Wolf describes 11 kinds of game space:
- No visual space; text-based
- One screen, contained
- One screen, contained, with wraparound
- Scrolling on one axis
- Scrolling on two axes
- Adjacent spaces displayed one at a time
- Layers of independently moving planes (multiple scrolling backgrounds)
- Spaces allowing z-axis movement into and out of frame
- Multiple, nonadjacent spaces displayed on-screen simultaneously
- Interactive three-dimensional environment
- Represented or "mapped" spaces
In your group, select a game that everyone in the group is familiar with. Designate a group note-taker and discuss the game you're familiar with in the context of these spatial representations. In particular, for each of the eleven elements above, discuss these elements about your game. Your note-taker should jot down your decisions:
- Does this category describe the primary space the game represents? If so, move on to the next category.
- What would your game be like if it were re-programmed to use primarily this kind of game space? What would be gained or lost?
