2.3 Paper Prototype

✓ TASK

Your team will create a paper prototype of your video game. In the next assignment, you'll have people outside your team playtest the paper prototype, in order to evaluate and refine the game's design before you start coding and creating graphics.

Even though a paper prototype can't simulate all the aspects of a video game, you will hopefully discover that creating and playtesting a paper prototype will help:

• clarify your team's conceptual model of the game

• verify which game design elements are working well

• identify which game design elements may need improvements

Here are some videos demonstrating paper prototypes of video games:

• Paper Prototype 1 — Remote Control

• Paper Prototype 2 — Flying Toucan

• Paper Prototype 3 — Monkey vs. Mosquito

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS: Blank Paper, Pencils, Erasers, Colored Pencils, Markers, Rulers, Scissors, Clear Adhesive Tape, Wood Craft Sticks, Manila Envelope (to store paper prototype)

1. Create a paper prototype that can be used to demonstrate your core gameplay.

   • Focus on prototyping the core gameplay — at this point, don't worry about including a title screen, menu screen, etc.

   • Draw the game world on paper with one sheet representing the size of the computer screen. If the game world extends beyond a single screen, attach multiple sheets of paper together.

   • You do not have to draw the entire game world (or include all its features) — but include enough to sufficiently test the core gameplay.

   • Any game objects (such as: obstacles, etc.) that will NOT move or change during playtesting can be drawn directly on the game world.

   • Any characters (player, enemies, etc.) or game objects (resources, etc.) that will move or change should be created as separate parts.

   • Many games display certain gameplay information (such as: score, etc.). Determine if there is certain information (such as: health, etc.) that will be important to show in your prototype during playtesting.

2. Take 2-3 photos of your paper prototype, and annotate the photos with labels.

   • Each photo should show a different point in the gameplay or a different part of the game world.

   • Use an image editor (such as: Google Drawing, Pixlr Editor, etc.) to annotate the photos with text labels to identify the key features being shown.

❏ Deliverable

Submit your team's annotated photos of its paper prototype

➤ EXAMPLE

example

★ RUBRIC

✓- Below Standard	✓ Meets Standard	✓+ Exceeds Standard
Description	Description	Description