Here I will publicly display some of the work involved in my Master's dissertation project.
An intuitively designed game is easy for new players to jump straight into and play without long-winded introductions. Long tutorial-sections or walls of instructional text can cause players to become bored before they even get the chance to play the game. Designing a game to be intuitive means the designer can convey information and instructions to the player without them even realising it is happening.
The study involved developing a small video game prototype and then using it to test intuitive level design. Two levels were created within the game, one acted as the control level and the other used intuitive level design. Twelve people tested the game (six per level) and data was collected based on their experience. Completion time and number of failures for each participant were measured for each section of the levels. After completing the game participants were given a short survey to gauge how much they enjoyed the game.
Section 3.2 of the final report discusses the software design in depth and explains the design patterns and high level structure of the game's technical design.
The game prototype can be downloaded here. The game is a sci-fi platformer where the main protaganist can shoot a projectile from the bottom of their feet. This is not only used as an attack but also a movement mechanic for double jumping and evading in the air.
