Laser cutting islands

I drew up the laser cutter files for the rat islands (ships), frog islands, volcano, and lots of rat traps. Luckily the files just fit on the cardboard!

Red felt template

3.5mm corrugated cardboard template

Text for cards finalised

Frog Cards:


Tiny Tim (orange)
Frog Fact: Archey's frog is the smallest native frog species. 
Rats cannot see or eat Archey's frogs for 1 round. 

Rare (orange)
Frog Fact: Archey's frog is critically endangered.
1 Archey's frog moves 2 extra spaces. 

Altitude (orange)
Frog Fact: Archey's frogs like to live up high, away from water.
Archey's frog moves each frog 1 space closer to the volcano.

Big Betty (purple)
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frog is the largest native frog species. 
1 Hamilton's frog can move 3 extra spaces.

Pond (purple)
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frog dries out if it doesn't stay damp. 
If any Hamilton's frogs are on logs, move them to the nearest rock.

Mix Up (half purple, half yellow)
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frogs look the same as Maud Island frogs. 
1 Hamilton's for switches places with 1 Maud Island frog.  

Munch (yellow)
Frog Fact: Maud Island frog uses its mouth (not tongue) to eat.
Maud Island Frog catches some yummy prey and moves 2 extra spaces.

Foggy Frog (yellow)
Frog Fact: Cool misty evenings are Maud Island frogs' favourite climate. 
Maud Island frog can move 2 extra spaces.

Tadpole (blue)
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog is the only native frog with a tadpole stage. 
Hochstetters frog uses its swimming skills to move 2 extra spaces.

Nocturnal (blue)
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog is nocturnal.
It's day time so Hochstetters frog moves 2 spaces closer to the volcano.

Freeze (blue)
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog stays still so predators cannot find it.
Every species except for Hochstetters moves each frog 1 extra place. 


Small Sally (green)
Your small size means you cannot move as far as you would like to. 
Move each frog 1 space closer to the volcano.

Slippery Suzie (green)
While catching a ride on dad's back, your frog falls off. 
Move 1 frog back to the volcano.

Chomp (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
You get eaten by your predator the Tuatara. 
1 frog must die.

Deadly (green)
Oh no you've caught a deadly disease.
1 frog must die.

Yummy (green)
You eat your favourite food - fruit flies. 
Move 3 extra spaces.

Hopscotch (green)
Catch a ride on dad's back. 
Move 1 frog to the same space as your other frog.

Froggy Friends (green)
Use Chemo Signals to talk with another frog species. 
Move 1 frog onto the same space as 1 frog of another species.

Switcher (green)
Use Chemo Signals to switch spaces with 1 frog of another species. 

Bullfrog (green)
Your frog is super strong.
Move 1 frog onto the nearest log. 

Sneaky Sausage (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
You have camouflaged colouring.
The rats cannot see or eat you for 1 round.

Leap Frog (green)
Jump 3 extra spaces.

Super Jump (green)
Jump 2 extra spaces.

Bouncer (green)
Bounce 1 extra space.

Boing (green)
Hop 1 extra space.

Island Hop (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
Move 1 of your frogs onto the nearest log.

Nasty Nip (green)
1 rat can move 2 spaces.

Sly Steve
Steal 1 rat trap from another player, if possible.

Revive (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
If any if your frogs have died, you can revive 1.
Place it on the volcano.

Stuck in the Mud (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
You can only move 1 of your frogs for the next round.

Lucky Day (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
Roll the dice.

Frog Prince (green)
Your frogs move 2 spaces. 
Every other frog moves 2 spaces closer to the volcano.

Saving Grace (green)
Choose 1 frog of a different to come back to life.
Place this frog on the volcano.

Rat Trap (yellow, orange, blue, purple)
Gain 1 rat trap.

Super Smell (green)
Rats can eat frogs on logs for 1 round.

Rat Cards:

Multiply (red)
Rat Fact: Rats have 4-6 litters of 6-12 babies each year.
Your rats reproduce. Place a new rat on the volcano.

Lost the Scent (red)
Miss your next turn.

Strong Swimmer (red)
Rat Fact: Rats can swim for 3 whole days.
Move 1 rat 3 extra spaces.

