Glow Up Prototype 3

Welcome to the third prototype for the tabletop game Glow Up. A game by Alexander Heppner, Jonah Howell, Ella Mack, Tyler McGrew, Tony McNeil, and Cameron Willis.

Changes Based on Presentation Feedback

 We are in the process of adjusting the Trend Cards (formerly Runway Cards). In our past prototypes, we had wacky themes for the Trend Cards. Our thought process since the game is for children would be to have more fantasy-driven themes that would invoke a creative approach to the design. However, we overlooked the educational component that the game is meant to embody. With the presentation feedback, we are working on having them be tied closer to more grounded prompts. Stuff that is either based in reality, based around the fashion industry, or based on reuse/recycling.

Examples of new Trend cards

• An outfit your grandparents would pick out
• What would you wear on Halloween
• First day of school outfit
• An outfit your older sibling would wear
• An outfit to wear on Christmas morning
• An outfit you would wear on a fishing trip
• What would you wear to a concert of your favorite artist or band
• What to wear to your birthday party
• What to wear on a cruise

The other feedback we got was to title our mishap cards. This will provide a better understanding of the functionality of the card, making the Mishap cards easier to understand. This is something you will see in the fourth prototype. We are still in the process of adjusting and cutting out Mishap cards, so we haven’t gotten around to adding any titles yet. 

Summary of Findings For Second Playtest

The most noticeable change we made was implementing drawing as a mechanic. Players being able to draw on the materials they use for designing their outfit was well-received. It helped players get their designs across more clearly. It also added an avenue for players who may not be the best with arts and crafts. It was also interesting to see players approach being able to draw on their materials differently. Some players would use their markers to draw designs and patterns directly on their materials. Others utilized the drawing marker to create outlines on their materials to follow as a cutting path. Either way, the players decide to use the marker, it definitely enables the players to get their designs across quickly.

Cutting down on the amount of Mishap Cards helped the game flow. Utilizing a smaller pool of simple Mishap cards at 2 copies each streamlined the game. The game was still stopped a few times due to Mishap Card confusion. However, these questions came far fewer than in the previous playtest. We feel like there was an enjoyable, chaotic aspect that Mishap Cards embodied, which is now lost. Will continue to revise them while trying to keep them impactful. ·         

On the topic of Mishap Cards, removing confusing terminology made games run smoothly. Instead of defining terminology such as “discard,” we decided to omit any card design that used it. Questions about Mishap Cards mostly came from how they were meant to be used, not because they didn’t know what certain terminology meant. Keeping the Mishap Cards simple is something we’ll continue to work on. They are improving, but still need further adjustments. 

Last thing regarding our second playtest was that we noticed players using different reasoning for which player they decided had the best design. When observing our play testers deciding who they should give their star to, we noticed that players were making that choice on differing criteria. Some players were giving their stars to the player they felt best embodied the Runway Card theme. Other players were giving their stars to the design they found funny or imaginative. As a team, we were not sure how to tackle this, or if it’s something that should even be tackled.

Rules 

Glow Up! Rule Sheet

Number of players: 3-4 players

Ages: 5 and up

Game Duration: 15-20 minutes

Goal: Make clothing using cardboard and vote on who has the best look according to the theme!

This Game Includes:

• Paper
• Mannequins
• 1 deck of “Runway” cards
• 1 deck of “Mishap” cards
• A stack of star tokens

Materials needed:

• Scissors

• Extra paper (If the paper included has been used)

• Drawing/Coloring utensils

• A Timer

Game Setup:

Each player takes a pair of scissors, one sheet of paper, and three star tokens

How to Play:

1. One player draws a “Runway” card and places it face-up in the middle of the group. They will then read the card out loud.

1. Each player will draw a “Mishap” card
   1. You may save your card and use it on a later turn. 
   2. Only one “Mishap” card can be used per player and per round.
2. Players will have 30 seconds before the round starts to think of ideas for their outfit and draw on their paper.

1. Set a timer for three minutes. Once each player is ready, start the timer.
2. Players will have three minutes to cut out and tape together an outfit that best represents what the “Runway” card says.
3. Once the timer ends, each player will reveal their outfits to the other players. Each player can talk about their idea at this time.
4. Each player will then hand a star token to the player they think had the best outfit. They cannot give their star token to themselves.

1. Any unused paper and outfits from previous rounds can be used in future rounds, along with new materials

1. At the end of 3 rounds
   1. Every player who has unused mishap cards gets a bonus star
   2. The player with the most unused paper gets a bonus star

Winning the Game:

After three rounds, each player will count up the total number of star tokens they have received. The player(s) with the most star tokens win the game.

Production Update

Currently, we have everything we need in GameCrafter for $29.81 under our $30 budget. With this, we will move our focus toward designing each component, getting the game ready to be printed. 

Thank you for reading!