Playtest Questions

[TheStormex]

1. Did you begin by using the side view to find where the pins are before aiming and throwing to hit them?
2. Does the fact that you can choose the order you throw the balls (unlike Angry Birds) make the game more or less skillful?
3. What other types of blocks or balls do you suggest be added into the game?
4. Regarding the power meter, was there a time when you wanted to throw the ball at a small power amount rather than full force?
5. How many tries did it take you to beat the game?
6. Is the Bowling theme interesting or should the game choose a different theme for the projectiles, blocks and targets to hit?
7. What would you rate this game out of 10?
8. Did you encounter any glitches?

[PatrickChavez]

1. Did you begin by using the side view to find where the pins are before aiming and throwing to hit them? Yes, the side view was the default view and it gave me the context I needed to locate the pins.

2. Does the fact that you can choose the order you throw the balls (unlike Angry Birds) make the game more or less skillful? I feel that it makes the game less skillful, as you don’t have to constantly adapt to each new situation/plan everything out in advance. However, the game is a lot more accessible because of it, as less skilled players can freely experiment with the ball types at their own pace and skilled players will have an easier time clearing a stage with the least amount of balls.

3. What other types of blocks or balls do you suggest be added into the game?

• Having unbreakable blocks could demand more precise aiming from the player/make them choose the right ball at the right time.
• Like in angry birds, a huge ball that can separate into 3 smaller ones (the smaller balls have less power than the big ball).
• Having moving blocks could force players to time their shots correctly (these blocks can also be unbreakable).

4. Regarding the power meter, was there a time when you wanted to throw the ball at a small power amount rather than full force? No, full force was always the most efficient method.

5. How many tries did it take you to beat the game? Several, at least 5-6 tries.

6. Is the Bowling theme interesting or should the game choose a different theme for the projectiles, blocks and targets to hit? The bowling theme works well for the game, but the visuals could be anything, as the gameplay is basic enough to be used in any context: it could have been a medieval target practice, where the balls were replaced with arrows, the pins with targets and the blocks with wooden planks, for example.

7. What would you rate this game out of 10? 7/10. These kinds of games aren’t really my forte, but the prototype managed to keep me engaged and winning felt rewarding. If the bugs were to be ironed out and the visuals were to be improved, then I feel that this could be a good game to pass time.

8. Did you encounter any glitches?

• When controlling the first person camera, there were times when the camera would move on its own after I let go of a key (e.g. I let go of the D key and the camera continues to turn right).
• There were times when I would knock down the pins and the score wouldn’t change. It happened a few times with the pins on the far-left, the far-right and the ones behind the red and yellow blocks.

[amandaclement]

Did you begin by using the side view to find where the pins are before aiming and throwing to hit them? Yes, I frequently switched between the two views.

Does the fact that you can choose the order you throw the balls (unlike Angry Birds) make the game more or less skillful? I think it makes the game more skillful. You have the be more strategic about which ball to use.

What other types of blocks or balls do you suggest be added into the game?

• blocks that grow, shrink, or change shape when hit rather than toppling over
• blocks that disintegrate or blow up when hit
• a much smaller ball with added force for more precise shooting

Regarding the power meter, was there a time when you wanted to throw the ball at a small power amount rather than full force? No, I was always aiming to shoot at the highest force. Anything less was accidental.

How many tries did it take you to beat the game? 4 tries. The first try, I was getting to know the game and then it took 3 more to win.

Is the Bowling theme interesting or should the game choose a different theme for the projectiles, blocks and targets to hit? I like it! I could easily see how you could adapt this game to add levels and complexity.

What would you rate this game out of 10? I'm not sure how to quantify the quality of your prototype but I guess in terms of playability, I would rate it 7/10. The first time I played it, I found it a bit confusing but by the second time, I had no issues with it. On my third try, I was missing one pin and could not figure out where it was, even in side view.

Did you encounter any glitches? Nope.

[LiliaIsABell]

1. Did you begin by using the side view to find where the pins are before aiming and throwing to hit them? No. At first I didn't care about the side view mainly because I couldn't throw the balls. But then later I was confused by how many pins there was because I only saw 5, so I checked the side and it still wasn't helpful.

2. Does the fact that you can choose the order you throw the balls (unlike Angry Birds) make the game more or less skillful? Yes since I did ended up looking for efficient ways to use the balls.

3. What other types of blocks or balls do you suggest be added into the game? Maybe having balls that explode or maybe having blocks that move around while carrying a pin.

4. Regarding the power meter, was there a time when you wanted to throw the ball at a small power amount rather than full force? No, I only tried to hit full force.

5. How many tries did it take you to beat the game? It took me 3 tries.

6. Is the Bowling theme interesting or should the game choose a different theme for the projectiles, blocks and targets to hit? I think it is fine, but I would name the game differently since, although the visuals have elements of bowling, the gameplay is not like bowling.

7. What would you rate this game out of 10? 8/10 since I did enjoy the game but there were a couple things that I found necessary, such as the side view and I wished I could've launched the ball by clicking my mouse.

8. Did you encounter any glitches? No.