(Re)Making Games: A Showcase of our MA Students' Designs

This year the Manchester Game Centre launched our (Re)making Games: Creativity, Play, Communication MA (master’s) course for students of the Manchester Writing School and SODA.

The course explores the theory and practice of hacking and (re)making games as a research method and mode of creative practice. We introduced students to game making as a new methodology that combines creative and critical thinking with public engagement and impact at the point of research. For creative writers, the unit helps students develop new ways to explore narrative and storytelling through interactive fiction, video games and analogue games.

The games students produced were engaging, thoughtful, and exciting examples of intentional design and we are pleased to be able to share a few of them here…

Life’s Work: A solo roleplaying game by Jack Ward

Life’s Work is a solo RPG based on memory, curation, and our relationships with our parents. Can we ever assign meaning to another person’s life through their art? Or will our search for meaning obscure our view of who this person really was?

The game consists of

Five archive boxes – there are 3x photographs in each box
Pen & index cards
1d6

You are the child of a famous photographer, known around the world but barely known by her own family. You were once close, but something broke the two of you apart. Your mother has recently died and, as their only child, you have been tasked with curating a retrospective of their work at a prestigious art gallery.

Going through the archive, it will be your task to both curate and find meaning in your parent’s work.

“The initial inspiration for Life’s Work came from RPG video games that dealt with the memory, including What Remains of Edith Finch, Return of the Obra Dinn, and Season. I was intrigued by the aesthetic experiences of loss, reflection and mystery offered by all these games, which were less about winning, but using mechanics of gathering and curation to piece together narratives. Combining this with an existing short film I had written about a child examining the photographic archives of an estranged relative, I had the seed of the idea that I wanted to develop, focusing on aesthetics of loss, forgiveness and reflection.” — Jack.

Download a set of prototype rules for the game here. If you want to know more about the game, Jack can be reached via the course tutor, Chloé.

Honour Among Thieves, the ‘bluffingly deceitful’ board game by Leighton Webber
In this game you play as various characters involved in nefarious activity at a medieval inn. You can play as the memory jinxed innkeeper or his servants, and try to work out who is responsible for the thefts, or, you can play as the thief and try to lift as much gold as possible without getting caught! This is a roll-and-move game combined with social deduction.

These role cards feature in the game and give players their designated tasks.

“The idea for the game stemmed from the novel I’m currently writing which is concerned, primarily, with thieves. Thus, this a board game that, at its core, is focused on giving the player a glimpse of history and to demonstrate how common thievery was throughout the medieval period.” — Leighton.

You can see more of Leighton’s creative work, and contact him, via his instagram.

Battle on the Island of Fog, a military strategy game by Joshua Goldie

*Sample map tiles designed by Josh for the game*

One day, a mysterious island the size of a small country appeared in the middle of the ocean, right in the middle of four rival countries. Each of these countries wants to build upon the island and claim its resources. Unfortunately for them, the island is covered in a thick layer of fog making it impossible to ascertain the layout of the land from a distance. In the centre of the island stands an ancient lighthouse. It was the only obvious building viewable from sea and the nations’ military scholars believe it should still be functional. If you can claim that position, the fog on the island should clear, and you might be able to end this conflict. As a general in the army of one of these countries, you must venture into the tick of the fog, build cities in order to farm resources and use those resources in factories to help supply new soldiers, all while watching out for the armies of your rival generals. The one who claims the most land, or the last nation left, will surely be the true ruler of the island!

“My goal was to develop a game where the players build out a map as they play, to make that map fun to navigate, and to be built in a way that supports gameplay. I accomplished this by following specific guidelines when designing the board that I felt promoted game balance. “ — Josh.

You can access a copy of the most recent version of the rulebook here. Contact Josh via the course tutor, Chloé.

Redesigning Tafl, the game of the Vikings, by Liam Broadbelt

This project is focused on the old viking set of board games known as Tafl, more specifically the Tablut variation of the game. Tablut is played on a board consisting of a 9x9 grid. The defending player has a king along with 8 faithful defenders, the attacking player has a horde of 16 warriors. The aim of the game for the defenders is to allow the king to escape to one of the 4 corner squares. The aim of the attackers is to capture the king before he can escape.

A computer-generated image of the design for the new board, which Liam 3D printed for play-testing.

Liam’s aim was to take a more modern approach to the game and bring it back into the spotlight by putting a focus on playability. “The approach to designing this board moved away from a flat base and focused on aesthetics with function in mind to make the mechanics of the game much clear to the player. This in combination with the rules chosen makes the game more immersive, easier to grasp, and hopefully much more enjoyable to play.” — Liam.

Liam 3D printed his new design for the board and pieces. You can access the 3D print files for the new board here along with the ruleset that Liam refined after researching the original game. View more of Liam’s work on his instagram feed.

Pob the Vampire, a social deduction game by Theerayuth Mueanpun

Theerayuth’s game is inspired by folktales and legends from Thai culture. It draws inspiration from social deduction games such as Mafia and Werewolf. The aim of the game is for players to discover which of them is harbouring the ghost, Pob, before they are all ‘infected’ by its spirit.

“In Thailand, there is a famous ghost known as Pee Pob, who is believed to be the spirit of a person who died a violent or sudden death. Pee Pob is often described as an evil spirit that haunts people and places, causing harm and bringing bad luck. The legend of Pee Pob is deeply ingrained in Thai folklore and has been passed down through generations. Despite its fearsome reputation, Pee Pob is also a symbol of Thai culture and is often featured in movies, television shows, and other forms of media. The overall aim of turning a Thai folktale into a game was to share the rich cultural heritage of Thailand with a wider audience and to provide an immersive and entertaining experience for players. The card game could showcase the unique mythology, folklore, and beliefs of Thai culture in a way that is accessible and engaging for people all over the world. ” — Theerayuth.

Sisters of Elements, a fast-paced card game by Aprar El-Harari

Sisters Of Elements is an engaging card-based game that takes players on an exciting journey through a world of elemental forces. In this strategic battle of wits and quick thinking, players harness the power of elements to outwit their opponents and emerge victorious.

Sisters of Elements gameplay tutorial, made by the artist/designer.

“As an animator I understand the meaning of creating a story and giving life to characters. Working from elements like a storyboard, we can create the movements for characters and vehicles and add personality, emotion and realism to the game.” — Aprar.

You can see more of Aprar’s work here. You can download the files of the game card images and prototype ruleset here.

We’re very proud of the students and the work they’ve produced this year and we’re really looking forward to what games will be hacked, (re)designed, and (re)made in 2023-2024!