CAGD 170 Video Game Design

New Spin on Solitaire

Group number 7

• Game summary: In our new version of Solitaire, we aimed to make it easier and less complex to play. This new spin in Rule Sheet V.1, we changed the game to be played with 4 by 4 cards instead of the traditional 7 x 7 setting. 
• We also decided to remove all King and Queen cards from the deck making them unplayable while curiously wondering what the game might be like without them. We also assigned Jack as the higher value card, while the Ace became the lower value card. 
• below we can see another visual demonstration of our new version.
  
• Rule Sheet V.1 Game Play set up demonstration.

• We also decided that as each tableau pile was being played, one pile would start in ascending or descending order but not in the same pile.  
• For the first edit of the new Solitaire Rule Sheet V.1 some of the changes didn't make the game as easy as we initially thought it would.

• Below shows the outcome of the game after playing several times with the new changes.

 

• The game proved to be more complex to play without the King and Queen cards. My initial thought was that because we reduced the number of cards in the deck that would help make the game easier, but instead it made it a bit lengthy. Luckily the game did not past the fifteen-minute mark. The game estimation times were lasting about 8 minutes or so.
• Also reducing the number of tableau piles across made the game just a bit harder, at least in the beginning but as soon as we got the hang of it, it quickly became easy. 

• For Rule Sheet V.2 we decided to make the 2 Joker cards on the deck useable as a filler/substitute card that could be used anywhere. The only time the Joker card could not be used was when it came across the Jack or an Ace card. This was another change we agreed to in order not to make the game too easy. I personally found myself liking this idea the best, it was my favorite one because it reminded me a little of other games where you get to use a card that overpowers all others and feels like you can win the game faster because of the power that the card holds, which makes the game even more exciting!

• We also made other changes. For instance, the way the cards were to be set, the setting of the cards in the tableau pile would now be in alternating color. Another change was our new was to set the game by doing a set of 5 x 4 cards as demonstrated below.   

• The changes made the game significantly easier with the help of the Joker card enabling us to use as a filler for the needed card that might not be at hand (doesn't apply to Ace or Jack cards).
• At this point playing the newer version (Volume 2) we saw an even bigger reduced time in play, which was between 6 to 8 minutes.
• The only thing that did have a downside that irked me was that the use of cyber cards made the game a little more difficult to play with when trying to move them across the virtual table. We all agreed that having physical cards would have made the game overall easier. As a team we mutually found ourselves wishing one of us had the cards, but none of us did. At least in the end we grew to like Solitaire, enjoying the game while feeling a strong interest in playing more in the future. The irony in this is that we weren't big fans of Solitaire in the beginning but in the end, we became very invested in the play and looking forward for more in the future.