Designing prototype #1

Thanks to the way I structured my dissertation, my first prototype has to meet the following rules:

Make it easy to learn:

• Keep the amount of mechanics up to a minimum
• Make sure the mechanics make sense, so that players can familiarise themselves with them quickly
• If possible do not use any text

Make it difficult to master:

• Since I'm aiming for the twitch mechanic, make a game which tests player reaction and/or timing skill in a challenging enough way to make it difficult to master. The tools I could use for achieving that could be:
• Pure speed - completing a task as quickly as possible
• Timing - performing actions at the right moment
• Precision - performing precise actions
• Avoidance - staying away from bullets or obstacles
• Time pressure - completing a task within a time limit

Most importantly though, I need to think of a game that's within the reach of my C# knowledge. The restriction is significant, considering I've only started learning this language, however that won't stop me from designing what I believe is a game that has the potential of being easy to learn and hard to master.

The game: Square Drop

This one twitch mechanic game is all about timing and precision. Players are in control of a square that's moving across a platform which has a gap at a certain point. Players job is to tap the screen as soon as the square is straight above that gap. Once they do that, the square will drop down onto the next platform. The square will be moving at a constant speed, and once it drops, it'll move in the opposite direction, so if it was moving towards the right side of the screen, after a successful tap it'll move to the left.

Players get a point each time they successfully drop the square. Players lose the game if they tap the screen when the square isn't above the gap, or when the square moves off the screen (which would happen if the player doesn't tap at all). Highest score wins.