Download GAME PLAY MODES / FLOWBOARDS TIPS

DESIGN TOOLS FOR GAME MAKING
GAME PLAY MODES / FLOWBOARDS TASKS AND TIPS
Task1: Complete a flowboard showing game play modes for a game supplied by the
teacher called clickball_interactive
Task2 (summative): Complete a flowboard showing game play modes for the game you
have chosen to critique.
1) Game play mode consists of three things:
Challenges / Actions – describe the challenges facing the player and the actions the
player may take
Perspective – camera point of view (looking down, side on), eg. street race is looking
down, Mario is side on
Interaction Model – avatar (a character) or omnipresent, eg. Mario is an avatar, clickball
is omnipresent
2) Flowboard is a series of boxes, draw a new box each time the game play mode changes
Examples:
 in PacMan after you eat a star you can then chase the monsters, since the
Challenges / Actions change then you add a new box to your flowboard.
 in a car game you first adjust your car and then you race your car
3) Start your drawing / flowboard in the middle of the game play and branch out from
there, forwards and backwards. This is a better way of doing it than starting at the
beginning of the game.
Flowboard is a branching design tool not a linear design tool. Good games branch.
4) Write down the important Challenges / Actions, Perspective and Interaction Model
next to or inside the flowboard boxes
5) The word flowboard comes from a combination of a flowchart and storyboard. The
flowchart shows the branching and the storyboard shows pictures of the game. (if you
can’t fit it all on one sheet then use multiple sheets)
6) Flowboards are not the same as Levels, if the gameplay doesn’t fundamentally change
on different levels then don’t draw new boxes. If the gameplay does fundamentally
change on the same level (see Pacman example) then do add new boxes.
7) Transition lines may have single arrows or double headed arrows. Double headed if
you can return to the previous state.
8) All transition lines should be annotated saying how the transition is made, eg. press F1
to go to Game Information Room
9) Do some rough drafts using pencil and paper. Final copy using Inspiration or CMap.
Bill Kerr, March 2005