{"id":208,"date":"2025-11-13T02:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T02:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/?p=208"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:33:01","slug":"week-3-reflection-essential-experience-game-pillars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/2025\/11\/13\/week-3-reflection-essential-experience-game-pillars\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 3 Reflection &#8211; Essential Experience &amp; Game Pillars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During week 3, we learnt about various topics surrounding core game design while we experimented further with our own game concepts \u2013 notably the idea of \u201cessential experience\u201d in a game and how it can influence design direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The essential experience can be defined as \u201cthe core feeling, thought, or behaviour you want your player to experience\u201d. Some examples given to us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cI want the gameplay experience to revolve around a curiosity and intrigue in discovering what\u2019s going on in the other world and solving the mystery.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cTo have the feeling of overcoming demons from an unbalanced environment.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cDead on Arrival is intended to make the player thoughtfully consider certain aspects of life.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To explore this further, we looked towards Desta: The Memories Between (developed by South London studio UsTwo) as a case study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_desta_the_memories_between_cover-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_desta_the_memories_between_cover-1.png 384w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_desta_the_memories_between_cover-1-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Design Intention: exploring reconciliation through dreams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Essential Experience: emotional repair and reflection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Core Emotion: connection and forgiveness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We then did some group activities to further explore concepts between us, and share what we already had with each other. In particularly there was a lot of discussion around the core emotions we wanted to explore with our game: funnily enough all of us (myself, Maria, Erik, Derry) wanted to explore more negative emotions in our ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_emotion_graph-1-rotated.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_groupwork_mda_graph-1-rotated.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, we had our first round of pitch presentations in front of the class. I was actually first to present \u2013 I had worked myself up quite a lot about presenting in front of everyone, but when I was actually up there doing it things went relatively smoothly, or at least moreso than I had imagined. Below are my slides that I used for the presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" data-id=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_1-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_1-1-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_1-1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_1-1-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_1-1.png 1335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" data-id=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_2-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_2-1-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_2-1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_2-1-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_2-1.png 1337w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" data-id=\"217\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_3-3-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_3-3-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_3-3-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_3-3-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_3-3.png 1335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" data-id=\"218\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_4-3-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_4-3-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_4-3-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_4-3-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2025\/11\/img_unnamed_talking_simulator_slideshow_4-3.png 1335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During week 3, we learnt about various topics surrounding core game design while we experimented further with our own game concepts \u2013 notably the idea of \u201cessential experience\u201d in a game and how it can influence design direction. The essential experience can be defined as \u201cthe core feeling, thought, or behaviour you want your player [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,1,43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weekly-class-reflections","category-y2-parent","category-y2s1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions\/229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/om3g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}