Games 349 Assignment 1

Due Friday, January 30

E-mail your answers to the following questions to kgold@wellesley.edu by the beginning of class on January 30.

1. In a sentence or two, tell me about something you're interested in besides video games. How might you use this as subject matter for a game?
2. Attach a recent picture, so that I can learn your name.
3. Read the excerpt from Homo Ludens handed out in class. Describe one observation in the passage that you think could apply to video games.
4. Play the web version of Alter Ego from beginning to end. In what major ways was the character you played similar to yourself, and in what ways was your character different? Why did you choose to be different or similar in those ways? What was your reaction to the end of the game, and why do you think you had that reaction?
5. Install and play Passage, from beginning to end. Be sure to get the girl at the beginning (she's near the top of the play area). Do you think this or Alter Ego has more emotional impact on the player? Why?
6. Read Paul DeStefano's critique of Tic Tac Toe on BoardGameGeek. Then propose another game and a life lesson that can be drawn from it.

Please also put down an estimate of the amount of time you spent on the assignment, so that I can better calibrate future assignments. Thanks!