively atmosphere filled with excitement, laughter, and interaction among players.
(+)Easy to learn and set up
The rules are simple, so new players can understand the game quickly without needing a long explanation, making it suitable for casual play sessions.
3 Meh things:
(-)Limited strategy gameplay
The game focuses more on speed and reaction rather than long-term planning, so players who enjoy strategic games may find it too simple.
(-)Gameplay can be too fast
The rounds end very quickly, so players may not have enough time to fully enjoy or react during the game.
(-)Can become noisy and chaotic
Since all players react at the same time, the game can become loud and messy, especially when played with a larger group.
1 thing to steal/ inspired
- Flexible player count
3. Halli Galli
4. Bomb Busters
Bomb Busters is a cooperative deduction and communication-based game where players work together as a bomb disposal team trying to safely defuse a series of “bombs” before time runs out. The theme is centred around teamwork under pressure, where each player holds partial information about the bomb’s wiring or numbers, and no one has the full solution alone. The main mechanic involves logical deduction, communication, and careful decision-making, as players must share clues, interpret patterns, and avoid triggering the bomb by making the wrong cut or action. The goal is to successfully complete all bomb-defusal missions by correctly identifying safe moves and working together efficiently without causing an explosion. It’s a game that focuses more on thinking and teamwork rather than speed or individual competition.
I chose to play Bomb Busters mainly because the box packaging immediately caught my attention. The design looked interesting and different from the other games, which made me curious about how it works. After seeing the box, I decided to select it for playtest because it gave the impression of a more engaging and strategic game. The group also agreed to play it since everyone was interested in trying something new and wanted to explore how the gameplay would unfold based on its unique presentation.
The playtest of Bomb Busters was very fun and highly enjoyable for my friends and me. We started from level 1 and continued playing all the way up to level 9, which showed that we were fully engaged throughout the session. The game created a lot of interaction between us, as we constantly had to communicate, discuss, and make decisions together to solve each level.
We eventually won the game, and it felt very satisfying because it required teamwork and careful thinking to succeed. One of the most interesting parts was how the random skill or power cards changed the gameplay each time, which made every round feel different and exciting.
Overall, I would definitely play it again because it does not feel repetitive. The variation in cards and the cooperative gameplay keep it fresh and prevent it from becoming boring.
3 Great things:
(+)Highly engaging and fun
The gameplay keeps players entertained from start to higher levels without losing interest.
(+)Strong teamwork interaction
Players must communicate and cooperate constantly, which makes the experience very social and interactive.
(+)Replayability through random elements
Skill/power cards change the gameplay each time, keeping it fresh and less predictable.
3 Meh things:
(-)Can be confusing for new players at first
Understanding all mechanics and card effects may take a few rounds.
(-)Requires good communication
If players are not actively talking or cooperating, the game can become harder or slower.
(-)Longer playtime for higher levels
As levels increase, the game can take more time to complete, which may not suit short sessions.
1 thing to steal/ inspired
- Players Interactive
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