The Assignment:

Search for and collect examples of online, interactive “card” collection activities and
games. These will be used to influence further decisions about future online products.
*Sally Flaherty has connections with museums and wishes to partner with more/ogther
storehouses of information to bring that knowledge to students in an engaging way. By
collecting related media, the hope is students make a more personal connection with the past.

Card Game Exploration

What’s out there?
● Screenshots
● What is successful/what isn’t
● Existing resources we have/can find to create something (or give/ask for to/from IT)
● Mechanics
● Examples of gameplay
● Screen & gameplay & collection interface and interplay

Examples to look at:

https://gamelearning.co/

“War” games - picking from a deck and pitting against card picked by opponent:
*Warriors of the Promised Land
*Urban Rivals how to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA7v9Y-xc8E
POkemontsrers
Animo: Living Deck Bible Verse Game (essentially a reskin of pokemon with the explicit
goal of education, plus has at least 2 games that can be played with the same cards)
gToons from Cartoon network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWSzjU1aHik

“Memory” games - remembering where things are and matching to collect them
*lego hobbits
Findefuchs
10 Days in… series

Organizing games
Timeline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Gzxq2cQhQ
Puzzles - the cards you collect can be pieced together in some way

Little Alchemy 2

Bible Explorer Card Game - Superbook - kind of a combination of memory (what is in the
other deck) war, (you are pitting your selections against the selections of the opponent)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_collectible_card_game
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_digital_collectible_card_games

Takeaways / Highlights:
List a game and then list the good things you found in its mechanics or interface.
Several games: “winning” various parts of the game = Randomized rewards of some kind (this
applies both to rewards for playing and rewards in terms of objects being collected.)
1. Robot/Galactic Heroes - Simple game play; WAR (familiar to children; or easily
graspable if not familiar) but with twists that give choices. And a shortened gameplay
with an interesting goal (flipping the other guy’s puzzle, instead of the long march
towards capturing every card in the deck)
2. Warriors of the Promised Land - This is a good example because it intermingles
“character” cards with items and concept cards. The gameplay is a very simple “war”
mechanic but allows “chaining” of related cards to have an effect (or not), which is
super fun. Exceptions based “powers” of individual cards (a staple of CCG) adds
strategy and interest… Interplay between cards even in a game as simple as WAR is
the big takeaway. *possible idea: instead of WAR against other players there could
be static values for challenges or achievements that collecting or utilizing certain sets
of cards could overcome/unlock.*
3. Little Alchemy - The reward of feeling clever for performing an essentially random
task over and over is undeniably appealing. I think it's from its playful tone (art and
words) some of the combinations are not immediately obvious, but delightfully make
sense once you've seen the outcome. *the same thing could be done for putting
together certain combos of cards in your collection a little rat sneaks in the side of
the screen and puts a badge in your award row or whatever.*
 4. Urban Rivals - Shows how few cards you actually need to start playing, and that the
collection is really the reward (the actual gameplay is very simple) and putting
together “decks” (groups of cards) that work well together.
5. Lego “hobbit” “board” game - more fun than memory because of being constrained
by movement: discovery of new layer of cards and only certain collections
6. Timeline - unclear how to make this one player, and still fun, but definitely an
educational experience. Especially as one plays multiple times and remembers at
least the general relation of events or people.
7. Vanished - just another twist on memory where you have a group of cards you are
trying to match to other cards which are moving around (you control the movement
but the cards remain hidden) could get a score based on tries/misses, i guess.
Seems frustrating...

Logistical Considerations
-Existing resources we have/can find
-Card style/structure exploration
-Flavor text
-The more extra articles you read the higher your odds of getting a rare “Weird History” fact.
Fact may include links to additional articles or sources; doesn’t have to be related to the article
student is currently reading.
-Collections are separate from a game?
-Connections to related media
-art assets: Primary source limitations (too new, too old) - simplified icons/bright colors
-collection binder (Completion, rarity, the one you like)
-It’s interesting because of the choices you make
-Collection separate from game?????
-AI Programming limitations
-Multiplayer vs single player
-Time based mechanics? A full “game” should be easily completed in a short sitting and still feel
rewarding
-How to create assets that can be used in multiple game systems.
-Avoiding controversy in “war” style games (Artifacts and places vs using historic figures, etc)

Collecting complete sets of cards could possibly reward kids with a corresponding Rev cage?

Interesting/Helpful Game Design Articles

https://boardsandbarley.com/2016/11/23/different-approaches-to-game-design/
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/game-making-as-a-systems-engineering-problem-part-1/
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/breaking-down-games/
 Purposes
-What are our needs/What would work for us?
-What are our customers needs/wants?