Game Objectives Provide Challenges Set the tone of the game Affects formal game system Affects game dramatics

Consider the following: What are some of the objectives of games you have played? What impact do these objectives have on the tone of the game? Do certain genres of play lend themselves to certain objectives? What are player-determined objectives? objectives?

What is an Objective? The objective of the game is what players strive for. They define what players are trying to accomplish with the game. In the best games, objectives are challenging just obtainable.

Examples of Game Objectives Clue: Be the first player to deduce who, where, and how a murder was committed.

Examples of Game Objectives Battleship: Be the first player to sink all five of your opponent’s battleships.

Examples of Game Objectives Connect Four: Be the first player to place four units in a contiguous line on the playing grid.

Examples of Game Objectives Chess: Checkmate your opponent’s king.

Examples of Game Objectives Super Mario Brothers: Rescue Princess Toadstool from the evil Bowser by completing all eight worlds.

Examples of Game Objectives Civilization: Conquer all other civilizations on the board.

Categories of Game Objectives CaptureChaseRaceAlignment Rescue or Escape Forbidden Act ConstructionExplorationSolutionOutwit

Capture Game Objective The objective is to take or capture something of the opponent’s while avoiding being captured or killed. Real-time strategy games. Examples: checkers and chess. Also in this category are real- time strategy games. The concept of capturing or killing the opponent’s forces in one ingrained in games.

Capture Game Examples: Battleship Capture the Flag Civilization

Chase Game Objective Catch or elude an opponent Can be single-player vs game, player vs player, or unilateral competition. Determined by: –Speed or physical dexterity –Stealth and strategy –Logic and deduction

Chase Game Examples Tag Laser Tag Fox and Geese Maximum Chase

Race Game Objective Reach a goal – physical or conceptual –Examples could be a footrace, a board game like Uncle Wiggly or Parcheesi. Determined by physical dexterity, or by a mix of strategy and chance – like Backgammon.

Race Game Examples Uncle Wiggily BackgammonSorry Chinese Chickers

Alignment Game Objective Arrange your game is to arrange your game pieces in a certain configuration or create conceptual alignment between categories of pieces. Often puzzle-like because they require “solving” spatial or organizational problems. Determined by: – logic and calculation –Chance opportunity

Alignment Game Examples Bejeweled Connct 4 Jenga Tic Tac Toe Tetris

Rescue or Escape Game Objective Get a defined unit or units to safety or escape from a boundary or mental challenge. Can be combined with other partial-objectives.

Rescue or Escape Game Objective Super Mario brothers Great Dinosaur Rescue Turtix Rescue Adventure

Forbidden Act Game Objective Get competition to “break the rules” by laughing, talking, letting go, making wrong moves, or doing something they shouldn’t. Not often found in digital games. Sometimes involves stamina or flexibility.

Forbidden Act Game Examples Twister Ker Plunk Operation Pick up sticks

Construction Game Objective Build, maintain, or manage objects May be directly competitive or indirectly competitive. Often make use of resource management or trading as a game element.

Construction Game Examples SimCityCivilization Animal Crossing Second Life Magnext

Exploration Game Objective Explore game areas – usually combined with a competitive objective. Sometimes multiple objectives such as exploration, puzzle solving, and combat intertwine to form multifaceted gameplay.

Exploration Game Examples ZeldaEverQuestGoldland

Solution Game Objective Solve a problem or puzzle before your opponents or against the computer

Solution Game Examples Myst World of Goo Pipes

Outwit Game Objective Gain and use knowledge in a way that defeats the other players. Sometimes “extra- game” knowledge comes into gameplay (Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit). May provoke interesting social dynamics.

Outwit Game Examples Trivial Pursuit Survivor Win Lose or Draw Jeopardy Turn the Tide