Games Studies | Project 1

21 Apr 2025 - 21 May 2025 (Week 1 - Week 5)

Chan Xiang Lam | 0358400 

Games Studies | Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media 

Project 1 | Tabletop Game Proposal

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TABLE CONTENT   
    1. Instructions 

    2. Project 1 | Tabletop Game Proposal

    3. Reflection

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INSTRUCTIONS

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PROJECT 1

Project 1: Tabletop Game Proposal

INSTRUCTION

To design an engaging and educational tabletop game that helps young adults understand key biochemical processes related to glucose metabolism, specifically focusing on:

• Glycolysis
• Glycogenesis
• Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP)

The goal is to transform complex scientific concepts into fun, memorable, and interactive experiences through playful mechanics, storytelling, and game strategy.

Group Members

1. Altaifi Leen Maan A (0367698)
2. Gabriela Jeslyn Chung (0376509)
3. Natalie Chu Jing Xuan (0354589)
4. Chan Xiang Lam (0358400)
5. Lee Zhi Wei (0356184)
6. Lee Eugine (0362940)

Project Overview

Sugar Heist is an interactive and educational tabletop card game designed to help young adults understand how glucose is processed in the human body. Through playful mechanics and strategy-based gameplay, players explore the key biological pathways: Glycolysis, Glycogenesis, and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP). By linking body states to metabolic pathways, players actively engage with complex biological concepts in a fun and memorable way.

Final Game Concept: Sugar Heist

Game Overview

Sugar Heist is a fast-paced, 4-player card game where players draw, steal, and play strategic combinations to simulate how the body uses glucose in different metabolic states. By forming accurate biological pairings, players earn ATP points, mimicking how the human body generates and stores energy.

Objective

Be the first player to collect 7 ATP points by successfully matching Body State and Pathway cards. Once achieved, the player must shout “Glucose!” to claim victory.

Game Components

The deck includes 3 main card types:

  1. Body State Cards:

• EXERCISE 
• SLEEPING
• REPAIR 

  2. Pathway Cards:

• Glycolysis 
• Glycogenesis 
• PPP 

  3. Action Cards:

• Steal, block, discard, or gain advantage 

  4. ATP Tokens:

• Power ATP 
• Stored ATP 
• Immunity ATP 

Setup Instructions

1. Shuffle all cards into a single deck.
2. Deal all cards evenly among 4 players.
3. Each player holds their cards privately.
4. Place ATP Point Tokens within reach of all players.

How to Play

Each round, players take turns in a clockwise direction.

  On Your Turn:

1. Draw one card from the hand of the player to your left.
2. If you now hold a valid Body State + Pathway pair, place it on the table to earn 1 ATP point of the relevant type.
3. Optionally, play one Action Card to help yourself or sabotage another player.
4. End your turn. The game continues to the next player.

Winning Condition

The first player to earn 7 ATP Points through valid pairings and yells “Glucose!” wins the game.

Fig.1.1Project 1 Proposal

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REFLECTION

Project 1 was a valuable experience that combined science, creativity, and teamwork. Designing a tabletop game to teach glucose metabolism challenged us to simplify complex biological processes and turn them into something engaging and interactive.

We explored several ideas before finalizing “Sugar Heist,” a card game that helps players understand glycolysis, glycogenesis, and PPP through gameplay. Along the way, we learned the importance of balancing educational content with fun mechanics, and how game design can be a powerful learning tool.

This project also strengthened our teamwork and problem-solving skills, and we’re proud of creating a game that makes science more enjoyable and accessible.