Big Boy Steve (red)
Rat Fact: Rats have strong teeth. They can chew through lead, wire and glass.
Remove 1 rat trap from the board.

Sewer Rat (red)
Choose 1 rat to travel to the nearest log.

DOC (red)
The Department of Conservation kills one of your rats.
1 rat must die.

Shuffle (red)
1 rat must swap spaces with 1 frog of your choice.

Rat Race (red)
Move 2 rats 2 spaces closer to the volcano.

Dirty Rat (red)
You catch a disease and kill the frog closest to the rat of your choice.

Mighty Mike (red)
Rat Fact: Rats can hold their breath for up to 3 minutes.
Move 1 rat 3 extra spaces.

Stuck in a Current (red)
Move 1 rat back to the volcano.

1080 Poison Drop (red)
1 Rat must die.

Rat Run (red)
Move each rat 1 extra space.

Rat King (red)
1 rat scuttles 2 extra spaces.

Fool the Frog (red)
Remove 1 unused rat trap from a frog of your choice.

Yummy Stench (red)
1 rat can move 1 space.

Rat card illustrations

Play testing photos showing game development

 Small printed board, created on illustrator

 Adding power ups to the smaller islands

 How could we make 3D rats?

 And 3D frogs?

 Felt board! Islands in the middle have become logs. Power ups are still on these islands when you first land on them.

 Origami frogs

 Origami rat (right back image)

 Playing the game using rocks as rat traps

 Close up

 Getting another group to play test. 3D log tested out and rat traps are felt Xs. Check out the power up dice.

 Play testing with the kids I babysit. They loved it.

Rocks are now cut from the laser cutter.

Play Test/To Do

Play Test Notes – 21/5/17 Thanks to Tanya and Chaz for playing the game, even though none of us could make it!

No dice!!!

Seats for kids who don’t want to sit on ground

Got into origami

Rules need some ambiguity work. Frogs giving power-ups from cards to other frogs. Engagement in game was great

Rat traps – add some more cards to the pack.

Sticks for logs was good

KCO gives cards out so kids don’t forget to pick one up?

Kids were playing rat and frog, chasing other people.

KCO Plays the rat? Random roll/spinner plays the rat?

Roll the dice to move all rats (played by no-one?)

Paper bits blew away

Language of cards was funny

Sometimes too much/long text

Don’t need white dots underneath on map. “Lay out a path like this” and a map.

Clear spaces for where the islands definitely go.

Have items made to play with, but also natural environment items like sticks and rocks

Make felt board imitate visual language of cards.

Stitch on canvas or embroidery? Make sure that it feels cohesive and designed.

Branding and graphic elements – acrylic rat traps, embroidery, appliqué

Use a biscuit tin etc. to keep the little pieces in nicely.

How many rats do you need to have

Didn’t work out how to use Rat traps. Didn’t know to put them on the board.

Space on your island for cards that last a turn

Move a trap card? Put traps on the board some places from the get-go?

Stitch down a row of traps on islands so that you know they’re safe from rats (that’s what DOC does)

Very playable, kids got into it

Photos from Tanya/ Chaz:

Things to do now:

Finish cards

Print cards

3D Islands?

Dice

Reiterate rules & origami

Things to do soon:

Bag for game to be gifted in

Photos of game

Photos of run-through

Things to do later:

Play run-through video

Dossier

Edit write-up from week 6

Further Rules Iteration

ICEBREAKER

Equipment:
Origami or square paper, coloured pencils/felts

BOARD GAME

Aim:
Frogs: Get as many of your frogs as you can to your home island.
Rats: Eat at least one of each species of frog. The game is over when this happens.

Preparation:
Frogs begin on the volcano.
Rats begin 1 rat per rat island.
The frog sitting to the left of the rat starts.
Put the islands, volcano and logs in their corresponding places on the board
Put all of the felt pebbles on the white dots to create the board

Equipment:
There is a board, a large dice, ___ frog cards, ___ rat cards, 22 rat traps, 120 pebble tiles, 6 log tiles, 4 rat islands (red), 4 frog islands (yellow, purple, blue, orange), and a starting volcano island.

