[game_edu] Wanted: "Challenge" design exercise

[Malcolm Ryan]

Hi, I was wondering whether anybody had a design exercise I might be  
able to use for my class. I am teaching game design and I'm trying to  
give them simple exercises which get them to solve small design  
problems based on the various ideas we are discussing. These should be  
tasks that they can do in a 1-2 hour class.

I need one for the topic of Challenge. The corresponding lecture  
material is about Flow and the need to balance difficulty against  
skill so that a game doesn't become boring or frustrating. I am  
talking about the 'hierarchy of challenges' from Ernest and Adams'  
book and various methods of increasing or decreasing the difficulty of  
a challenge by adding other sources of power or stress.

I already have some analysis exercises in this area, but I can't think  
of a simple design exercise which would get them to actually use the  
ideas to solve a problem. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Malcolm