TableTop

YO-HO-HO
CMU, ETC, Intro to Game Design
Pittsburgh PA, 2022

Genre: Tile moving; race game
Platform: Tabletop, google slide
My role: Designer, artist
Team member: Xiao Han

Description: 3 groups of pirates who absolutely hate each other are all trapped in the middle of the ocean. In the middle of the ocean there is a huge whirlpool that is moving very fast and destroying the tiny islands. Every group wants to be the first group that can escape from the whirlpool and land on the shore of the great continent, because on the continent there is also treasure waiting for them. Only one team will claim treasure, and only one team will survive. This game is inspired by Up the River, and has some of its most important mechanics remaining.

Challenges:

Modifying and redesigning a game based an already existed game, Up the River
Designing a theme based on mechanics
Implementing the game in google slide that supports multiplayer

As a game designer, I designed the mechanics and the rules of the game. I implemented it in Google Slides.
As an artist, I made the game board.

Don't Wake Up
CMU, ETC, Intro to Game Design
Pittsburgh PA, 2022

Genre: Asymmetrical co-op, puzzle solving
Platform: Tabletop
My role: Designer, researcher, artist
Team members: Caitlyn Lenhoff, Phoebe Wang, Xiao Han

Description: Don’t Wake Up is a cooperative, puzzle solving game. Two players, playing an experienced alien(surveyor) and a young alien(operator), will work together to help the young alien pass the ultimate test of human abduction. You succeed if you could abduct a human by moving them out their window without waking them from their slumber. However, during the operation, each player has part of the information, and they must communicate with each other using a limited choice of words to get the information through.

Challenges:

Using the existing IP as an inspiration for the mechanics and the theme of the game
Capturing the feeling of silliness and unknown that is in Lifted

As a game designer, I experimented with several different mechanics to achieve the feeling of nervousness. I set up playtests to find the optimal way. I made a cheat sheet of the rules that has each step and each power-up listed for players to use.
As an artist, I crafted some tactile game pieces with cardboard.

Wild Ones
CMU, ETC, Intro to Game Design
Pittsburgh PA, 2022

Rules

Genre: Co-op; Action point
Platform: Tabletop
My role: Designer, researcher
Team members: Rohit Sharma, Xiao Han

Description: Wild Ones is a two player co-op transformational board game aimed to raise the awareness of preserving native biodiversity. The players will work together to transform a bug-infested garden full of exotic flowers to a native plant garden that's healthy and beneficial to the ecosystem. This game is inspired by the non-profit organization, Wild Ones, Western PA chapter.

Challenges:

Designing a game based on a goal of a non-profit organization
Implementing dark patterns in the game for good cause
Using transformational theory as the guide to change the players in a positive way

As a game designer, I did research on the subject and the NGO. I proposed the idea of Native Plants VS Exotic Plants. I wrote the rules of the game and iterated on it many times.

Spelun-King
CMU, ETC, Intro to Game Design
Pittsburgh PA, 2022

Rules

Download gameboard

Genre: Roll-and-write
Platform: Tabletop
My role: Designer, researcher, artist
Team member: Xiao Han

Description: Spelun-King is a single player roll-and-write game themed around caving. The goal is to connect as many entrances and exits as possible to score the maximum of points. The major mechanics were decided before the project started, and the theme, caving, is randomly chosen from the activity page on Wikipedia.

Challenges:

Designing a roll-and-write game based on an activity that was randomly chosen (caving)
Making a game that's printable with minimum items that players have to bring in (players only have to bring a pencil and two dice)

As a game designer, I designed the mechanics and the rules of the game.
As an artist, I designed and drew the game board.