Paper Prototype

The next step in my game design was creating a prototype. Fullerton says, "Many first-time designers would rather jump in and start making the "real" game rather than starting with a prototype," which was definitely true in my case. However, I think creating a working model of my idea allowed me to test its feasibility and make needed improvements. 

I started out with a physical prototype using slips of paper. I think starting with a paper prototype allowed me to focus on the gameplay rather than the technology behind the game. I started off with two pieces of paper taped together and drew a grid on them to mimic what the player would see. Then I sketched in features and used pieces of paper to represent plants.

Below is an image of my paper prototype for Garden Mania. The player will be presented with a backyard that may or may not have some features already. In this scenario, there was a paved patio and walkway to the center of the yard, along with two raised beds on either side of the patio. The view will not necessarily be an aerial view as seen below. The player can rotate the screen and zoom in and out to see different angles. Everything will be three dimensional as well. The player will view things in a grid so that they know where they can place objects. Each plant or object will have a pre-set number of grid boxes that will take up on the screen. The player can click a box and choose to place a plant or object after viewing the inventory. As seen below, the player put different types of flowers in the raised garden beds on either side of the patio (seen in pink and purple). They then installed four garden beds and planted different vegetables (seen in blue). Finally, they planted two trees at the end of the walkway (seen in green) where a bench can be placed to sit underneath. Each garden scenario will come with different challenges and goals for the player to meet so they can be creative with their design.