"Dynamo" is an open-ended party game made for Move38's Blinks platform. Dynamo's core functionality is simple - It's light is powered by touch. Pressing the button will charge your dynamo, but the charge only lasts for ~1 second. With this core mechanic, we designed 3 different games with very flexible rules, and encouraged players to "think playfully" and create their own games.
I worked closely with the Move38 team to develop the game from initial concept to a published product. The game was featured in Move38's "Summer Games 2020" collection and sold through Move38's online store. |
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Role: Game Designer, Programmer
Organization: Independent
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As mentioned above, Dynamo's simplicity allows for many different options for theming, a requirement for the game to stand out in the Blinks product line. After much deliberation, we eventually opted to treat Dynamo as a "thing to play games with", rather than an individual set of games, with the definition of "Dynamo" representing the interaction the player has with the device.
Given the abstract nature of the Blink's L.E.D. display, there were plenty of options for choosing a unifying theme for the 3 games. Theming the game's artwork and rulebook around a steampunk aesthetic seemed to fit the name perfectly, and was unique enough to separate the game from the games in the Blinks catalogue. One of the biggest challenges, however, was properly framing the rule-book to encourage players to appropriate the games to their own fulfillment. While giving each individual game some thematic descriptions help set a playful mood, we hoped that suggesting variations of "house rules" would encourage players to explore the variety of ways they could play with Dynamo. For example, the rules for Power Struggle suggest: "Try playing with teams, or, for a more intense game, try playing without a flat surface. But be careful! Dynamos are tough, but not unbreakable!" |
Dynamo's Rulebook
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jonathanrcwest@gmail.com
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