Gameplay Mechanic a Month: Odd Brooch Out

Month 1 - January 2013

Mechanic Description:

The mechanic this month is to pick the odd brooch out from a set of three then compare your answer with a friend since more than one answer can be correct.

Playable in the following game:

Business Card Games

Platform:

Cards

Genre:

Mind Puzzle

Game Description:

On the back of my business cards are mini games. Each card has two different sets of 3 brooches. Players are asked to pick which brooch is the odd one out, where they should have some reason for making that choice. The trick is that there is always more than one correct answer.

Once they have chosen an answer, they then can show it to a friend and try to guess their answer. That is, you have to know your friend well to know what they think would be odd.

Players are encouraged to figure out exactly which brooches could be considered to be odd and why. Although not every brooch can be odd.

Finally, there is a DIY option where players can select stickers of brooches from my collection to create their own mini games.

Screenshots:

Gameplay Instructions:

1. Look at the set of 3 brooches.
2. Decide which brooch you think is the odd one out.
3. Now ask a friend which they think is the odd one out.
4. Can you guess your friend's answer? Can you work out why they answered that way?
5. Choose brooches from the collection to create your own games to challenge friends.

Downloads:

Download a zip file of the the jpgs of the business cards and the brooch collection.

Other Comments & Considerations:

If you meet me in person, I'll be able to give you a card or two to collect. Further, I'll be able to give you stickers of my collection rather than just the images shown here.

Analysis:

An analysis of the gameplay mechanic written by me in March 2015.

Context:
I’d tried three other versions of having a game on the back of my business cards. One of the other versions, the other versions seemed too hard and only had one “right” answer. Those who did get it were super excited, I’d get an email with the winning answer. Those who didn’t get it, either I didn’t hear from or got easily frustrated. I assume because they were losing face in front of someone they’d just met. I wanted to create something that was more a discussion piece where there were multiple interpretations, because that’s what I’d found interesting when discussing previous iterations to find out the “correct” solution.

What Went Right:        

           
• People liked the stickers, if they were given some.
           
• People thought it showed creativity.
       

What Went Wrong:        

           
• People don’t actually want to solve a puzzle while they’re meeting you for the first time and are trying to hold a conversation with you.
           
• Although the challenges had multiple answers and the point was to discuss them, the challenges seemed a little too toy for most people to want to have a conversation about them.
           
• Asking people to make their own is way too much pressure to give someone you’ve just met. Getting someone to email you after meeting them is hard enough sometimes. Giving the impression that you only want someone to get in touch if they’ve jumped through some hoops is even worse.
       

Hug Rating:
0 hugs

Verdict:
Didn’t really work. Now, instead of having a game, I’ve just got stickers on the back of my personal business cards. This means there’s no expectations for the person receiving the card.