CAGD 170: Project 1

ePortfolio

Assignment: Project 1 - Create a new form of Solitaire

Ten Piles Solitaire

The group I was assigned to was “Group 8.” We had a larger group that consisted of three members instead of the usual two. The game we ended up creating was a modified version of Solitaire that was original with new ideas that were out of the box thinking but yet were still able to retain the basic outline of the fundamentals of Solitaire.

The Game

The new game, dubbed “Ten Piles Solitaire,” consisted of getting a standard deck of playing cards with fifty-four cards, including the jokers, dealing the deck as evenly as possible into ten play piles, with four piles having an extra card, removing the element of a stockpile. 

The Starting Board

From then on, the objective is to sort the piles of cards into the correct foundational piles, excluding the jokers, which would stay on the playing field once the game is finished. The foundational piles follow the same rules of traditional solitaire, where they are in ascending order, the same color, and suit-matched. However, the play piles are altered so that they do not need to alternate colors while being placed in descending order. Jokers are wild cards that can mimic any card the player needs at that precise moment, when there is an open spot on the field. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers can be placed there to provide more maneuverability. 

The result of all these innovative modifications creates a form of Solitaire that is more balanced, making it more accessible to newer and younger players while still retaining the core fundamentals of traditional Solitaire’s exciting atmosphere that draws in the more seasoned players.

Taken Mid-play Session

The Journey

While prototyping and developing this new game, we had to understand how traditional solitaire operated and how it could be improved upon in new ways that weren’t an off-the-shelf concept. To create a whole new version, we started experimenting with multiple factors, such as the number of play piles, the number of foundational piles, the assignment of each play pile, and the roles the jokers would play; all these were carried out and tested. 

The problems we faced during the testing were a result of our lack of deep knowledge of solitaire, as it made it harder to determine if we had lost the game or not. An area that could be further worked upon during development was the testing of ideas we each had; most of the ideas we had were tested, but not evenly in terms of time and exploration. Looking back, some of these ideas could have been beneficial to us if we had only further explored that particular idea. Another is a larger emphasis on the duration of game testing, as it's very important to understand whether or not a game has flaws within it, as even after initial testing, it may still have flaws deeper within it, which are only revealed after more thorough testing.

The Result

Eventually, we were able to create a tangible product to give to other groups to playtest. In return, we received critiques, which in response we addressed, fixed, and polished to create an unblemished rule sheet that clearly explains and displays “Ten Piles Solitaire” in a way that we are proud to present. 

The End Of A Session