Game Design

Objectives

In this course we will explore the fundamentals of game design and we will design both non-digital and digital games. This is important for understanding the basic concepts that go into a game and to sharpen our understanding of games by creating, analyzing and critiquing them. While it might seem that non-digital and digital games are quite different, all kinds of games share plenty of fundamentals that allow game designers to work in any medium to create games.

As part of the module sessions, the students will play, analyse and design games. They will also need to understand what are the differences between game development and game design, and to get familiar with some of the main tasks involved in game design. The course requires regular reading, writing and presentation exercises.

Learning outcomes

Learning objectives

Students who successfully complete this subject will be able to:

• Understand the principles of game design and game development phases.
• Create traditional games such as board and card games.
• Prepare digital games.
• Demonstrate capacity to communicate.
• Demonstrate a capacity for critical analysis of the theoretical and practical contexts relevant to this area.
• Identify and apply appropriate research methods and theoretical frameworks for game design.
• Articulate a presentation.
• Write a game design document (GDD) using the vocabulary acquired in class.

Generic Skills

Students who successfully complete this subject will be able to:

• Identify and apply appropriate research methods and theoretical frameworks for independent study of media industries and digital culture.
• Demonstrate a capacity for critical analysis of the theoretical and practical contexts relevant to this area.

Competencies

General skills

• Desire to take part in lifelong learning, innovate, create value and acquire new knowledge.

Specific skills

• Know about theory, requirements and basic aspects for conceptual design of games.

Basic skills

• Students have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of independent learning.

Core skills

• Display professional skills in complex multidisciplinary contexts, working in networked teams, whether face-to-face or online, through use of information and communication technology.
• Use oral, written and audiovisual forms of communication, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with a high standard of use, form and content.

Content

• Game design concepts
• Game elements
• Rules and mechanics
• World, narrative and character design
• UI and level design
• Game Design Document (GDD)
• MDA Framework
• Playtesting
• Game pitch

Evaluation

Your grade will be determined based on:

• Team-based workshop activities: 20%
• Game analysis tasks (individual): 45%
• Digital game preparation project (individual): 35%

Attendance, participation and work tracking will also be taken into account for the evaluation and will be factored into the task grades.

A second chance submission for students who did not manage to achieve a pass in the module will be available to recover 45% of the mark.

Methodology

This module will be divided in two kinds of sessions: seminar sessions and workshop sessions.

In seminar sessions, the key concepts related to game design will be presented, explained and exemplified through existing digital and non-digital games. Seminar sessions are meant to encourage and foster discussion among the students in order to understand and integrate key knowledge, skills and concepts that will need to be put into practice afterwards.

In workshop sessions, some of the key concepts seen in the seminar sessions will be put into practice. Students will work on both team-based and individual projects and activities related to designing prototypes of board games, modifying existing ones, and pitching and playtesting games, among others.

Additional attendance requirements

In the course, it is expected that the student will attend both seminar and workshops sessions, as well as virtual campus announcements. Furthermore, the student is responsible for completing the assignments on time and following their requirements.

Students are expected to be honest and ethical at all times in the pursuit of academic goals. Students who are found to be in violation of administrative procedure, will receive a grade of zero on the assignment or the module, depending on the gravity of such violation.

Bibliography

Key references

• Koster, R. (2013). A theory of fun for game design (2 ed.). O'Reilly Media.
• Salen, K., Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press.
• Schell, J. (2015). The art of game design: A book of lenses (2 ed.). Morgan Kaufmann.
• Selinker, M., Howell, D. (2012). Kobold Guide to Board Game Design. Lightning Source Inc.
• Tinsman, B. (2008). The Game Inventor's Guidebook: How to invent and sell board games, card games, role-playing games, and everything in between! Morgan James Pub.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.