Final Exam Flashcards Game

Vocabulary flashcards for the final exam review, covering key concepts from lectures and games.

Elements of Game Design

Core components including Player Experience, Mechanics, Systems, Gameplay, Narrative, Macrostructure.

Player Experience

The emotional and psychological impact a game has on a player.

Mechanics

The rules and procedures that govern a game.

Systems

Interconnected mechanics that create complex interactions.

Gameplay

The actual experience of playing a game.

Narrative

The story or plot of a game.

Macrostructure

Overall design elements like pacing and metagame.

Player Theories

Models of player behavior (e.g., Bartle's player types, Koster's fun theory, Yee's motivations).

Bartle Player Types

Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, Killers.

Language Metaphor

Viewing game design as creating a language for players to understand.

State Spaces

All possible states a game can be in.

Mechanics Families

Groups of mechanics with similar functions or behaviors.

Game Loops

Core cycles of player actions and game responses.

Emergence

Complex behavior arising from simple rules.

Onion Diagram

Visual representation of game layers and their interactions.

Loop Diagram

Visual representation of game cycles and interactions.

Flow

State of deep immersion and enjoyment.

Intrinsic Motivation

Doing something for the inherent satisfaction.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something for external rewards.

Narrative Types

Linear, dynamic, modular, emergent.

Historical Games

Games with historical significance or origins.

Folk Games

Traditional games passed down through generations.

Systemic Elements

Elements related to the game's underlying systems and rules.

Aesthetic Elements

Elements related to the game's visual and auditory presentation.

Genres

Categories of games based on similar gameplay and themes.

User Personas

Fictional representations of target players.

Auctions

Mechanics where players bid for items or resources.

Game Theory

Mathematical framework for analyzing strategic interactions.

Social Deduction

Games involving deception and hidden roles.

FPS

First-Person Shooter.

Eclipse

A complex strategy board game.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

A simple hand game with strategic elements.

Zen Counting

A counting based game.

Senet

An ancient Egyptian board game.

Snakes & Ladders

A classic board game of chance.

Monopoly

A real estate trading board game.

Uno

A shedding-type card game.

Magic: The Gathering

A collectible card game.

Hearthstone

A digital collectible card game.

Marvel Snap

A fast-paced collectible card game.

Power Grid

A board game about building a power network.

Root

An asymmetrical woodland warfare game.

Among Us

An online multiplayer social deduction game.

Werewolf

A social deduction game with hidden roles.

Save the Date

A branching narrative game.

One-Page RPGs

Role-playing games condensed onto a single page.

For the Queen

A card-based storytelling game.

Fiasco

A role-playing game about disastrous situations.

Disco Elysium

An open world role playing game.

Persona 5

A stylish, turn-based JRPG.

Let’s! Revolution!

A game with specific game mechanics.

Zubek’s definition of game

A definition of a game, contrasting opinions.

Gameplay vs mechanics

Gameplay is the experience, mechanics are the rules.

PENS

Acronym related to evaluating games (Purpose, Elements, etc.).

Huizinga’s “magic circle”

The space within which the rules of the game apply.

Player motivations

Reasons why players engage with a game (e.g., competition, exploration).

Nouns vs verbs

Game elements as static objects (nouns) vs. actions (verbs).

Feedback loops

Cycles where outputs of a system are fed back as inputs.

Positive Feedback Loop

Amplifies changes in a system.

Negative Feedback Loop

Stabilizes a system.

Amplifying Feedback Loop

Synonym for positive feedback loop.

Balancing Feedback Loop

Synonym for negative feedback loop.

Conversion loops/chains

Sequences of actions that transform resources or states.

Extrinsic rewards

External motivators (e.g., points, achievements).

Intrinsic rewards

Internal motivators (e.g., enjoyment, satisfaction).

Koster’s model

A theory about fun and learning in games.

Primary mechanics

Core actions or systems defining a game.

Dominant strategies

Most effective ways to play a game in a given situation.

Resource management

Allocating and utilizing resources effectively.

Units

Individual entities controlled by players.

Abilities

Special actions or powers available to players.

Stats

Numerical values representing a character's or item's attributes.

Modifiers

Effects that alter stats or abilities.

Currencies/items

Resources used within a game's economy.

Authored narratives

Stories explicitly written and designed by the game developer.

Emergent narratives

Stories that arise from player interactions and gameplay.

Pacing

The speed and rhythm at which a game unfolds.

Social metagame

Strategic interactions and unspoken rules among players.

Mastery metagame

Strategies and knowledge for optimizing game performance.

Linear narrative

A story that progresses in a fixed sequence.

Fixed interactive narrative

A story with predetermined paths and choices.

Static non-linear narrative

Narrative with multiple paths but fixed events.

Dynamic narrative

Narrative that changes based on player actions.

Modular narrative

Narrative constructed from independent segments.

Emergent narrative

Narrative arising from gameplay.

Gameplay structure

The arrangement of mechanics and systems in a game.

Narrative structure

The organization of the story in a game.

Cumulative Exam

An exam that covers all material from the course.

Open note

Permitted to use notes during the exam.

Open book

Permitted to use books during the exam.

Open slides

Permitted to use lecture slides during the exam.

Essay questions

Exam questions requiring written responses.

Player

The individual interacting with the game.

Flow State

Being fully immersed and engaged in an activity.

Game rules

Formal actions and constraints in a game.

Winning condition

Specific objective needed to complete in a game.

Losing condition

Specific state that indicates failing in a game.

Core mechanic

Fundamental action within gameplay.

Secondary Mechanics

Supporting or augmenting core experience.

Reward system

Mechanism for giving players incentives.