Choose a scene or a series of scenes from a game you find interesting or moving. This game should be one with visual elements of context: interface, icons, characters, story or mood conveyed through images, a visual representation of a world or space, and so on

Write a paper describing how these visual elements help create the experience of the scene or scenes you played, answering one or more of the following questions:
• What does the appearance and animation of game objects or characters convey—or fail to convey—about the rules associated with them?
• Are there recurring visual motifs, and how does the player learn what those motifs mean in the game's system?
• What did the visual shape of scenes, the space created by how objects are positioned, tell you about what you could do in each scene?
• Were there visual elements that didn't have rules associated with them (like the distant background behind the space of play, or noninteractive elements) but which still affected your experience of the game? If so, how?

Choose a game that has a cast of characters. This could be a game in which you control multiple avatars, such as a single-player role-playing game with group battles, or a game with a story that involves many different characters. The game you choose could also be a very different kind of game, with a cast that includes not only the protagonist—such as Mario in Super Mario Bros.—but also enemies or other characters. A full list of characters in Super Mario Bros. might include Goombas, Koopas, Princess Peach, Toad, or even the power-ups Mario collects, which could be seen as characters in the game's story because they have eyes!

Working alone or in a group, design a new character for the game you chose. Describe what this character looks like, and create a sketch or illustration of the character. Think about how the visual elements and motifs of your new character relate to the visual elements that are already in the game, including color, shape, and silhouette. What sets your new character apart visually? What role does this character play in the game? What kinds of rules are associated with your character, and how are they distinct from existing characters? After you've thoroughly described this character, think about and evaluate, in writing, whether this game needs your character. Do you think you made a useful addition to the cast, or a character that's redundant or unnecessary?