C&I 375-675 Game Design
Syllabus Fall 2016
Contact Information
Kurt Squire
kurt.squire@gmail.com
Office Hours: By appointment
144a TEB
Class Information
Wednesdays , 1:30 pm-4 pm
Room 131 TEB
Overview
Introduction to Game Design is explores the fundamentals of game design. We will learn the basics of games through creating several analog (non digital) games, and by close analysis of both analog and digital games. The course is designed for you to develop your fundamental skills of designing interactive systems (much as art students take classes in figure drawing or color theory). It focuses on the elements common to all games that are fundamental for a game designer working in any medium, from sports to board games to computer and video games. Although the focus of the course is on the creation of non-digital games, digital games will also be discussed throughout and course themes will be specifically related back to digital games. Two of the assignments will focus on digital game design specifically.
Even if you have no intention of becoming a game designer, the skills in this class should be deeply relevant to designing experiences for others across a variety of settings, from museums to classrooms to theme parks. In past iterations of the course, the most important learning outcomes for students were around refining their game design working process(es), particularly when working in teams or groups.
Attribution: This syllabus is based on Eric Zimmerman’s game design course and I thank him for sharing.
Course Goals
- Gain insight into experience design, particularly how structures interact with people’s intentions to produce emergent experience.
- Explore game design skills and methods such as iterative design, play testing, collaboration, critical analysis, and communication.
- Provide experiences doing multiple iterations of designs so as to see patterns in design challenges, solutions, and one’s working strategies.
- Foster an understanding of digital and analogy games and how game play becomes meaningful for players.
- Explore fundamental concepts relating to games and design, such as rules and play, emergent complexity, long and short-term goals, etc. This includes understanding games as formal systems, experienced human systems, and cultural systems.
- Link course principles to contemporary research and theory in video games.
- Gain experience working in teams, understanding how teams function and exploring your own strengths and weaknesses as a team member.
Required Readings
- Assigned readings, podcasts, and videos as noted.
- Jesse Schell, 2008. The Art of Game Design: A book of Lenses. Morgan Kauffman.
Recommended
Course Format
The course is broken down into roughly two phases: (1) Discussion time and (2) Work time. The course works best when the readings, articles, and ideas flow in to naturally support the work you're doing on projects (so ideally they will flow together). As a result, this course syllabus is a wiki so that anyone can add or edit content.
Schedule
UNIT ONE: Games as Formal Systems
Week 1 (9/7): Introductions
Week 2 (9/14): Definitions
Week 3 (9/21): Game Elements
UNIT TWO: Games as Experiential Systems
Week 4 (9/28): Players
Week 5 (10/5): Mechanics
Week 6 (10/12): Experience
Week 7 (10/19): Social Interaction
- Discuss readings: Schell: 21-22
- Presentation: experiential game analysis
Week 8 (10/26): Narrative & Worlds
UNIT THREE: Games as Cultural Systems
Week 9 (11/2): Narrative (CANCELLED)
- Kurt Gone
- DUE: Game Title (tentative), theme, and technology platform (1 paragraph)
- PPPLEEEEEEASE dont' hesitate to email me with questions or ideas. Also, I'm relatively "here" this next week so feel free to ping me for an office meeting.
- Watch Warren Spector XBox Interview.
- Continue working on last week's assignment: Write/design a table-top scenario (preferably) using the Twerps engine or GURP. Twine is also OK
- Readings: There are two components to this assignment, so there are two sets of readings for this
- Readings for RPG design:
- Readings for Narrative (these are short):
- Additional suggested readings
Week 10 (11/9): Narrative
Week 11 (11/30): Game Development: Pitch & Proposals.
Week 12 (12/07): Games in Industrial Context: Teams,
Week 13: Future of Games (12/14).
Finals week
Project due by Wednesday 12/21
Assignments
Print out and bring copies of written assignments to class the day that they are due.
Readings
Most weeks will feature discussions of readings from The Art of Game Design and the web. Students are responsible for completing these readings every single class, and being prepared to discuss them each class. This is your seminar, and the quality of discussion and your experience from it depends on your taking ownership over the readings. Failure to participate in discussions and demonstrate that the readings have been completed will affect the participation component of your grade.
Analysis
Each student will analyze a single game, written up as a paper, and presented to class. The paper is a 3-5 short paper, and the presentation is informal 5-7 minute overview of the main points to the class. For the presentation, bring the game to class, or share visuals or videos from the game. Your presentation can include visual aids like PowerPoint slides. Your grade will be based on both the paper and the presentation.
