Zip Zap Zop Game Design Challenge
Open Alpha USC is launching a really fun event this year, the Zip Zap Zop Game Design Challenge.
Open to all USC students with a passion for game design (or who has the time), put your teamwork and game design skills to the ultimate test with two friends for about an hour and a half on Saturday, April 10.
We'll introduce competition rules and the difficult design constraints for a few minutes, then split into breakout rooms to design games at lightning speed, with rapidly changing constraints. We'll finish with evaluations (for the remaining time), where judges will bounce around some zoom breakout rooms and hear pitches before deciding upon finalists to playtest before the whole event attendance and announce the winners.
When: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM Pacific Standard Time Saturday, April 10
Where: Zoom (link emailed out to registered participants - sign up below)
Cost: FREE
Be there or be square!
Open to all USC students with a passion for game design (or who has the time), put your teamwork and game design skills to the ultimate test with two friends for about an hour and a half on Saturday, April 10.
We'll introduce competition rules and the difficult design constraints for a few minutes, then split into breakout rooms to design games at lightning speed, with rapidly changing constraints. We'll finish with evaluations (for the remaining time), where judges will bounce around some zoom breakout rooms and hear pitches before deciding upon finalists to playtest before the whole event attendance and announce the winners.
When: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM Pacific Standard Time Saturday, April 10
Where: Zoom (link emailed out to registered participants - sign up below)
Cost: FREE
Be there or be square!
Above: Creative VIBE-POTENTIAL of the event (colorized 2021)
*IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS*
Open Alpha USC is not responsible for the consequences of splitting up the party, sticking appendages in the mouth of a leering green devil face, accepting a dinner invitation from bugbears, storming the feast hall of a hill giant steading, angering a dragon of any variety, or saying yes with the DM asks, "Are you really sure?"
This design challenge will not be easy. Participant discretion is advised. (See twist constraint)
This design challenge will not be easy. Participant discretion is advised. (See twist constraint)
The RULES
Don't forget to bring your good sportsmanship! No one likes a sore winner/loser.
Teams of 3
Design constraints will be revealed at the beginning of the event
Event Timeline
15 minutes - Introduce rules and design constraints
15 minutes - Design Phase 1
5 minutes - Introduce twist constraint
35 minutes- Design Phase 2
20 minutes- Finalist playtesting + announce winners
DESIGN PHASE 1
Split into breakout rooms; upon end of 15 minutes, have:
1. A team name
2. The beginnings of a playable game of some sort
The game may consist of
Though in a standard games competition the game must stand fully on its own (for example judges would look only at a PDF of the rules), due to the limited time, teams are welcome and encouraged to walk players through their game rules and interrupt playtesting to clarify gameplay where necessary.
DESIGN PHASE 2
TWIST CONSTRAINT! An extra surprise constraint is added to the design challenge. You have approximately 35 minutes
Split back into breakout rooms, adapting your first game concept to the new challenge.
Toward the end of this phase, around minute 25, judges will do rounds of the breakout rooms and settle on a few promising teams to playtest their games before everyone as Finalists.
Be ready to explain the rules and the gist of your player experience in less than 3 minutes! (<3 minutes)
By the end of this phase, have:
1. A ton of fun
2. Your completed playable game
The game may consist of
Examples:
Extra Famous: A game for aspiring robot
SadPong
SadPong verbal explanation here:
Teams of 3
Design constraints will be revealed at the beginning of the event
Event Timeline
15 minutes - Introduce rules and design constraints
15 minutes - Design Phase 1
5 minutes - Introduce twist constraint
35 minutes- Design Phase 2
20 minutes- Finalist playtesting + announce winners
DESIGN PHASE 1
Split into breakout rooms; upon end of 15 minutes, have:
1. A team name
2. The beginnings of a playable game of some sort
The game may consist of
- Slides
- Handwritten, Word doc, or PDF instructions (extra points for prettiness)
- Executable (if you’re a madman)
- A verbal explanation of the game rules
Though in a standard games competition the game must stand fully on its own (for example judges would look only at a PDF of the rules), due to the limited time, teams are welcome and encouraged to walk players through their game rules and interrupt playtesting to clarify gameplay where necessary.
DESIGN PHASE 2
TWIST CONSTRAINT! An extra surprise constraint is added to the design challenge. You have approximately 35 minutes
Split back into breakout rooms, adapting your first game concept to the new challenge.
Toward the end of this phase, around minute 25, judges will do rounds of the breakout rooms and settle on a few promising teams to playtest their games before everyone as Finalists.
Be ready to explain the rules and the gist of your player experience in less than 3 minutes! (<3 minutes)
By the end of this phase, have:
1. A ton of fun
2. Your completed playable game
The game may consist of
- Slides
- Handwritten, Word doc, or PDF instructions (extra points for prettiness)
- Executable (if you’re a madman)
- A verbal explanation of the game rules
Examples:
Extra Famous: A game for aspiring robot
- Constraints: Themed around Fame, must have social deduction/deception elements...
- Twist constraint: MUST BE COLLABORATIVE!
SadPong
SadPong verbal explanation here:
- Constraints: modify beerpong/waterpong to be themed around "the collapse of the economy"
- Potential twist constraint: Must be 2v2
Finalist Judging!
Finalists will have 4 minutes to playtest their game with judges in front of everyone :P)
Announce Winners
Celebrate the winners! Maybe give some of the games a try!
Basic Tools - Free Versions only
- Hangouts / Zoom / Skype
- Discord / Instagram / Twitter / TikTok
- Google Presentations
- Google Search
- Draw.chat / aggie.io
- jukebox.today / spotify
- random.org
- https://www.free-tarot-reading.net/free
Prizes?
PRIZESSSSS
Winning teams will receive digital Steam Store gift cards! A boon to any game designer at SC - finally get around to playing Journey and The Stanley Parable without feeling guilty about spending your valuable ramen money
1st place: $100 / team member
2nd place: $50 / team member
3rd place: $20 / team member
Winning teams will receive digital Steam Store gift cards! A boon to any game designer at SC - finally get around to playing Journey and The Stanley Parable without feeling guilty about spending your valuable ramen money
1st place: $100 / team member
2nd place: $50 / team member
3rd place: $20 / team member
Signups close at 3AM PST 4/10
Zoom link and any additional details the event will be emailed out Saturday morning!
Zoom link and any additional details the event will be emailed out Saturday morning!