Phillis's Muse

Back in January I entered a game design contest through GameCareerGuide.com. I had planned to post something about it earlier, but just forgot; better late than never!  The challenge was to design a game based on a photo. The game I designed was titled Phillis's Muse, an iPhone game utilizing the unique input features available on the device. My submission was fortunate enough to garnered a honourable mention in the challenge, which is good because it leaves room for future improvement. Below is my full submission, but you can also read it on the GameCareerGuide website.

Intro:

Jack, the little boy in the picture, discovers the statue of Phillis Wheatley while visiting Boston with his mother. Curious about Phillis, Jack climbs up on the table, faces Phillis, and stares intensely at her. In the blink of an eye the statue comes to life; the real Phillis Wheatley!

Startled, Jack looks about for his mother but does not see her; rather he sees dusty streets, horses, and citizens of 18th century Boston. Phillis is equally startled. After a brief introduction Phillis tells Jack that she is suffering from writers block and is distressed because skeptics of her work are pursuing her with claims of fraud. Jack promises to do whatever he can to help her.

Immediately Phillis asks Jack to help her find new inspiration for her work. As Phillis is asking Jack for help, Phillis's pursuers burst onto the scene forcing her to flee. At the last moment she thrusts a map of Boston into Jacks hands with different locations marked on the map.

Overview:

This game is designed for the iPhone and takes advantage of the GPS capabilities offered on this platform. The game is made up of two unique elements. The first has Jack travelling around the city of Boston in a race against time. The second has Phillis and Jack confronting skeptics in a War of Words.

 

GamePlay Element 1: Hunting for Inspiration

This element requires the player to move Jack around the map collecting enough inspiration so Phillis can finish her poetry. This creates a race against time. Jake needs to avoid roaming skeptics, collect inspiration, and return to Phillis before her skeptics catch her. If a skeptic catches Jack a War of Words is initiated costing Jack valuable time, and inspiration if he loses.

In a unique twist, movement is controlled using the GPS provided by the iPhone; movement in real life corresponds to Jack's movement in game. The direction that Jack moves is still controlled by the player; however, the player needs to walk in real life to move Jack around Boston.

 

GamePlay Element 2: War of Words

The War of Words is a simulated argument where the player must shift the burden of proof to the skeptic by moving the iPhone in sequences of taps, tilts, and shakes. To win the War of Words, the player must completely shift the burden of proof onto the skeptic before the skeptic can shift it onto the player.

The game presents progressively longer sequences of movement combinations that the player must then duplicate. Each correctly completed sequence (called a valid argument) increases the cohesiveness of the argument and the length of the next sequence of movements; each mistake in the sequence decreases the cohesiveness of the argument. If the player has the more cohesive argument the burden of proof is shifted to the skeptic and vice versa. Collected inspiration may also be spent for a boost to the cohesion of an argument providing a bonus.

When a player, or skeptic, fails to complete a sequence the opponent has a chance to identify a ‘logical fallacy' in the argument. To do so, the other player must successfully complete the same sequence and successfully hit the points previously missed. Success will reduces the cohesion of the opponent's argument.

If Jack loses the War of Words he also loses some inspiration that may need to be recollected if Jack doesn't have enough for Phillis to finish her poems.

If Jack wins the War of Words he gains additional Inspiration.

Winning the game:

To win the game Jack must return to Phillis with enough inspiration to help her finish one of her poems. With the help of Jack, Phillis will need to defend her work against a skeptic in a final War of Words. If Jack successfully helps Phillis complete all her poems, he will be transported back to the present, winning the game.