R&D: Hopscotch [1] Preliminary Research

Project Declaration: How do we improve Hopscotch?

Chosen Intended Audience: College students

After preliminary research, we have concluded the following positive and negative elements:

Positive

• Simple rules; easy to learn
• Easy setup: chalk, stone “shooter” for throwing
• Can be played solo or with a group
• Main mechanic involves balance; enjoyable exercise
• Changes difficulty slightly as you progress on the course

Negative

• Turn-based makes it slow for other players
• If player is successful, they can keep playing and win without anyone else getting a chance
• Adding more than a few players makes the game take an increasingly long time
• Becomes rather easy after practice
• Mistakes puts player out of the game for a long time (until said player's next turn)
• Game board not particularly interesting

[Excerpt from discussion log]

[Red] Look at how simple the board is. No wonder people don't like this game. This should be the first thing to go.

[Dev] It's a children's game, Red... its primary function is to improve basic motor skills in younger humans; it's not supposed to be complicated. Calm down. We're in hot water as it is thanks to your little stunt with the first post.

[Red] So you'll write the next one, then?

[Dev] ...fine

Stated problem: Hopscotch only engages each player on their turn which, depending on their skill, could be either incredibly long or incredibly short. How do we make hopscotch more engaging for all of the players?