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Game Design Guide Is for People Who Have Already Played Gridopolis ® LESSON PLAN 02 for STRATEGY GAMES A 3D Strategy Game & System PLAY MANY GAME GAMES WITH ONLY SEVEN BASIC PARTS DESIGN GUIDE This Game Design Guide is for people who have already played Gridopolis Download the quick start, instructions, and free game design blueprints at www.gridopolis.info. NOTES for EDUCATORS 2 Why game design? Knowledge Objectives Assessment Activities Gameplay in education has The student will practice planning, After the game design is completed, tremendous advantages: it’s a strategizing, and playing in three ask students about their experience powerful mix of logic, strategy, dimensions. • Designing their own game creativity, and critical thinking. Skills that will be addressed: • Playing in three dimensions The Gridopolis Game Design Guide • Visualization in 2D and 3D What are examples of things that offers all of these benefits – all • Creativity & concentration have different dimensions? within a fun, social and screen-free • Strategy environment. In other words, • Critical thinking • 1 dimension [line, string] • Logic & planning • 2 dimensions [window, paper] • 3 dimensions [box, apple, house] It’s the ‘perfect Behavioral Objectives What makes a three-dimensional storm’ of STEM. game more interesting, challenging, Students collaborate as they or fun than a two-dimensional board communicate their rules. They work game? Students can design their original individually and play in competition. games alone or in small groups. We live in a three-dimensional world. Is it more challenging to play For the testing phase [section 6 / Skills that will be addressed:W in 3D? Or, is it easier for you? page 12] students play their game • Socialization with as many others as their desgn • Negotiation Explain. requires. • Communication • Cooperation & Collaboration CONTENTS > GAME DESIGN PROCESS 3 SECTION 1 Design your grid-set Important reminders KNOW THE RULES This Game Design Guide requires SECTION 2 Place player markers that you have previously played Gridopolis and understand the Original Rules. Use the instruction booklet from the game box. SECTION 3 Choose how markers move You can also download the instructions – and more free grid-set blueprints – at www.gridopolis.info. SECTION 4 Pick a capture method BREAK THE RULES The examples in each section are suggestions to help you get started. SECTION 5 Decide how to win This game is your original creation, so feel free to substitute any rule or idea you like better! Just write it down in the Game SECTION 6 Test and test again! Design Checklist on pages 13 & 14. BACKGROUND 4 Introduction What should I know? Design process Gridopolis is a 3D strategy game This guide is based on knowledge of Designing a Gridopolis Game is not a and system. This feature allows Gridopolis and its rules. The best way linear process. Your first draft will not you to get creative and design to learn is to read the instructions and be your final design. your very own original game! play a few games first! As you work through the steps Using this Game Design Guide, you In each box you get 217 parts: of this Game Design Guide, each can change the game’s design & rules decision you make affects other as much (or little) as you choose. STRUCTURE (grid-set building) decisions – both before and after. • 63 Pads Some unique features of Gridopolis Be flexible! Feel free to go back and to keep in mind when designing: • 16 Posts forth in any order with your design ideas. • It’s played in three-dimensions, • 88 Links instead of the usual two. • You can dynamically add or NODES QUESTION TIME subtract to the grid-set during play! • 12 Kingerizers (4 colors) • What are your favorite games? • What rules or features do you • 6 Teleporters like most about them? • 8 Blocker-Boxes DESIGN TIP > Wherever you see this green highlight, record your idea in the Game Design Checklist on PLAYER PIECES pages 13 & 14. • 24 Markers (4 colors) SECTION 1 DESIGN YOUR GRID-SET 5 How many players? What’s your design? Typical strategy games will be Since Gridopolis is three- played by two to four people. dimensional, start by building multiple levels. One box of parts allows for up to four players. Your game design can When choosing how many vary from two to four players. levels to build, try to promote EXAMPLE > movement everywhere. When deciding the number of players for your game, design the This is the Twisted DESIGN TIP > use an odd gridset so all markers have room to Tower grid-set design. number of levels and start move. It’s a two-player game players on the middle level. with each player A good ratio of occupied to empty This creates more action in getting four markers. spaces is 