There are many different types of games that require certain strategies in order for the players to win.  In this next game design challenge I would like to try to incorporate chance based mechanics and player interactions.  Many games are able to demonstrate both of these tools within the same game.  The game that, to me, shows both of these tools really well is Mario Party. 

            I would like to incorporate chance based mechanics into this week’s game design challenge.  With our challenge to get the Back Street Boys back together to put in a rules to allow for some kind of chance based mechanic would be a good way to make our game like a children’s game.  Considering the fan base of the Back Street Boys, including adults reminiscing about their younger days when they were still a band and the children (not to young) can relate to their simple catchy music.  Now with Mario Party, they use a simple dice block design where the player jumps into the rapidly changing dice number to see how many spaces they are allowed to move.  I would like to use this dice system of chance based mechanics in our game to try and even out the different player skill levels.  Chance based mechanics are good in these kinds of games so the adults can’t always over power the younger players, but because of this type of game the adults will still be interested enough to play and not get bored of such a simple kids game.

            The other tool I want to use is player interaction.  Within Mario Party the player is able to choose what path they want to take.  The map of Mario Party has different path ways around the map and the point of the game is to collect stars which are randomly generated around the map.  At certain places on the map the game asks you which path you want to take, this is where the player interaction comes into play, the player then chooses which path is the fastest way to the star determining whether or not they are able to win.   I would like to also implicate this tool into the game in order to try and keep the adults a little more interested in the game.  I believe that player interaction is a very good tool for most if not all games to have.  This tool is very good at catching the player’s attention and getting them to connect with their character by giving them more of a sense of control over their characters fate in the game.

            These two tools work very well together, because they balance each other out.  While chance based mechanics are good at keeping the game fair for all ages, player interaction is good at incorporating player skill into the game.  So for a children’s game these two tools work, in my mind, perfectly well together.  I feel that they will balance each other out by even though the adults are smarter and will make better decisions with the player interaction, the children will be possibly able to catch up by the randomness of chance based mechanics.