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Ever wish you could design interactive fiction games, like text-based Zork from back in the day combined with something like space opera? I sure do. And the good news is that making the game of my dreams is now possible (and simple!) through the use of AI. I bet your students would even love the opportunity to experience game design with Claude Artifacts, too!

Adventuring Through the Stars

A few years ago, one of my favorite space stories, Battle Beyond the Stars, found its way into my heart again. Surfing my Roku box for sci-fi thrillers, I stumbled down a wormhole of old space operas and movies. The story immediately captivated me again. The synopsis is stunning and simple:

“A farm boy recruits a band of outlaws to save the planet Akir from forces that threaten to wipe them out from the face of the universe. A battle stretching beyond the stars begins here.”

Battle Beyond the Stars, IMDB

This is the kind of storytelling I could see my third through sixth grade students doing. The only thing beyond them? The coding. But what if they could interact with an AI and guide it to do the coding?

As I watched this exciting show, I found myself wondering, “How hard would it be to create a Zork style game based on a space adventure?” In this blog entry, you will see one simple example that involves using Claude’s Artifact feature. You will also see a way you can raise up some game-makers of your own.

Game Design with Claude

After all, designing games can be fun. The problem is, the tools available to elementary and middle school students can be… anemic, or difficult to master in a short time. For imaginative story weavers, the focus is more on the story, less the code. The whole idea of changing life into a game you play to survive has its appeal. How many of us, as thirteen year olds, wanted to design a Zork style game? These interactive fiction games, a.k.a. text adventures, can be quite engaging.

“How hard could it be to design an interactive fiction space adventure?” I found myself thinking. But, I may be getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up a bit.

Becoming a Game Designer

To be a game-maker, you have to know how to code, to strategize, and to plan big. More importantly, you have to know how to create a meaningful story. Let’s take a quick look at what game design is all about:

Game design is a subset of the field of video game development. Relying on several fields of study, the skills of a game designer are specific to computer science and programming, creative writing, and graphic design.

Designers take the creative lead in imagining and bringing to life game elements. Those elements include video game stories, characters, gameplay, rules, interfaces, dialogue and environments. The game designer is a cross between a writer, artist and programmer. It is a person who presents a comprehensive artistic vision.

The designer must have the technical skill to lead or contribute to various efforts. Those efforts include programming, image rendering, level design. Also, digital editing and other construction aspects of game design. (source)

How can teachers scaffold young learners’ design efforts? One approach may be to introduce them to game creation tools that are less about coding yet ensure that game design efforts and activities are possible. Focus on students creating engaging stories about topics of interest to them.

The Game Design Process and Rapid Prototyping

You can find many different design processes online. It would be important to settle on some process to introduce your students to. For example, this game design process presents some interesting stages. Imagine cooperative groups of students working to design a game. Watch video overview of the Game Design Process for an overview of the process.

The infographic below tries to capture this process:

Image Source: 

Another key aspect of game design is failing fast to succeed faster. Rapid prototyping is a must in game design.

A good rapid prototyper would realize that failure is ok! That’s what prototyping is for, so go crazy! If you fail, there will be dozens more, and chances are, you’ll learn something anyway. By embracing the possibility of failure, rewarding experimentation becomes possible.(Source)

Ready to get started?

Designing an Interactive Fiction, Space Adventure

With Claude Artifacts, you and your students can easily design a text-based adventure game (use your imagination for applying this to educational settings).

I don’t know about you, but I’m intrigued! This is the kind of game I would have given up recess and lunch for as a child, pictures or not.

How to Get the Game

Save this zip file with the game to your computer. Extract (a.k.a. unzip) the compressed zip file. Then, open it in your web browser.

Claude. “Name this chat “S…” A.I. Archives, 31 July 2024, https://aiarchives.org/id/iApJa45JzHQLTUplnVcL

But how did we get here?

A Step by Step Process to Game Design with Claude

Game design with Claude Artifacts is shockingly easy. You can see a breakdown of the prompts to design this game here:

Prompt #1
Analyze the game design image attached. Design a game that follows this approach focused on a text-based game like Zork I that you could design in Claude Artifacts.

Prompt #2
Add evocative images to each part of the story. use the path "images/filename.png" where filename is the suggested image

Prompt #3
Add a splash page that has a spaceship (images/spaceship.png) with the TCEA logo displayed in bottom right corner. The splash should be identical to the previous Word Wizard except that it reflects this game unique features

Prompt #4
Generate a readme.txt file explaining the whole process, etc. similar to the one you did for the Word Wizard game. (included at the end of this blog post)

Here’s the step by step process that Claude came up with to design a game:

Let's go through each step of the process to create a Zork-like game using Claude Artifacts.

