I am Liu Yuxin (email me) from City University of Hong Kong. This web page is made for my course CS4367: Game Design (Semester B, 2010-2011) as part of assignment 2. It introduces the game Monopoly City that I created with core documents and download.

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Howard Leung and Mr Jeff Tang who direct me in studying game design theories and developing this game.

Introduction

The Monopoly City is a card game for Android mobile devices. It is a single-player version of the famous Monopoly: the Card Game [Winning Moves Games].

In this game, player and computer character take turns to draw and trade cards and organize them into color-zones. The first one to build two full zones or cause the opponent bankrupt is the winner. This game is coded in Java.

Dowload

The game can be dowloaded here.

back to top

Background

Story

A new city is building up in the valley of Monopoly.

New buildings are waited to be built. New monopolizers are called.

Competing with characters who live in the city brings you lands and property. Come and enjoy!

back to top

Characters

There are two humanoids computer characters live in the Monopoly city.

Andria

Backgrounder

Andria is one of top business men in the Monopoly city. He is a man with ambition, and a big fan of property and power. He will take every chance to defeats his opponents and grab their property.

Appearance

Andria appears to be a man in early 40s, with brown hair and greedy eyes. He is always wearing nice hat and suit. He never hides his greed and confidence of his intelligence.

Andria

Personality

Andria is offensive when it is about money. He loves to force opponents to pay rents and debts to make them bankrupt. He will do everything he can to prevent his opponents from winning. He will never be satisfies and thinks the future is always better.

Gameplay strategies

According to Andria's personalities, he is greedy and willing to take any action to prevent his opponent from winning. That means he will use rent and debt to cause bankrupt to opponent if possible. At the same time he ensures a threshold of money in bank to prevent himself from bankrupt. Since he will never be satisfied, he will give up extra cards in hand in exchange for getting more cards in the next turn.

The detailed guidelines for his strategies are listed below:

  1. If there are less than 5M in bank and if there are money cards accessible, put money cards in bank; if there are no money cards accessible, pop room cards from his least-constructed zone (in a left-first manner) with each card equivalent to 2M, as money to put in bank.
  2. Otherwise, he plays cards in the following priority: room cards > money cards > others.
  3. If he gets room cards, put them in zones if possible.
  4. If he gets money cards, put them in bank if possible.
  5. If he gets "swap" card, pop one room card from his least-constructed zone (in a left-first manner) and swap it with one room card in opponents' most-constructed zone (in a left-first manner).
  6. If he gets "steal room" card, steal one room card from his opponent's most-constructed zone (in a left-first manner).
  7. If he gets other action cards, perform the actions.
  8. It he has extra hand-cards when he has no action left, discard them. Do not keep any hand-card in the end of his turn.
  9. If he does not have enough money to pay the rent/debt, pop room cards from his least-constructed zone (in a left-first manner) with each card equivalent to 2M, as money to balance the rent/debt. And then do a. if possible.

back to top

Clotho

Backgrounder

Clotho is a young girl who comes from a remote and peaceful village. Now she works at a flower shop in the city and hopes to bring beauty and happiness to people around. She is naive and has a kind heart to help people who are in trouble. She is magnanimous to people who ever defeats her in games. All she cares about are people, order and rules, not property or power.

Appearance

Clotho appears to be a 16-year-old girl. She has bright eyes and radiant shoulder-length hair. Instead of wearing jewelries, she wears a flower. Besides, she always has lovely smile on her face.

Clotho

Personality

She prefers construction than destruction.
She will not to hurt her opponents even if she has absolutely advantages.

Gameplay strategies

According to Clotho's personalities, she is a constructor but not a destructor. That means she only focuses on her own buildings and does not care about what her opponent does. She will not take any advantage from attacking others. That means she will not play any aggressive action on opponent, and the only action she can possible take is "say no".

The detailed guidelines for her strategies are listed below:

  1. She plays cards in the following priority: room cards > money cards > others.
  2. If she gets room cards, put them in zones if possible.
  3. If she gets money cards, put them in bank if possible.
  4. If she gets "say no" cards, use it in the first time when opponent takes an action on her.
  5. If she gets other action cards, simply discard them.
  6. If she has more than seven hand-cards, discard extras randomly.
  7. If she does not have enough money to pay the rent/debt, pick room cards randomly with each card equivalent to 2M, as money to balance the rent/debt.

back to top

Game Elements

Game elements specifies actions that make up gameplay.

  1. Draw cards from "draw" pale.
  2. Put cards in hand for later use.
  3. Put cards onto "discard" pale to discard them.
  4. Put room cards in color-zone to build up a classroom.
  5. Put room cards in bank to get money.
  6. Put money cards in bank to get money.
  7. Throw "rent" cards to opponent to charge rent on player's classroom(s) that matches the color of the rent card.
  8. Throw "debt collector" cards to opponent to charge 5M.
  9. Throw "it is my birthday" cards to opponent to charge 2M.
  10. Throw"forced deal card" to swap opponent's classroom card with one from player's room collection.
  11. Throw "deal breaker" card to opponent to steal a full zone from the opponent's collection.
  12. Throw "just say no" card to opponent to cancel the effect when opponent plays any action against you at any time.
  13. Press opponent's head to end current turn.

Fun Factors

  • Conflict

    Human-computer-conflict provides dramatic tension.

  • Construction

    Build up a full color-zone with three room cards of the same color.

  • Destruction

    Destroy opponent's full color-zone by stealing or swapping opponent's room cards.

  • Storytelling

    Background storis of computer characters are provided.

back to top