My first test chamber

In my first test chamber, creatively titled "Puzzle 1", I was limited to just what I had used so far in the "Courtesy Call". Still, I think I came up with a pretty cool concept. Here's the quick fact sheet:

• Mechanics: 
  
• Surprise, 
• Jumping (conserve momentum through portals), 
• Solving
• Goals: Exit the Test Chamber
• Space: Vast, tall
• Components (all from Chapter 1: Courtesy Call)
• Weighted Cube
• Pedestal Button
• Button
• Angled Panel
• Light Strips
• Observation Rooms
• Rules:
• You can't shoot portals onto black walls.
• The laws of momentum are conserved through portals.
• Some angled panels are on a 30s timer.

Thanks, Bea, for play-testing my first puzzle.

The best Courtesy call test chamber...

Hey, I'm back into game design again. This time it's Portal 2, instead of Gamestar Mechanic. I'm back to the 5 elements of game design though.

Today, I want to look at room 2 of test chamber 6, and analyze it's space, components, rules, mechanics, and goals.

Space:

I was immediately drawn to this test chamber because it's big and vast and tall, unlike most of the previous spaces. Like previous spaces in this level, it is partially collapsed and ruined. The ever-present announcer continues to give encouragement as part of the eerie soundtrack. 

Components:

This early in the game, I have a portal gun, but it only shoots blue portals. I have to rely on statically placed orange portals to get around. I also have angled panels and portable walls to work with in solving the puzzle.

Rules:

The rules are I can't shoot portals onto black walls, and the laws of momentum are conserved through portals.

Mechanics:

The core mechanic of this test chamber is, of course, solving. The other mechanic at work in this test is jumping... so much fun. Yay for long fall boots!

Goals:

In addition to getting the cube on the button, I would say my other goal is to get out of this creepy place.

Good work, Future starter. 

Karakuri Mindbender & The 5 Elements of Game Design

I recently started using Gamestar Mechanic to learn the basics of Game Design. I just completed Episode 1 of the introductory quest, Addison Joins the League. There were many types of games demonstrated in Episode 1, from shooting games to platformers to puzzles. The one I would like to focus on in terms of the 5 elements of game design is the Kakuri Mindbender.

The Core Mechanic of this game was all about "solving" and thinking outside of the box. Sometimes, I had to literally do that, in terms of the box on the screen containing the game. The Goal of the game was to find my way to the goal block, most often, and of course avoid being killed by the Samurai-looking dudes that were jetting around. The Rules were not as clear in the Kakuri Mindbender, which made it more interesting. Sometimes (thinking outside of the box), you feel as though you're breaking the rules to win the game, by walking off the screen, for example, and appearing on the other side. Visually, the Game Space was quite Maze-like. The soundtrack of the Kakuri Mindbender levels created a sense of urgency and tension, even when I wasn't on the clock, distracting my thinking and making a simple solution less clear. The Components I had to play this game were my avatar sprite and my wits. I was given no Guns to frag bad guys or health blocks etc.