Background

A game is a contest with rules where people to compete for fun. Chess is a game that is played with pieces on a chessboard. As a game, it has rules that govern how it is played, how the game is won, and so forth. We play games for fun and entertainment, but some games, like chess, are taken very seriously with international competitions and worldwide fame for the one who is crowned champion. Electronic arcade games are coin-operated machines with a game that normally involves player skill. PacMan is probably the most famous electronic arcade game ever. They are ‘electronic’ because they have a screen display and controls for the player.
A smart electronic device is a useful instrument, machine, or gadget that is controlled by electronic circuitry microcontroller boards, or sometimes by a single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi, and that perform only a few limited functions. We have many different kinds of devices at home, on our person, or at school to perform useful work for us, or to provide us with information, in order to increase our well-being.
 

The design brief

Design a table-top electronic arcade game using a microcontroller board like the Arduino. Your electronic arcade game must be suitable for young people of approximately your age group. Your arcade game may be a test of skill or competitive in any way that you choose. However, your game must not take money, nor involve gambling, nor may it demand extreme physical effort. Think about what makes a good game, and how the player controls it and follows the action. Build a working prototype of your electronic arcade game and test it. Work on this project in a small team with a group of your classmates.

​​​​​The design thinking process

Follow the six stages of the design thinking process to ensure that you are thorough and do everything necessary to succeed in your design project. First, you endeavour to understand the design topic and EMPATHISE with the needs of the users. With that understanding, you can DEFINE what is essential to the product or system that you are designing. Then you IDEATE, that is, you creatively come up with ideas and develop them. The next step is to PROTOTYPE your chosen design solution in a physical form and improve it through trial-and-error. Then you TEST your design idea to elicit the opinions of users. And finally, at the end of the process, you REFLECT upon your project to benefit from the experience. Use the appropriate methods from the Design Thinking for Schools website as you proceed along the design thinking process.
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Note for teachers

Undertaking a student design project using electrical parts or microcontrollers such as Arduino requires:

• teachers who are able to supervise and advise such a project;
• laboratories or workshops with electrical and electronic parts and tools;
• ​​​​​​​and students who are trained to work with electricity, tools, and equipment.

Read the guide for teachers on Safety for the PROTOTYPE Stage for Level IV to safely supervise this design project.