Verby Nouns

1. VERBY NOUNS
a casual well played
drew davidson

2. ABOUT ME

3. WELL PLAYED
Well Read & Well Made
Analysis & Criticism
Gameplay & Narrative
Design & Development
Literacy & Mastery

4. WELL PLAYED
Presentations
Books
Conferences
Journal

5. VERBY NOUNS
Casual Mobile Game Genre
and more…

6. CASUAL WELL PLAYED
Played Way Too Much (!)
Some Forums, Some $
No Game Center nor Notifications
Commonalities
Variations

7. COMMONALITIES
Mechanics
Features

8. COMMONALITIES
Endless Runner, Keep Moving
Simple Controls
Difficult Challenges

9. PLAY
Flappy Bird

10. COMMONALITIES
Free to Play
IAP & Ads
6-Hour Time Frame

11. PLAY
Faily Brakes

12. COMMONALITIES
High Scores, Light Social
Missions
Random Unlockables

13. PLAY
Steppy Pants

14. COMMONALITIES
Replayability
Tight Gameplay Loop
Goals (Short & Long)

15. PLAY
Shooty Skies

16. AESTHETICS
Genre has a Blocky Style
Isometric & Procedural
Enables Lots of Content
Fits Phone Screen Dimensions

19. ADS
Length & Frequency
Production Values
Interactivity

20. VARIATONS
Mechanics
Features

21. VARIATONS
Unlockable Boards
Franchise Tie-Ins

22. PLAY
Pac-Man 256

23. VARIATONS
Light Leveling Abilities
Power Ups

24. PLAY
Looty Dungeon

25. WORDY NOUNS
Not Really Related
Levels
Collect 3

26. GOLDILOCKS
Mechanics
Features

27. GOLDILOCKS
Time & Effort to Earn Currency
In Relation to Costs of Unlockables

28. PLAY
Crossy Road

29. GOLDILOCKS
IAP Costs
Amount & Value of Ads

30. PLAY
Rodeo Stampede

31. GOLDILOCKS
Length of Play Sessions
Rate of Currency & Unlockables

32. PLAY
Disney Crossy Road

33. UNICORN
Mechanics
Features

34. UNICORN
Land Sliders

35. PLAY
Land Sliders

36. UNICORN
Coordinate Puzzles
ARG(?)

37. UNICORN
ARG (!)
http://toucharcade.com/2016/01/22/land-sliders-
arg-comes-to-an-end/

38. VERBY NOUNS
Casual Mobile Game Genre
Mechanics & Features
Commonalities & Variations
Goldilocks & Unicorn

39. AND MORE…
Faily Rider
Blocky Hockey
Wrecky Road
Drifty Chase
…

40. WHY?
Video Games, Value and Meaning
Analysis & Criticism
Literacy & Mastery
Well Read & Well Made

41. THANKS!
Questions?
drew@andrew.cmu.edu
Let’s Play! & Open CfP
http://press.etc.cmu.edu/wellplayed/