Design a Game for Engineers

I’m spinning up on a project related to the Games for Engineers series that, if everything turns out, will take it to the next level. What does this mean for you guys? It means it’s CONTEST TIME!

  • Your task is to design a game for the Games for Engineers series.
  • You don’t actually need to know anything about making games – all you need is a good idea!
  • The minimum that will be accepted is a strong concept. Thinking through rules and designing example levels will greatly increase your chances of winning.
  • You should not program anything or create any artwork beyond concept drawings.
  • If your design is chosen, you will be given the option to temporarily join on with the Zachtronics Industries team and make your game. Terms will be discussed at this time.

All submissions should be emailed to me at zachbarth@gmail.com by April 30th, 2009. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by email or in the comments.

25 Comments to Design a Game for Engineers

  1. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 19, 2009 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    I hope you like my idea. It came to me while watching Alaska Week on Discovery Channel, but I expanded my original thought in the e-mail. I believe you’d do that idea justice if you picked it.

  2. Blueation's Gravatar Blueation
    April 19, 2009 at 7:10 pm | Permalink

    I have a idea. Should I put in a bit concept art when I sent my idea?
    (I think of sending it wednessday or so, after typing all data and making the concept.)

  3. Zach's Gravatar Zach
    April 19, 2009 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    If you can make concept art, by all means do.

  4. compsciguy's Gravatar compsciguy
    April 20, 2009 at 12:12 am | Permalink

    Is there any kind of time frame on Infiniminer?

  5. Zach's Gravatar Zach
    April 20, 2009 at 1:57 am | Permalink

    Really, compsciguy? Really?
    Progress is moving slowly, but we’re nearly finished now. It’ll be available when it’s ready.

  6. payjack's Gravatar payjack
    April 20, 2009 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    I am thinking of a Game for Years now, but its not fitting for Games4Engis.
    Its yet another Trading Card Game-esque with some… rather unique Rules and Features.
    If you have spare Time you could look at my Concept, but I am not entering it for this Contest since the Previous Games go in another Direction.
    On a side Note: You might want to replace your EMail-Text with an Image.

  7. Zach's Gravatar Zach
    April 20, 2009 at 10:39 am | Permalink

    payjack: Feel free to email it to me anyway. I’d love to take a look.

  8. Blueation's Gravatar Blueation
    April 21, 2009 at 4:28 pm | Permalink

    I have a great question: what’s for winning?
    (I think there is a delay on my game concept, I will send it Friday.)

  9. ArchMageOmega's Gravatar ArchMageOmega
    April 21, 2009 at 6:00 pm | Permalink

    Oh I have such a great idea, but being a game designer/programmer myself, I’m not sure I want to give it up. Still, I might anyway, since it’s right up your alley and I’d rather play the game than have it sit on the back burner forever. 🙂

  10. Zach's Gravatar Zach
    April 21, 2009 at 8:07 pm | Permalink

    Blueation: The prize for winning is getting to make your game, and perhaps lots of valuable opportunities in the future. As I mentioned in the description, we’ll discuss those terms when you actually win. =P

  11. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 26, 2009 at 12:00 am | Permalink

    So who’s judging? Just you? or are you going to set up a poll?

  12. Zach's Gravatar Zach
    April 26, 2009 at 1:28 am | Permalink

    Axoren: The contest is being judged predominantly by me, although I do have a few people that I reach out to on issues such as this. The contest is less about finding the “best idea” and more about trying to find something that would be good to run with.

  13. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 26, 2009 at 5:19 pm | Permalink

    Obviously playability is an issue, so the best idea may not be the most practical. (Build a spaceship with these materials, these schematics, etc.) You’re probably have something more one or two dimensional like many of your grid games. This isn’t my submission, but ever since Silicon Foundry, I was hoping for its sequel to come about. Then when KOHCTPYKTOP showed up, I was thinking “it would be perfect to pair this up with Silicon Foundry”. It would give Silicon Foundry a little more longevity, and you could make a more challenging game by merging the two. The more I type about this, the more I wish I had submitted it.

  14. Blueation's Gravatar Blueation
    April 26, 2009 at 7:55 pm | Permalink

    Axoren: great idea!

  15. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 26, 2009 at 8:47 pm | Permalink

    The one I submitted took on a completely different look and feel… a type of engineering Zach hasn’t encountered from reading his past entries. I still have a good feeling about my submission.

  16. jacob mansfield's Gravatar jacob mansfield
    April 27, 2009 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    I have an idea but it might be too complicated, sending it anyway
    btw hope you have openoffice or a converter program zach

  17. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 27, 2009 at 2:50 pm | Permalink

    Why not send it using Rich Text Format? Save File As > .rtf

  18. payjack's Gravatar payjack
    April 27, 2009 at 4:05 pm | Permalink

    OpenOffice allows to save your Data as HTML. I did it that way and attached it to the Mail.

  19. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    April 27, 2009 at 10:23 pm | Permalink

    You can send HTML data in an email without attaching it… that’s how the Nigerian Lottery E-mails look so nice.

  20. payjack's Gravatar payjack
    April 28, 2009 at 9:58 am | Permalink

    I can’t as I have disabled it for exact that Reason: Blocking active HTML that sends Data to a 3rd Party (not sender, not receiver of the Email) Servers/Sites

  21. Xolroc's Gravatar Xolroc
    April 28, 2009 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    How about a level editor for Codex?

  22. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    May 13, 2009 at 6:57 pm | Permalink

    So when do we hear results?

  23. Axoren's Gravatar Axoren
    May 19, 2009 at 3:09 am | Permalink

    Looks like this love child was stomped out by infiniminer…

  24. phaser's Gravatar phaser
    May 27, 2009 at 6:30 pm | Permalink

    can i make any thign else lik a multiplayer buliding game

  25. CalixJumi's Gravatar CalixJumi
    October 11, 2009 at 11:42 pm | Permalink

    this kind of contest is over D:?