Fun with Physics!

Card and Board GamesTodd KerpelmanCreative Director, EA/Pogo1Card n Board Games The Unsung Heroes!If you look at Pogo's 20 most popular gamesSix are Card and Board GamesEight if you include the Bingo gamesTwelve if you include Solitaire gamesMore than any other categoryPoppit!First Class SolitaireTri-Peaks SolitaireWord WhompScrabbleMahjong SafariWorld Class SolitaireMahjong GardenMonopolyCanastaYahtzeeEveryone Wins BingoHog Heaven SlotsBingo LuauSpadesLottso!Jungle GinFreeCellSweet Tooth 2Jigsaw Treasure HunterPoppit!First Class SolitaireTri-Peaks SolitaireWord WhompScrabbleMahjong SafariWorld Class SolitaireMahjong GardenMonopolyCanastaYahtzeeEveryone Wins BingoHog Heaven SlotsBingo LuauSpadesLottso!Jungle GinFreeCellSweet Tooth 2Jigsaw Treasure HunterPoppit!First Class SolitaireTri-Peaks SolitaireWord WhompScrabbleMahjong SafariWorld Class SolitaireMahjong GardenMonopolyCanastaYahtzeeEveryone Wins BingoHog Heaven SlotsBingo LuauSpadesLottso!Jungle GinFreeCellSweet Tooth 2Jigsaw Treasure HunterPoppit!First Class SolitaireTri-Peaks SolitaireWord WhompScrabbleMahjong SafariWorld Class SolitaireMahjong GardenMonopolyCanastaYahtzeeEveryone Wins BingoHog Heaven SlotsBingo LuauSpadesLottso!Jungle GinFreeCellSweet Tooth 2Jigsaw Treasure Hunter2The Golden RuleThe #1 rule for creating Card and Board Games isGive players what they expectMaking a chess game? Make the bishops move diagonally3Wait a SecI paid $799 to hear that bishops should move diagonally?No refunds.You need somebody to tell you this

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Hey, I need three bullet points to show whats great about your new chess game.PressureYour peersYouMarketing folksI gotta show the world Im an innovative game designer!Every game has diagonal-moving bishops. How can we turn this design on its head?5OMG! EA Hates Originality! LOLZ!!

6Different Value SetsOriginalityFunNot looking stupid in front of other peopleOur PlayersOriginalityUs7What You Imagine

Holy cow! Non-diagonal bishops!What a unique and original game concept!Im going to give the developer all this extra Google stock I have lying around!8What You Really Get

Okay, Im going to move this bishop diagonallyI feel stupid and embarrassed.This game sucks!Error. Illegal move. Go back and play the tutorial.9Dont Forget the AIAgain, maybe something we dont valueWe prefer the craftiness of a real life opponentBut they offer a lot to a new playerThey can learn to play in a judgment-free environmentThe empty dance floor problemThe sore loser problem

10Okay, So How Do I Stand Out?So if the big rule is to make the game people are expectinghow do you stand out among the 30 other chess games where bishops move diagonally?

11What Would Apple Do?New features of the original iPodIt came with a solitaire game(This space intentionally left blank.)Traditional games are, by nature, very complicatedPogos Three bullet points ruleGood luck applying that to MonopolySo spend time on interface workThis is work you should be doing anywayBut might not be because youre too focused on game design

12Take Advantage of Your PlatformBadge, ranks, and tokens were Pogos Blue Ocean For a while, anywayFacebook games have defeated the Internet Dickwad problem!

13Why Scramble (Boggle) WorksIts tough to make an online Boggle gameSo easy to cheatBut who would cheat with their friends?Or who wants to let their friends know theyre a cheater?So Scramble actually works!

14Facebook as a PlatformYes, Facebook has high score lists and viral featuresbut its also got an honor system.Make games you couldnt do without it!BalderdashScattergoriesWise and OtherwiseTrivia15Facebook as a Platform, contdAnd maybe one day, a Pictionary game where people dont just spell out the freakin words.Maybe thats just a pipe dream

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