Analyzing Games and Simulations

I am writing a report on the games and simulations I have played in Module 1. I never thought that one day, I would need to play more games to finish my assignment. But it was a real learning challenge for me, especially since I needed to test the games from the angle of a game designer and researcher. Tell the difference between games, simulation games, and simulators is not easy. Among the games I played in the past week, here are the game test reports on the most impressive three games to me:

• Game/Simulation Title: 3rd World Farmer
• What was the game/simulation about? 

This game shows me the real life of people in 3^rd world. They have limited resources, bear diseases, are without good education, are short of medicines… Meanwhile, natural disasters like floods and droughts may be due to harvest failure. Petty thieves and corrupt officials may suddenly enhance the living burden on the people there. The player can play the role of a third-world farmer to experience their real challenges.

• Describe the game’s/simulation’s structure
• Core dynamic: Construct
• Main mechanics: progress buttons; points (wealth, health, family members population); rewards (corps harvest data); challenges (accidents and disasters); storytelling; role-playing; social interaction (the players are welcome to share the simulation results on the social medias)
• Game goal: to simulate the reality of the farms’ living in third-world countries or districts. It’s very hard for them to survive and live better.
• What did you enjoy/not enjoy while playing the game/simulation? 

I felt sad while playing the game. However, I wasn’t sad because the game was badly designed but because it was well designed. It was designed so well to simulate the real challenges to the farmers in third-world countries and districts, which made me feel sad if I were one of them.

• Would you classify this as a game, simulation game, or simulation? Why? 

I would classify this as a simulation since it is not for fun but for introducing farmers’ real lives in third-world countries or districts.

• Game/Simulation Title: Crack the Circuit
• What was the game/simulation about? 

This game is about circuit knowledge. Players need to figure out the right way to link the power and terminals.

• Describe the game’s/simulation’s structure 
• Core dynamic: Solution
• Main mechanics: Levels; Progress Bars (18 levels in total); Rewards (play congratulation music and sound when the player successfully figures out the circuit); Challenges; Feedback.
• Game goal: Motivate the help players learn circuit and electricity knowledge
• What did you enjoy/not enjoy while playing the game/simulation? 

I enjoyed playing this simulation game because it provided me with real-time feedback about my right or wrong manipulations. It provided me with a safe environment to test my knowledge of electricity.

• Would you classify this as a game, simulation game, or simulation? Why? 

I think it is a simulation game. It combines the joyfulness of the game and the meaningfulness of learning perfectly.

• Game/Simulation Title: The Blood Typing Game
• What was the game/simulation about? 

This serious game is about learning the blood types. The player will play the role of a doctor in an emergency room to rescue a patient by starting to test the patient’s blood type. The player can learn the blood theory before playing.

• Describe the game’s/simulation’s structure 
• Core dynamic: Solution
• Main mechanics: Progress bars; points; rewards (confirmation feedback); challenges (the player needs to understand the blood type theory first before successfully resolving the challenges); Storytelling; Role-playing; Feedback (error messages).
• Game goal: Motivate and help players learn blood type theory.
• What did you enjoy/not enjoy while playing the game/simulation? 

I wish I had this game when I taught biology in middle school several years ago. The game visualized the different antigens in plasm and on the surfaces of different types of blood cells, which helped the players understand better the reasons behind the blood type theory.

• Would you classify this as a game, simulation game, or simulation? Why? 

This is a serious game. Because it has very clear instructional aims, is built for non-entertainment, provides interesting and engaging challenges, and is designed to provide some form of skill development.