Game Design Fundamentals
Course description:
This course will teach game design fundamentals starting at square zero. If you have no experience in designing games, this is the course for you! We will start with game design theory which will bolster your knowledge of how to design a game and why games make players respond the ways they do. There will be exercises to teach students how to make short games of multiple varieties. Specifically, the course will cover card games, interactive fiction and 2D digital games.
Basic programming skills and how to find free assets to use for your games will also be discussed. The culmination of the lessons will have the students choose to make either a twine game or a GameMaker game after learning how both engines work.
If you are troubled by the following problems, this course will help you to overcome your problems
Classes are hosted all year round
Weekly Schedule： ???
Duration: ??? Hours / class
Total: ??? classes – 8 months
Offered online & in-person
Fundamentals
Lesson - 1
Meaningful Play
- Start with the definition of play
- the game itself but also how players interact with it, games are connected by play
- The impact a player’s decisions has on a game system with meaning derived from how the choice relates to the result
Total session: ???
The Magic Circle
- Abstract play zone with specific rules and in game contexts that the players give new contexts within the game, can be closed or open
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Semiotics
- Semiotic: something that can take on a meaning
- Semiosis: action/process that creates a relationship between meanings and signifiers
- Semiotic domains: a set of rituals that include one or more modalities to communicate
Total session: ???
Lesson - 2
Game Scope
- The scope of the game refers to way that a game focuses on specific mechanics to make sure the game is tight and focused
Total session: ???
Game Flow
- Game’s best experience from both difficulty and skill
- Flow state comes when you focus on the actions you are making in the game as your skill matches the difficulty the game presents
Total session: ???
Game Mechanics
- Functions that the game contains that make it playable
Total session: ??
Lesson - 3
Layers of Game Design
Sensory (surface)
- Base level – what the player senses while playing
Information (skeleton)
- Facts that the game presents in the sensory layer
Interaction (structure)
- Interactions the player can perform given sensory and info layers
Frame (scope)
- Performable actions the player thinks are possible due to prior experience
Purpose (strategy)
- Objectives players set for themselves
Total session: ???
Playcentric Design
- Interactive systems require iteration and prototyping
- Due to this, you need to playtest early and often
- This is where play in playcentric design comes from
Total session: ???
Introduction to the Game Design Document
- Show some examples of game design documents (from my games)
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Lesson - 4
Game Design Exercise - Basic Card Game
- Restrictions on how many items you can have, how many cards you can have, how long the game lasts etc
- Exercise in game scope and mechanics
Total session: ???
Introduction to Twine
Lesson - 1
- Making and linking passages in twine
- Variables in twine
- Differences between Twine languages (Harlowe, Sugarcube, etc)
Total session: ???
Lesson - 2
- Branching choices in twine
- Paths between passages
- Choice in games
- Ludonarrative dissonance
Total session: ???
Introduction to Gamemaker
- Drag and drop platformer
- Creating an environment
- Creating a player object in gamemaker
- Creating an npc
- Creating a collectable object
Total session: ???
Lesson - 1
- Basic platformer in gamemaker
- Collectable objects
- Enemies
- Actions (jumping, attacking)
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Lesson - 2
- Programming dialogue
- Levels
- Variables
- Save and load
Total session: ???
Lesson - 3
- UI
- Sound effects
- Camera movement
Total session: ???
Lesson - 4
Final Projects
Lesson - 1
Game Design Document
- Elevator Pitch
- Mood
- Lore/Background
- Storyline
- Floorplans
- Game Scope
- Characters
Total session: ???
Lesson - 2
Starting the Project
- Beginning programming
Total session: ???
Lesson - 3
Starting the Project
- programming
Total session: ???
Lesson - 4
UI
- Menus
- Health bar or other in game UI (if needed)
Total session: ???
Lesson - 5
Aesthetics and Animations
- Programming it
- Getting free assets
- Implementing created aspects
Total session: ???
