Game Analysis: Fortnite

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the gameFortnite
The platformconsole, pc, switch, ios
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)10 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?make it a game that is actually fun
PlayersNOTES
How many players are supported?100 in a br
Does it need to be an exact number?no it doesn’t
How does this affect play?the more people the more competitive
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.
Objectives/GoalsNOTES
What are the players trying to do?usually just get a win
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Rules/MechanicsThere is building where you can cover yourself
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.
ControlsNOTES
What controls are used?keyboard and mouse, controller
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?no not really
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?easy to find
Resources & Resource ManagementNOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?materials, ammo
How are they maintained during play?players get materials and ammo
What is their role?not really
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)
Game StateNOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?it depends on the view distance
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
SequencingNOTES
In what order do players take their actions?If you see another player in battle royale
How does play flow from one action to another?depends if you are playing with people or not
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
Player Interaction
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Theme & NarrativeNOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?no
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?no
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?no
Does it have emotional impacts?no
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?
The Elements in MotionNOTES
How do the different elements interact?
What is the gameplay like?cartoon game
Is it effective?
Are there any points where the design choices break down?Yes because they can change the graphic engine anytime they want
Design CritiqueNOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?To make the game look better
Why this set of resources?
What if they made different decisions?the game would be better
Does the design break down at any point?yes because it isn’t good right now
Graphics & SoundNOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?yes it does
Did you find any bugs or glitches?yes sometimes
What about sound?good sound
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?
Various Stages of the GameNOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?
Is the game fair?You have to be good, but there is a lot of luck
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?
What is the intended audience?
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

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