What is the Fun to Time Ratio?
The Fun to Time Ratio is quite simply: Did the game provide enough fun to fill the time it took to play it? There is no real way to measure this as there is no real statistical way to measure fun. But we have all felt when this ratio is off. There are some games that just outstay their welcome. There are some games that end just as you finished building up your engine (or army) and you wanted them to last longer. And different people react differently to this as well. Some people want a 10 hour game while others love Micro Games.
So how do you know if your game is at the right level?
This goes back to knowing your game. Who is the audience for your game? If you don't know this then you probably need to take a step back and figure it out. Once you figure out who will like your game, find other games in the genre and see about how long they take. Do people complain about games being too long, or short? This will give you a good launching point, but doesn't have to be where your game comes in. Maybe that can be a differentiator for your game. But you should know that going in and look for feedback on it when conducting playtests. Ask questions like: How did the length of the game feel to you?
That is the second part of the equation. While it is important to have all different kinds of people playing your game, it is most important to have this core audience try it out. If your game is about a Strip Club (sorry couldn't help myself) don't bring it to a church gaming group you have. The audience for your game are the ones whose opinions you should trust most on this subject.
Lesson Learned: Find the right groups to playtest your game and see what they think about the length. It may not need to be the length that changes, you just may need to add more fun.
How can I change it if my ratio is off?
There are many ways to change this ratio, but the 2 main ones are change the length of the game or make it more fun.
Well that was easy.
Some other things to think about are mini payoffs. I like to use Micro Games as an example of this. I am not a huge fan of Micro Games, but I have learned some lessons from the ones I do like. For example, One Night Ultimate Werewolf wouldn't work if you had 2 hours to solve each session. One of the keys is having that time constraint. After you are done you get that payoff of winning or losing. Most times people want to play again. Maybe they use different roles. Or use the same roles until they get better with them, then change it out. Some groups will use the same roles all the time if they find a grouping they like. So why do people play it over and over for 2 hours if it wouldn't make a good 2 hour game?
It is the quick payoffs. There are other reasons too, but this is a big one. Some longer games incorporate this into their gameplay too. Twilight Struggle incorporates "Scoring Cards" into the deck. This introduces mini goals for the players to achieve. After the battle for Europe is over now we move on to Africa (to be honest I don't know the order but the point remains valid). You get that high, or low from the one conflict then move on to another one. All these conflicts are tied together in a bigger struggle but you are still getting these mini payoffs as you are playing.
Lesson Learned: Adding mini achievements in the middle of your game can lead to the experience seeming to move faster. It also gives players a goal to work toward.
Is that it?
Not even close, that is just one way to work on your ratio. I am going to try something new and make this a 3 part series that comes out over the next 3 weeks. Please provide feedback and I will try and incorporate it in the rest of the series.
What's Next?
That's it for this week, next week I am going to talk about the Time aspect of the Fun to Time Ratio. Until then, I am Peter, keep designing great games.
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