The Project

My project will consist of a three phases.

Phase 1: I will review a few games with time management as a primary gameplay element.

I will evaluate each game based on this list of criteria:

Time limitations. I will examine what time constraints each game imposes on the player. Some games are designed with a long-term time limit, meaning that the player has a set amount of time to complete the entire game. Other games impose short-term time limits, based on completing levels or tasks within a set time frame. Strategy games demand players manage their time on a moment-to-moment basis throughout the experience.

Skills and resources. Games typically provide players with a set of skills and resources to help them solve a given task. These often have finite use but give the player advantages over restrictions imposed by the game’s design.

Alternative time factors. Many games are not designed with an explicit time requirement, but still demand that players manage their time and resources carefully. For example, an action game may impose a time restraint by confronting the player with a high-pressure situation, where they must determine an efficient strategy to survive an encounter or solve a problem.

Difficulty and engagement level. Games should be easy enough so that the player does not feel punished, but difficult enough to be challenging and engaging. Games with very low difficulty can be boring and may not enhance cognitive function in players. To design a game that improves cognition, players should be sufficiently engaged in play so that they will want to continue playing over time, to facilitate skill development.

Accessibility. Barrier to entry can be a challenge for many players, for example VR games require people to invest in expensive gear. Games designed to improve cognition should be accessible at low cost to the consumer, especially if games are used as a cognitive improvement method in absence of means or access to therapy and medication. Games should also be playable for those with disabilities.

I will post reviews on this blog. My next post will be a review of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

If you think of any important criteria I haven't considered, please leave a comment!

Once I've completed my reviews, I will look for common design elements that I believe support improvement in time management skills.

Phase 2: Assessing design platforms. I will look at game design platforms for the potential to build a small game that incorporates the time management design elements identified in Phase 1.

Since I have limited coding expertise, I will be looking for ways around that. Unreal Engine 5 has visual programming, and Unity has a visual plugin, Bolt. I'll take tutorials to learn the basics of game design on both platforms (I will be learning Unity in Prof. Wagner's class).

Once I have decided on a design platform, I will move on to phase 3.

Phase 3: Designing a game.

I will attempt to design a very simple game, and I will keep my ambitions for this part modest, since I have no experience with the platforms yet. I designed a simple game in high school, in Game Maker.

This game will incorporate design ideas that facilitate cognitive improvement related to time management.