Blog Post 4: Video Game Lab

Based on the video game lab, three of the games I will be talking about will be: Wizard Wizard, Frog Assassin, and QWOP. Wizard Wizard and Frog Assassin are two different games but still have a similar connection. Wizard Wizard has a theme about saving the princess as a Wizard. Frog Assassin is about a frog trying to kill as many insects as he can. They both have different mechanics to play the game. Wizard Wizard gives you a double-jump to go through obstacles to reach the next level. Frog Assassin requires anti-rhythmic movement patterns to allow him to kill. However different the game objective and theme is, they both require mechanical precision and timing to clear the stages.

Watching someone play a game is more relaxing on yourself as you are not the one going through the challenges. You have time to make more detailed observations about the game. For example, watching my partner play QWOP allowed me to examine and plan ways to beat the game as I watched him fail many times. When you take over and play yourself however, you must be more focused which will stress you out as your own actions control the outcome. The feeling of pressure shifts to you and is much different from being an observer.