Find an example of a game with an orphaned verb—a verb that the game develops for a single purpose. Describe how you might address this problem if you were redesigning the game. This could involve having another verb take on the responsibilities of the orphaned verb, as with the example about Janet Jumpjet using "shoot" to open doors in the "Verb Relationships" section of Chapter 2 . Also think

about and describe ways that the orphaned verb could be developed to have more relationships with other elements of the game. Compare and contrast these strategies. Which would you choose?

What will be an ideal response?

As a class, brainstorm a list of potential verbs for games. Don't stick to familiar verbs that you know have been used a lot in games; come up with as many ideas as you can. Next, vote as a class on which verbs seem like they would be the most interesting to play with in a game. Every participant can have multiple votes, not just one. As part of the process, think about what kinds of situations could emerge from using that verb and what sorts of objects could be used with each verb. Split into groups, and write the verbs with the most votes onto slips of paper. Have each group draw a slip at random, and then work together to create an idea for a game that uses the verb the group drew. For a short project, the goal can be to create a short presentation about the group's game idea. A longer project could involve more detailed documentation of the idea, rough sketches of what the game might look like, or even a prototype.