EvilToys Game design rules (Theory)

The game design is important element of any game, and more important for an educational game as the educational message of the game need to be "embeded" in the game mechanics.

The goal of the game is to teach the following concept:

• Know where they might encounter mines .
• Avoid entering hazardous terrain.
• Recognize danger sign and clues that indicate the possible presence of mines.
• Never touch or get close to a mine or unexploded ordnance or unknown metal debris.
• The game need to be as culturally neutral as possible, that mean avoiding stuff that may be offensive or not appropriate for some culture.
• Harmful and dangerous objects in the game should be as close as possible to reality.
• Try to not make the game "too distractive" by including too much visual effects and stuff that may be standard in commercial games, but don't support the main goal of the game.
• Objects that need to be collected (pickup, bonus..) in the game should not look like other familiar object in real life.
• Doors and buttons are used to teach causality, (concept of cause and effect) that I consider the first step to understand that something explode if you interact with... and in other hand, danger is not a fatality but can be avoided through adopting correct behaviour.
• As a convention, all the "evil things" are placed on the ground, buttons (positive outcome) should never be on the ground to avoid confusion to the player, but always put on walls.