What makes a good analysis? Your analysis should NOT be a “review” of a game but instead a design analysis that has a thesis and makes a strong claim about one or more design elements. You should evaluate the how and why aspects of the game design work at consider the implications for game design in general. A good analysis should goes beyond the immediate game to give insight about more general themes. Papers should be well-structured and free of grammatical errors.
The focus of the analysis depends on when it is given during the semester. You choose which kind of analysis you want to give and then will be assigned a date. The three kinds of analyses are:
- Formal analyses (unit one): Focus on the mathematical, logical aspects of the game design and must analyze non-digital games only.
- Experiential analyses (unit two): Explore the player experience, such as the psychological, emotional, or social experience of the players, relating them to the formal rule structures of the game. Digital or non-digital games can be analyzed.
- Cultural analyses (unit three): These presentations focus on the cultural aspects of the game under analysis, such as the political statement a game makes or how the game interacts with its cultural context. Digital or non-digital games can be analyzed.
Game Design Assignments
The core of the class are the several game design assignments. The idea is that by doing many iterations of game design you will quickly develop your skills, and you won’t be too attached to any one project. These assignments involve the collaborative creation of a playable game and will constitute the bulk of the out-of-class work during the semester. Most games are two weeks in length. Generally, the week after a non-digital game design is assigned, a playable prototype version of the game is due in class, along with the current ruleset. The final design is due one week later, which will include rules, a design analysis, and all game materials.
These design assignments are completed in groups. It is essential that you attend your group meetings and fully participate in the design and creation of your games. For each group design assignment, every group must turn in the following:
- Rules: A complete description of the game rules.
- Design Process Statement: A one page or less description of your design process. What were the design challenges your encountered and how did you solve them?
- Peer Grades: You will grade each of your peers on their participation. These peer grades will be emailed directly to the instructor.
Below are the projects that will be completed in class. In addition to the parameters listed below, additional design parameters may be added when they are assigned.
- Game modification: Groups will be given a simple game and must modify the rules to improve the game.
- Abstract game design: Groups will create an abstract game in a traditional non-digital game format, such as a card game or board game.
- Social game design: Groups will create a game that emphasizes social interaction and player experience.
- Narrative game design: Starting with a provided narrative, groups will create a game that takes the narrative as its content. The goal is to have the game procedurally represent the narrative through actual gameplay.
- Intervention game design: Groups will create a game that is in some way a cultural intervention in the lives of its players, on the level of space and ritual, ideological content, or player lifestyle.
Final Game Project
For the last several weeks of the semester, you will work on a project of their choosing. These projects can be individual or in groups, although working in groups is recommended. To facilitate group formation, we will have a final project brainstorming session in class on the day that the final projects are assigned.
You are expected to apply concepts and lessons from the rest of the semester into your design thinking as you plan and execute their final projects. The week after the final project is assigned, a proposal is due. The prototype and prototype rules are due a week following, and the final project is due two weeks later.
Final rules, a design process statement, and peer grades are also part of the final game project.
Taking the Course for Graduate Credit
If you are interested in taking the course for graduate credit, contact me. There will be an additional weekly reading and response, as well as an expectation to contribute content for the syllabus.
Grade
Students will be given grades based on a 100-point scale. Each assignment will be graded on a point scale, and these points will be added up to determine the final grade, according to the following:
98-100 A+
92-97 A
90-91 AB
88-89 B+
82-87 B
The following are the components of the grade:
Attendance & participation 25
Game analysis 10
Game modification design 5
Abstract game design 10
Narrative game design 10
Social game design 10
Intervention game design 10
Final project 20
TOTAL 100
Late penalties
All assignments must be turned in on time.
Attendance & Participation
The attendance and participation portion of your grade is based on the following:
- Your attendance in class and tardiness
- Participation in group discussions and critiques
- Peer grades from group projects
Peer grades
Peer grades will be emailed to the instructor for each group assignment. You will give a grade to each member of your group. You can add a short explanation if you like, and you must add some explanation when giving a grade of C or below.
A = Fully participated and contributed ideas - hard worker and great teammate
B = Generally was present during the process - no complaints
C = Attended some meetings, but could have contributed more
D = Was absent from most or all meetings, or counter-productive in some way
F = Completely absent from the process
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