SPRINT BRIEF

You will design and build your own original game that comes to life in 3D! You’ll design and build a cardboard obstacle course that transports a character from Point A to Point B. Inspired by Rube Goldberg machines, your creations will come to life with ramps, levers, chutes, spinning gears, or pulleys that set the chraracter on an epic journey. By designing the environment, movement, and game rules, you will bring your own stories and characters to life in motion.

You will work alongside a team to create a variety of obstacle courses that must transport your ball from point A to point B. Think slides, sling shots, see-saws, propellers, wheels, and more!

THE CHALLENGE

WHAT WE ARE MAKING

WHY WE ARE MAKING IT

A cardboard version of your game with obstacles

Learn about motion and physics principles

Final Project Expectations

Your process will include sketches or quick storyboards to plan your game world, map the route, and design obstacles that challenge the movement of your the character.

Your prototype will be built entirely from cardboard and simple mechanisms. It should move, tilt, spin, or react — turning your 2D game idea into an interactive 3D experience.

Your design will feature a character’s journey from Point A to Point B, reimagined as a playful 3D cardboard game world filled with ramps, levers, chutes, and moving parts.

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Studio Skills

Collaboration

Concept Development

Lo-Fi Prototyping

Game Design

Mechanical Movements

Engagement and Persistence

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The design process will include these steps:

Game Design

؜Exploring Mechanisms

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



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2

60 mins

؜60 min

Experiment with ramps, levers, dominoes, and tunnels. See how the marble moves and what ideas you like best.

Think of your game world and story. Pick 6 mechanisms to use in your obstacle course. Research the complex ones. Draw a quick sketch showing what happens from start to finish. Think of point system

SPRINT STEPS

Week 10

Week 11

3

Week 12

Sketching

4

؜60 min

؜Sketch your final game background and mechanisms following your theme

Week 13 & 15

؜Game Making

؜120 min

؜Finalize your game elements, Test it often and adjust slopes or walls.

؜Build the "Trigger for a final surprise"

Week 16

Game Fair

؜60 min

Plan a Game Fair at the end with all other sprints

5

What are Rube Goldberg machines?

Student Example

Student Example

Student Example

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Cardboard

Papers

Zip-ties

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil

Markers

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Wooden skewers

Laptop/Ipad

Week 10

؜Exploring Mechanisms

1.1

1. Understanding Cardboard

1. Explore different types of cardboard (corrugated, thin, thick).
2. Learn how to fold, bend, and layer pieces for strength.
3. Practice cutting clean edges and making precise folds.
4. Practice joining two cardboard pieces with tabs, slots, and folded flaps.

2. Tools and Techniques

Hot Glue Gun

1. Always work on a protected surface.
2. Use small amounts of glue for clean joints.
3. Wait a few seconds for the glue to cool before touching.

Cutter or Utility Knife

1. Cut on a cutting mat or scrap cardboard.
2. Always cut away from your fingers.
3. Use light pressure and make multiple passes for smooth cuts.

؜Exploring Mechanisms

1.2

Check the Mechanisms Toolbox in this sprint to go over the multiple types of mechanism. (1)Movement & Obstacle Mechanisms (2) Push, Pull, and Drop (3)Ending or Goal Mechanisms.

Pick one mechanism to recreate from (2) Push, Pull, and Drop

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Week 11

Week 11

Pencil

Colored Markers

Laptop/Ipad

Printed Template

Game Design

2.1

؜Group yourself with other students. Teams should be 2-4 students!

Game Design

2.2

Describe your story! What world or setting does your game take place in, and why is your character on this journey?

Explain how to play — what players can do, how to start, and how they win or finish the game.

What makes your game fun, unique, or surprising? Think about special designs, tricks, or themes!

Draw your game path from Point A to Point B. Label ramps, turns, or moving parts to show how it works.

Pick 6 mechanisms

Game Design

2.3

؜Example

؜Lava Run Theme: The floor is lava — help the ball roll across without falling!

Mechanisms: Tilting bridge lever, jumping ramp, seesaw balance.

Cool Design: Orange tissue “lava,” cracked rock path, mini cardboard volcano finish.

Game Design

2.3

؜Example

Game Design

2.3

؜Example

Game Design

2.3

؜Examples

؜The Lost Island Escape Theme:

A marble (the explorer) must escape a volcanic island before it erupts.

Mechanisms: Wobbly bridge ramp, swinging vine lever, volcano drop (tunnel chute).

Cool Design: Jungle vines from string, palm trees from paper rolls, cardboard lava river.

؜Space Mission: Planet Drop Theme: Your spaceship (ball) travels through asteroid zones to reach the landing pad.

Mechanisms: Spinning asteroid wheel, zero-gravity ramp, crater drop funnel.

Cool Design: Aluminum foil asteroids, glowing planets (with LED if allowed), black space backdrop.

؜Factory Frenzy Theme: Your marble moves through a busy machine factory full of gears and pulleys.

Mechanisms: Spinning gear wheels, conveyor ramp, drop chute into “assembly box.”

Cool Design: Metallic paint, cardboard buttons, gear cutouts that really spin.

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Cardboard

Tracing Papers

Paper

Zip-ties

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil

Markers

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Wooden skewers

Laptop/Ipad

؜All weeks

Background Sketching

3.1

Bring your obstacle course to life by building your themed world — using cardboard, paper, and creative decorations!

Think about what the world around your obstacles looks like. Where is your game happening? (jungle, space, volcano, castle, etc.)

Using your previous sketch, do another sketch (using tracing paper)showing:

1. What large shapes or scenery you want to add (mountains, clouds, towers, etc.)
2. Where the start and finish zones will go visually

Link your mechanisms to your story world.

Goal: Every moving part should “belong” in the world you designed.

Now sketch how your parkour tells the story of your game.

1. A ramp can be a mountain slope or bridge.
2. A lever can be a catapult, drawbridge, or diving board.
3. A funnel can be a volcano crater or tunnel entrance.

؜Game Sketching

3.2

Game Making - Prototyping

4.1

Build the Base (you are not building the obstacles yet)

Use a cardboard wall as your background.

Sketch over it your parkour of mechanisms and add big background shapes first (sky, water, buildings). Then layer small details (plants, signs, stars).

Examples:

1. For Space Mission → Paint a dark sky, add cutout planets.
2. For Castle Quest → Create brick walls, flags, and torches.
3. For Deep Sea Dive → Use blue tissue paper and coral cutouts.

Add the elements of your game to the background, think of cardboard pop up forms, paper cut-outs, and add ons that will show your game's environment.

Game Making - Prototyping

4.2

Build your game mechanisms following the theme

Game Making

4.3

Get feedback from your coaches and focus on refining and solidifying your ideas

Game Making

4.4

1. Add anything that makes your world come alive: Signs (“Start,” “Goal,” “Danger!”)
2. Optional moving or light-up element if allowed.

؜Go around the room and test out everyone's obstacle course! Leave celebratory post-it notes on your peers' projects!

Game Fair

5.1

؜Take photos and videos of your final work. Create a presentation with up to 3 slides. You can add more slides if you want!

Game Presentation

5.2

Photo of Project

+ Student Name

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First Prototype (testing)

Concept Idea

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Sketch

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Final prototype Video