Each Turn:
Frog:
On your turn, move your frog a total of 3 spaces (can be split between frogs), and pick up 1 chance card from the frog pile. You must then act on this card immediately. 

Rat:
On your turn, move EACH rat 3 spaces, and pick up 1 chance card from the rat pile. You must then act on this card immediately. 
To kill a frog, you must land on top of it, skipping over it does not count as a catch. If a frog finishes their turn on a rat, the rat kills it.

You must move your 3 spaces on your turn, you cannot skip.

Logs:
If a frog finishes their turn on a log, they get to roll the power-up dice before they pick up their chance card. They act on the power-up that they roll immediately.

Power-up dice:
5: jump 5 rock spaces
X: pick up 3 rat traps
Rock: move any rock on the board to a new position
<3: If one of your frogs has died, bring it back to life! (Starting on the volcano) 

Islands:
Rats cannot go on the frog islands because DOC will catch them, but they can go on the volcano.
If you are a frog and you land on the rat island, you can control a rat! Move any rat 6 places (can be split between rats).

Rat traps:
Frogs gain rat traps from the power-up dice or chance cards which they can place on the rocks directly next to them. These catch but do not kill rats, but stops them from moving any further on that round if they land on it. Once the rat has been stuck for one round, the trap is removed. If there is a trap and a frog on the same rock, the rat cannot kill the frog for that turn. There can only be one rat trap per rock. You can place traps on top of a rat. A rat cannot jump over a rat trap.

Death:
To bring a frog back to life you have the choice to trade in 10 rat traps.
If both of your frogs are dead, or one is dead and one has reached the home island, frogs can roll the power up dice every turn. If you roll a heart you can bring one frog back to life, starting on the volcano

For more/less players:
Each game needs to have at least 1 rat player.
4 player: 3 frog players (1 kingdom each), 1 rat player (controlling 3 rats)
5 player: 4 frog players (1 kingdom each), 1 rat player (controlling 4 rats)
6 player: 4 frog players (1 kingdom each), 2 rat players (controlling 2 rats each)

Feedback from playday

- The kids loved the materiality of the game - playing with the frogs and the felt
- Unfortunately we only got to play test with one group, but it was still invaluable user testing
- Was interesting to play the game with only 3 kids (+Claire)

• two girls wanted to play in a team together - meaning we only had 2 frog teams + KCO (Claire)
• the kids loved the origami frogs, if we had had more time it would have been even better to get them to make and decorate
• none of them wanted to be a rat (could have been related to age + interests) 
• they knew heaps already about frogs and their predators, as well as DOC and their initiatives
• took a while to explain - next time we will try to give the instructions to either KCO or child
• they were confused that we could move the dots - sometimes the dots/stones got caught on their sleeves
• instructions still not clear
• cards still not quite there in terms of simplicity and the reading ability of the kids (might change depending on the age that uses - but should be for all) 

Card update!

Icebreaker - Origami Frogs

Making an origami frog

Part 1 of our experience, the icebreaker, gets the kids to create two origami frogs each that they can decorate and personalise. These will become their playing counters for the board game. 

Give each child coloured paper in the colour of their starting island.

Origami-jumping-frogs-easy-folding-instructions

Post play testing -cards updated

From play testing, I found:
- kids had trouble with some of the pronunciation on the cards
- They loved the origami frogs and trying to get it to flip
- They thought the 3D log was super cool!
- They loved the game and wanted to play another round


Editing cards to make them more simple for kids:

Frog Cards:


Tiny Tim 
Frog Fact: Archey's frog is the smallest native frog species. 
Rats cannot see or eat Archey's frogs for 1 round. 

Rare
Frog Fact: Archey's frog is critically endangered.
1 Archey's frog moves 2 extra spaces.

Altitude
Frog Fact: Archey's frogs like to live up high, away from water.
Archey's frog moves each frog 1 space closer to the volcano.

Big Betty
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frog is the largest native frog species. 
1 Hamilton's frog can move forward 3 extra spaces.

Pond
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frog dries out if it doesn't stay damp. 
If any Hamilton's frogs are on logs or islands, move them to the nearest rock so they can get wet.

