Dev.log Indigo

As a gamer and game designer, I like to experiment and delve into different genres that I either have preconceived notions about or maybe genres and franchises I wouldn't consider trying. I remember many years ago that I played Five Nights at Freddy's back in high school and it was a unique experience for me. It was a stationary horror game and something I haven't experienced before, but as the years went on, my interest in the franchise died down. Years later, my little brother is ranting and raving about me downloading Ultimate Custom Night from the FNaF franchise. So I did, and I have a few takes on it.

As I would've guessed, the gameplay, aesthetics, and overall feel were the same as I remembered all those years ago. The only difference is that this time this game feels more like a sandbox with all the toys you can possibly ask for. I both liked and disliked this because you can make it to your liking, but I don't really feel rewarded for playing much or have that incentive to replay. The same song and dance of surviving until 6 AM was there, with a few added mechanics that spice up gameplay somewhat that I felt were welcome. After a few matches, I felt done with the game. I didn't feel I could get more enjoyment out of it. Luckily, it was a free download and my little brother was having a blast with it. Even before that moment, I knew that this was tailormade for the core audience of the franchise and that nothing might change that.

I had many more takeaways with this game than I thought. For one thing, I appreciate that the developer published this for free when they could've easily made money off essentially a free form compilation game mashup. It makes me consider how I should or shouldn't monetize content for the future in relation to everything else I have on offer. Another thing is that if a formula works, I should stick with it in future installments, but really add in enough fresh features to make it more enjoyable. One more thing I learned is that if I created a game franchise that had a strong audience and was replayable, I might want to try to make a game that gives them all the tools to do what they desire, such as Ultimate Custom Night, Super Mario Maker, etc. I feel this would be a good way to please a core audience and make a stronger bond with them.

Consider a card game that you know how to play. Brainstorm ways to add dramatic & narrative elements to the game. Remember to reflect on this exercise for your dev.log

One of my favorite card games ever is Cards Against Humanity. It's perfect for someone like me who loves dark and absurd humor and is even better with friends who have similar mindsets and sense of humor. Aside from different card packs released every now and again, I wondered how I could spice up the game apart from it's "fill in the blank" nature. There are the "make up your own answer" cards, but that's a bit inconvenient. Then I had an idea.

I decided one way to make the game different was instead of picking the idea card on the top of the pile, the first 3 could be shuffled and then the reader picks a random card. Another thing I jotted down was maybe limiting the number of cards you have on hand: adding 1, subtracting 2, keeping it the same, etc. I was thinking about somehow trying to make a coherent story with the subject cards, but the game was way too random for that. I still wrote down different scenarios but scrapped the idea altogether. One more idea I thought about was having wildcards that let people trade cards with other people or discard what they had on hand and draw randomly from the pile. All of these sounded great, in theory.

Cards Against Humanity is fine the way it is and the different elements I suggested worked for better or worse. On one hand, many of these suggestions work because of the random RNG nature of the game. On the other, suggestions like a coherent narrative don't work because of that aspect: RNG. Plus, it's a vulgar party game with an equal amount of good and bad cards. It's also not the same feeling game as UNO where matching cards is essential. I feel like I could've brainstormed better ideas, but I haven't played the game for quite a while. Maybe if I had more hands-on experience recently, my mind would be fresh for thinking outside the xbox.