StickPin is a casual mobile game that focuses on quick reflexes and precision. The gameplay involves a mechanic known as literally “stick the pin in the gap”, where players must strategically place pins onto a rotating circle without letting them touch other pins. The challenge intensifies as the circle speeds up, testing the player’s reaction time and accuracy.
My game is based on the traditional *StickPin* game design, where the gameplay and mechanics are similar. The player clicks the left mouse button to stick a pin into a rotating circle, and the objective is to avoid sticking the pin onto an already placed pin. However, in my version, the central circle has been replaced with a whale, and the pins are now harpoons. After the player throws five harpoons, the previously stationary whale starts to struggle, and as more harpoons are thrown, the whale struggles even more. I hope that at this point, the player realizes they are no longer playing a simple relaxing game. With technological advancement, human hunting of whales has become as easy as a player clicking the mouse to throw a harpoon, but the immense suffering inflicted on these intelligent and spiritual creatures is overwhelming. The cost of hunting is far outweighed by the damage it causes, and this is what I want players to take away from the game.
Playtest & Iteration
Playtest 1
At first, I designed the game as a Mario version of *StickPin*. While it looked novel and didn’t align with traditional expectations for a Mario series game, I didn’t feel that it had any meaning beyond being “fun,” which wasn’t what I wanted. So, I redesigned the game’s elements and initially replaced the Mario theme with whales and harpoons. The logos for the whale and harpoon, as well as the ocean background, all came from the *China Whale and Dolphin Conservation Association*.
Playtest 2
I received a lot of constructive feedback, such as the message I wanted to convey about whale conservation wasn’t effectively communicated. So, I reflected on this and considered several possible ways to enhance the impact of the game.
Playtest 3
In this test, I added a new animation effect: after the player throws five harpoons, the previously stationary whale starts to struggle, and the more harpoons thrown, the more violently the whale struggles. This mechanism added a stronger hint toward the game’s message, and it received the best feedback from players, who thought it was the most effective version.
This version effectively merges gameplay with a deeper message about whale conservation, making it a meaningful experience for the player.