1. Capture:
The core concept is a text-based adventure game set in a mysterious abandoned space station. The player must navigate through different sections, solve puzzles, and uncover the story of what happened to the crew.

2. Brainstorm:

Setting: Abandoned space station orbiting a distant planet
Main objective: Discover what happened to the crew and escape
Puzzles: Based on repairing systems, decoding messages, and combining items
Atmosphere: Eerie, suspenseful, with elements of sci-fi horror
Key locations: Command bridge, living quarters, engineering bay, medical bay, hydroponics lab
Potential items: Key cards, tools, data pads, emergency supplies


3. Prototype:
Let's create a basic prototype of the game's core mechanics and a small section to test.

4. Playtest:
We can now playtest this prototype to see how the basic mechanics work. We'll need to test various commands, try to solve the simple puzzle (using the keycard), and see if the game flow is intuitive.

5. Iterate:
Based on playtesting, we might want to iterate on several aspects:


- Add more locations and items
- Implement a more complex inventory system
- Create more intricate puzzles
- Add a scoring system
- Improve the narrative elements and story progression


6. Implement:
After several iterations, we can implement a full version of the game with a complete story, multiple puzzles, and a satisfying conclusion.

This process allows us to start with a basic concept and gradually build it into a fully-fledged text adventure game. The React component we've created serves as a solid foundation that can be expanded upon in future iterations. We can add more locations, items, and puzzles, as well as enhance the storytelling aspects to create a rich, immersive experience. 

Child’s Play

So, you see, game design with Claude is child’s play. It offers us the opportunity as educators to combine various important elements and can engage students while offering the opportunity for direct instruction.

Details of the Readme.txt File

As you read the text below, realize that this was all generated by Claude.ai. An appropriate action would be to have students create it.What I find interesting is the inclusion of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Space Station Adventure Game

Created: July 31, 2024

Game Creator: Miguel Guhlin at TCEA.org (https://blog.tcea.org)
Code Author: Claude, AI Assistant. “Space Station Adventure Game.” Anthropic, 31 July 2024, chat.openai.com.

Description:

Space Station Adventure is an educational text-based adventure game designed to engage students in problem-solving, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. Players explore an abandoned space station, solving puzzles and uncovering the mystery of what happened to the crew.

Game Design Process:

This game was created following the game design process outlined by Game Design ED:

1. Capture: The core concept of exploring an abandoned space station was established.
2. Brainstorm: Ideas for locations, puzzles, and narrative elements were developed.
3. Prototype: A basic version of the game was created using React components.
4. Playtest: The prototype was tested to ensure basic functionality and engagement.
5. Iterate: Based on playtesting, improvements were made to the game mechanics and narrative.
6. Implement: The final version was created as a standalone HTML file for easy distribution and play.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Referenced:

This game aligns with the following TEKS:

1. §110.7. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 5
   (b) Knowledge and Skills
   (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to:
   (C) make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures
2. §126.7. Technology Applications, Grade 5
   (b) Knowledge and skills.
   (1) Creativity and innovation. The student uses creative thinking and innovative processes to construct knowledge, generate new ideas, and create products. The student is expected to:
   (D) create original products using a variety of resources
3. §111.7. Mathematics, Grade 5
   (b) Knowledge and Skills
   (1) Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to:
   (A) apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace

Intended Audience:

This game is designed for students in grades 4-6 (ages 9-12). It is particularly useful for:

• Developing reading comprehension and problem-solving skills
• Encouraging critical thinking and logical reasoning
• Engaging students in a narrative-driven educational experience
• Introducing basic concepts of computer interaction and text parsing

Game Instructions:

1. Open the HTML file in a web browser to start the game.
2. Read the introduction on the splash screen and click “Start Adventure” to begin.
3. You will see a description of your current location and an image representing it.
4. Type commands into the text input to interact with the game world. Basic commands include:

• go [direction]: Move in a specified direction (e.g., “go north”)
• look: Examine your surroundings
• take [item]: Pick up an item
• use [item]: Use an item in your inventory
• inventory: Check what items you’re carrying

1. Navigate through the space station, collect items, and solve puzzles to progress.
2. The game ends when you reach the final location or solve the main mystery.

Technical Notes:

• The game is built using React and runs in the browser without need for compilation.
• It requires an ‘images’ folder with specific PNG files for each location and the splash screen.
• The TCEA logo should be placed in the ‘images’ folder as ‘tcealogo.png’.
• The game logic is contained within a single HTML file for easy distribution and play.

Future Enhancements:

• Add more locations and puzzles to extend gameplay
• Implement a scoring system
• Include audio elements for increased immersion
• Develop a hint system for players who get stuck

Enjoy exploring and learning with Space Station Adventure!