40/60. the center and movement You can download the throughout the grid-set. That means you have 40% occupied building instructions, pads (with markers) and 60% empty (If players start on the top or called blueprints, at pads (for moving around). bottom level, there will be less www.gridopolis.info movement and gameplay action.) Should you design a totally flat grid-set, then give each player more structural parts (pads, DESIGN TIP > Take a few posts & links) and create a photos from different angles. game focused on building! SECTION 1 DESIGN YOUR GRID-SET (continued) 6 Any extra parts? Aim for symmetry LEFT RIGHT SIDE SIDE In Gridopolis (Original Rules,) each Symmetry is not required, but it will EXAMPLE > player starts with ten extra parts. make your grid-set easier to build. This design is Design your grid-set with equal symmetrical • 3 Pads room for markers from all players. because it looks the • 2 Posts same on both sides. Symmetry helps make things fair. (It’s also • 3 Links Each player should start an equal symmetrical in distance from a set location – like the 2 Blocker Boxes another direction!) • center or edge – of the grid-set. Decide how many parts (if any) are TOP VIEW given out to players. If you design a smaller grid-set, then you will have more parts for players to build during the game. EXAMPLE > PERSPECTIVE The Matrix VIEW four-player DESIGN TIP > The ability to add of the same design design and subtract on the grid-set makes gameplay more dynamic and fun! TOP VIEW (In other words, use the extra parts for building.) SECTION 2 PLACE PLAYER MARKERS 7 Assign player markers How do you start? In Section 1, you selected how many Start with your markers ON the grid- people were going to play. Now, A set (like most games). determine how many markers each Try to arrange markers so that player will get. OPTION everyone is an equal distance from In Gridopolis (Original Rules,) each each other. player has six markers. You can If you use Gridopolis (Original Rules,) choose any number from 1 to 6. place kingerizers on pads below the markers. These are your opponent’s If you own two sets, you can objectives. combine them and have up to 12 markers per player. That’s a lot! Start with your markers OFF of the B gridset. OPTION In this case, your first move will be to Place teleporters place a marker on an open pad. OPTIONAL / SAME AS ORIGINAL RULES C You have another idea? Great! Place teleporters on your new This Game Design Guide gives grid-set design. These should be OPTION you examples, but feel free to try somewhere central, where they anything! Use the Checklist (pages are equally spaced from all players. 13 & 14) to record your choices. Place two to six. SECTION 3 CHOOSE HOW PAWNS MOVE 8 1 pad: no backwards 2 pads: straight line 2 pads: mixed move EASY / SAME AS ORIGINAL RULES INTERMEDIATE DIFFICULTY MOST ADVANCED DIFFICULTY Pawns move one pad per turn as Pawns move two pads, but only in Pawns move two pads, one straight A long as they do not go backwards. B a straight line. The line can be two C AND one diagonal. You can do this in This includes diagonally and to other pads on the same level, multiple any order. OPTION OPTION OPTION higher or lower levels. levels, or diagonally. In other words, you can either move This is the same as Gridopolis If you hit ‘the end’ of the grid-set straight then diagonal OR diagonal (Original Rules). (the top, bottom or outer edge) then then straight. you are allowed to stop moving after one pad. 1 2 DIAGONAL then 1 STRAIGHT STRAIGHT then PAWNS MAY MOVE DIAGONAL ONE PAD AWAY, 1 EVEN VERTICALLY STRAIGHT then AND DIAGONALLY. DIAGONAL 2 2 SECTION 3 CHOOSE HOW KINGS MOVE 9 1 pad (same as pawn) 2 pads: 90º turn 2 pads: diagonal turn EASY DIFFICULTY INTERMEDIATE DIFFICULTY MOST ADVANCED DIFFICULTY With this option, kings have the Move two pads, but the second Move your marker two pads but only A ability to move in any direction. B move cannot be diagonally. C in a diagonal direction. OPTION Move only one pad per turn. OPTION OPTION The line can be two adjacent pads The first move is allowed in any on the same level, multiple levels, or direction; the second pad must be at diagonally across multiple levels. a right (90º) angle from the first. 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 GREEN KING CAN MOVE TO ANY THE SECOND ORANGE PAD TURN CAN (18 OPTIONS!) BE EITHER HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL 1 2 2 1 SECTION 4 PICK A CAPTURE METHOD 10 Jumping capture Landing capture No capture (it’s a race) EASY / SAME AS ORIGINAL RULES EASY DIFFICULTY DIFFERENT DIFFICULTY Jumping over an opponent to capture As in Chess, you capture an You don’t have to capture opponents A them is common in strategy games.
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