Phase 3 has been a very crucial step for me so far. The previous phases were more about understanding the theme and paving the way for what was to come. This phase was about summing up all the theories that I had come up with before. Intuition is not a single concept, but can be experienced in completely different ways.
During the simultaneous development of ROOM-9, Falling Mind and Parcel Flow, I gradually realised that different forms of play naturally amplify different meanings of intuition. It can be about spatial judgement, it can be about bodily reactions, and it can be about ongoing decision-making choices. Contrasting them together was more valuable than developing one of them individually, as the differences themselves allowed me to see the characteristics and limitations of each direction more clearly.
This phase also made me realise that good ideas are not always suitable for continuation. Some concepts are great in terms of upfront experience, but have limited room for subsequent expansion; others are not so obvious at the beginning, but are easier to add more substantial content later on. Through constant comparisons and adjustments, I began to get a clearer idea of which directions were worth continuing, and which I could stop at as phases of exploration.
Compared to the previous phases, the pace of Phase 3 has become significantly faster. Many decisions no longer need to be analysed over and over again, but rather judgements are made based on the experience already accumulated. This change made me feel that intuition does exist in many parts of life.
Looking back at Phase 3, it is not the stage where the final plan is determined, but much can be gained from it. By putting the same theme into different game structures, I was able to better understand how to think about designing the game afterwards. This provided a stable starting point for focusing on ROOM-9 in the next phases.
Presentation
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/three-game-concepts-representing-intuition-powerpoint/284863006