Mix Up 
Frog Fact: Hamilton's frogs look the same as Maud Island frogs.
Switch spaces of 1 Hamilton's frog with 1 Maud Island Frog.  

Munch 
Frog Fact: Maud Island frog uses it's mouth rather than it's tongue to eat. 
Maud Island Frog catches some yummy prey and moves 2 extra spaces.

Foggy Frog 
Frog Fact: Cool misty evenings are Maud Island frogs' favourite climate. 
Maud Island frog can move 2 extra spaces.

Tadpole 
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog is the only native species with a tadpole stage. 
Hochstetters frog uses its swimming skills to move 2 extra spaces.

Nocturnal 
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog is nocturnal.
It's night time so Hochstetters frog moves 2 extra spaces.

Freeze 
Frog Fact: Hochstetters frog stays still so predators cannot find it.
Every species except for Hochstetters moves each frog 1 extra place. 


Small Sally
Your small size means you cannot move as far as you would like to. 
Move each frog 1 space closer to the volcano.

Catch a Ride 
While catching a ride on dad's back, your frog falls off. 
Move 1 frog back to the volcano.

Chomp
You get eaten by your predator the Tuatara. 
1 frog must die.

Deadly
Oh no you've caught a deadly disease.
1 frog must die.

Yummy 
You eat your favourite food - fruit flies. 
Move 3 extra spaces.

Hopscotch 
Catch a ride on dad's back. 
Move 1 frog to the same space as your other frog.

Froggy Friends
You use Chemo Signals to talk to another frog species. 
Move 1 frog onto the same space as a frog of another species, of your choice.

Switcheroo
Use your Chemo Signals to switch spaces with a frog of another species. 

Bullfrog
Your frog is super strong.
Move 1 frog to the nearest log. 

Invisibility
You have camouflaged colouring.
The rats cannot see or eat you for 1 round.

Leap Frog
Jump 3 extra spaces.

Sneaky Sausage
Rats cannot eat your frogs for 1 round.

Super Jump
Jump 2 extra spaces.

Bouncer
Bounce an extra space.

Booooing
Hop an extra space.

Island Hop
Move 1 of your frogs onto the nearest log.

Nasty Nip
A rat can move 2 spaces.

Yummy Stench
A rat can move 1 space.

Sly Steve
Steal a rat trap from another player, if possible.

Reproduce
If any if your frogs have died, bring 1 back to life as a new frog.
Place the spawn on the volcano.

Stuck in the Mud
You can only move 1 of your frogs for the next round.

Lucky Day
Roll the dice.

Frog Prince
Your frogs move 2 spaces. 
Every other frog moves 2 spaces closer to the volcano.

Saving Grace
Choose 1 frog of a different species to come back to life.
Place this frog on the volcano.


Rat Cards

Multiply
Rat Fact: Rats have 4-6 litters of 6-12 babies each year.
Your rats reproduce. Place a new rat on the volcano.

Lost the Scent
Miss your next turn.

Strong Swimmer
Rat Fact: Rats can swim for 3 whole days.
Move 1 rat 3 extra spaces.

Big Boy Steve
Rat Fact: Rats have strong teeth and can chew through lead, wire and glass.
Remove 1 rat trap from the board.

Sewer Rat
Choose 1 rat to travel to the nearest log.

DOC
The Department of Conservation kills one of your rats.
1 rat must die.

Shuffle
1 rat must swap spaces with a frog of your choice.

Rat Race
Move 2 rats 2 spaces closer to the volcano.

Dirty Rat
You catch a disease and kill the frog closest to the rat of your choice.

Super Smell
Rats can eat frogs on logs for 1 round.

Mighty Mike 
Rat Fact: Rats can hold their breath for up to 3 minutes.
Move 1 rat 3 extra spaces.

Stuck in a Current
Move 1 rat back to the volcano.

1080 Poison Drop
1 Rat must die.

Rat Run
Move each rat 1 extra space.

Rat King
1 rat scuttles 2 extra spaces.

Fool the Frog
Remove 1 unused rat trap from a frog of your choice.