v3.0 (Game at the beginning of the semester)

• Conjure health overhaul
  • Each Conjure felt too frail, additional bulk was needed to enable for larger testing sessions and, in turn, more information to further develop the game.
• The Hero HP increased 25 → 150
• Penumbra HP increased 20 → 150
• Apocalypse: Alpha HP increased 20 → 100
• Lucidity HP increased 30 → 125
• Amalgam HP increased 30 → 150
  • All Conjures have received a health buff, as the previous health pools felt too small, and contributed to additional time being spent having to calculate values, rather than actually playing the game. It also gives me room to vary the damage values of attacks to a greater extent than before.

v3.1

• Developed logos for the game itself and the UniverSim as a product, for in-universe use.

Reflection & Next Steps:

• I’m not overly happy with where the game is at the moment. I’m struggling to make the game particularly enjoyable - the concept seems to be there, but the gameplay just isn’t overly captivating as it stands. One of my priorities for now is streamlining the game, and looking for ways in which I can make the game more fun. I have been pondering the idea of adding movement to the game, but I think I’ll do one or two more test runs and see what the play testers say.
  • Run a few more play tests to discover ways in which I can better the game.
• I’m happy about the artwork and the visual direction, even if it needs refining. I’m definitely closing in on an visual direction that represents enter_universim in its entirety, and I’m happy about that. In terms of next steps, I just need to continually seek ways in which I can refine the visuals really, making sure I hold myself to a high standard to ensure each Conjure looks as good as can be.
  • I definitely need to keep an open dialogue with play testers regarding the artwork and card designs, as readability and playability ultimately have to be the primary focus.
• I’m really happy about the logo design. It took a while and I went through a lot of iterations, but I ended up with a result that I don’t think I could do much better with. The logo has a lot of symbolism, fits the game both aesthetically and in terms of worldbuilding, and generally looks good, so I’m happy.