Roller Revolution

An in-class project focused on reimagining the classic tabletop game "Up the River."

  • Responsibilities:

    - Game board graphic design
    - Playtesting
    - Research (terminology)

  • Challenges:

    - Limited graphic design experience
    - Unique themes for redesign
    - Game mechanic redesign
    - Limited time

  • Tools & Software:

    - Microsoft PowerPoint (prototype)
    - Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
    - Sticky notes (ideation)
    - iStock for rights free graphics

  • Duration:

    - 3 days

Introduction to Up the River

Rules and Mechanics of Up the River:

  • Players aim to navigate their ships to the harbor while avoiding falling down the perilous waterfalls.

  • Points are awarded based on the order of arrival at the harbor, with the first ship gaining the highest point value. Subsequent ships receive lower point values as they arrive.

  • The game concludes when all ships are either safely docked or lost. The player with the highest score emerges victorious.

REDESIGN PROCESS

  • 1. Play The Original

    - The team played the game multiple times to grasp its theme and mechanics effectively.

    - Notes were taken, and potential focus areas for revision were determined.

  • 2. Consider A New Theme

    - The team used rapid ideation with sticky notes to consider new themes.

    - Top theme choices included using Outer Space, Agriculture (farms), and Jungles.

    - Roller Derby was presented, and the team unanimously chose it.

  • 3. Develop Original Game Mechanics

    - The team researched roller derby gameplay, elements, and skater moves.

    - Two new game mechanics were introduced: the “slingshot” and the “body check.”

    - The number of player pieces was increased from 5 to 6 to support the new mechanics better.

  • 4. Beta Test Playability

    - The game was created with a basic themed wireframe for game pieces and printed instructions with the revised rules and scoring,

    - The team presented the game to other in-class groups for playtesting, observed their sessions, and gathered feedback.

  • 5. Revise and Retest

    - The game mechanics were adjusted, and the team added new features.

    - The game was revised into a final form with revised graphics and instruction sheets.

    - The team decided to offer it as a free-to-download final version, with the possibility of a future high-quality physical tabletop game release.

FINAL RELEASE

Final Thoughts

Playtesting is integral to the User Experience Design process. Through gameplay, observation, note-taking, and feedback analysis, we identify preferred features and mechanics. Ultimately, players engage only with experiences they enjoy.

There’s UX in everything, including games.

Creating a unique idea for a theme or mechanics can be arduous, especially under a tight time constraint. You want to embrace something memorable and engaging while not dull players. IDEO’s short list of Rules for Brainstorming can help with the creative process.

Game Design isn’t easy.

Don’t get caught up on specific semantics. Try things with an open mind; if they’re not working, change the game appropriately. Don’t get discouraged if one of your own ideas doesn’t work.

Make designing fun.

We still want people to playtest our game and provide feedback actively! The Roller Revolution button will download the game for free, and the Provide Feedback button will take you to a form to let us know how we did.

Try it out!