To use this lens, you stop thinking about your game and start thinking about the experience of the player. Ask yourself these questions:
What experience do I want the player to have?
What is essential to that experience?
How can my game capture that essence?
If there is a big difference between the experience you want to create and the one you are actually creating, your game needs to change. You need to clearly state the essential experience you desire, and find as many ways as possible to instill this essence into your game.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Syllabus
DT/FM-216 : Intermediate 3D Modeling and Animation
Instructor: Greg Lemon
T/TH 4:15-7:00
DT-220-4 Conceptual Game Design
Conceptual Game Design
Games are one of the oldest and most relevant forms of human experience. Every day, whether we realize it or not, we play games with each other, ourselves, and the world around us through body language, verbal/non-verbal communication, goal setting, and emotional and logical manipulation.
This course teaches the history, philosophies and practices of formalized game design from both an analogue and digital outlook, and helps students to develop and analyze their own game designs through a multitude of lenses and perspectives. The goal of the course is for students to develop several games throughout the course of the semester, including card and board games, as well as a videogame that can be published to the iPhone/Pad and web. No prior knowledge of programming is required for this class, as students will use Game Salad, a Mac application that allows non-programmers to quickly build videogames in an easy to use graphical user interface. Basic computer skills and the ability to produce simple two-dimensional art are helpful.
Grading:
25% : Participation
25% : Board Game
25% : Collectable Card Game
25% : Video Game
Attendance:
Missing more than four (4) classes will result in a failing (F) grade for the class.
The goal of the class is to become the best game designer you can be. You will design, test and complete three game projects throughout the course. Each project is worth 25% of your final grade. In addition, there is a 25% class participation grade.
PATICIPATION - 25% - DUE EVERY CLASS
In order to become a great game designer, you must come to class. Class is where you test your game designs with other players, and help other designers test theirs. You will be expected to provide feedback, ask questions, and contribute to discussions and playtests. Keep in mind that this is all related to playing games...no papers, no exams, just designing and playing games. This class is supposed to be fun, so come to class, get in the game and play!
BOARD GAME – 25% - DUE FEB 10
A board game of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final board games will include custom boards, tokens, rule sheets, etc.
COLLECTABLE CARD GAME – 25% - DUE MARCH 9
A collectable card game of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final card games will include custom cards and instructions.
VIDEO GAME – 25% - DUE MAY 4
A video game for the Mac iOS of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final video games will be submitted to the instructor on the final day of class.
Instructor: Greg Lemon
T/TH 4:15-7:00
DT-220-4 Conceptual Game Design
Conceptual Game Design
Games are one of the oldest and most relevant forms of human experience. Every day, whether we realize it or not, we play games with each other, ourselves, and the world around us through body language, verbal/non-verbal communication, goal setting, and emotional and logical manipulation.
This course teaches the history, philosophies and practices of formalized game design from both an analogue and digital outlook, and helps students to develop and analyze their own game designs through a multitude of lenses and perspectives. The goal of the course is for students to develop several games throughout the course of the semester, including card and board games, as well as a videogame that can be published to the iPhone/Pad and web. No prior knowledge of programming is required for this class, as students will use Game Salad, a Mac application that allows non-programmers to quickly build videogames in an easy to use graphical user interface. Basic computer skills and the ability to produce simple two-dimensional art are helpful.
Grading:
25% : Participation
25% : Board Game
25% : Collectable Card Game
25% : Video Game
Attendance:
Missing more than four (4) classes will result in a failing (F) grade for the class.
The goal of the class is to become the best game designer you can be. You will design, test and complete three game projects throughout the course. Each project is worth 25% of your final grade. In addition, there is a 25% class participation grade.
PATICIPATION - 25% - DUE EVERY CLASS
In order to become a great game designer, you must come to class. Class is where you test your game designs with other players, and help other designers test theirs. You will be expected to provide feedback, ask questions, and contribute to discussions and playtests. Keep in mind that this is all related to playing games...no papers, no exams, just designing and playing games. This class is supposed to be fun, so come to class, get in the game and play!
BOARD GAME – 25% - DUE FEB 10
A board game of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final board games will include custom boards, tokens, rule sheets, etc.
COLLECTABLE CARD GAME – 25% - DUE MARCH 9
A collectable card game of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final card games will include custom cards and instructions.
VIDEO GAME – 25% - DUE MAY 4
A video game for the Mac iOS of your design, based loosely off an existing successful game. You will design new mechanics, story, and art to support yout design. We will conduct several rounds of in-class playtestsing to evaluate your design and produce the most enjoyable experience possible. Final video games will be submitted to the instructor on the final day of class.
The Art of Game Design
Buy this book. Now. It's worth 100000000000 x what is being charged for it. It's also what I will be basing the majority of the lectures in class off of. Oh, and it related to pretty much every other creative medium outside of games as well.
Go get it!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Lens of Triangularity
Giving a player a choice to play it safe for a low reward, or to take the risk a big reward is a great way to make your game interesting and exciting. Ask yourself these questions:
Do I have triangularity now If not, how can I get it?
Is my attempt at triangularity balanced? Do the rewards feel worth the risks?
Do I have triangularity now If not, how can I get it?
Is my attempt at triangularity balanced? Do the rewards feel worth the risks?
Lens of Meaningful Choices
Meaningful choices let players feel like the things they do matter. Ask yourself these questions:
What choices am I asking the player to make?
Are they meaningful? How?
Are there any dominant strategies in my game?
What choices am I asking the player to make?
Are they meaningful? How?
Are there any dominant strategies in my game?
Lens of Challenge
When examining the challenges in your game, ask yourself these questions:
What are the challenges in my game?
Are they too easy, too hard, or just right?
Is there enough variety in the challenges?
How does the challenge level increase as the player succeeds?
What are the challenges in my game?
Are they too easy, too hard, or just right?
Is there enough variety in the challenges?
How does the challenge level increase as the player succeeds?
Lens of Goals
To ensure your game's goals are appropriate and well-balanced, ask yourself these questions:
What is the ultimate goal of my game?
Is that goal clear to players?
If there is a series of goals, do the players understand that?
Are my goals concrete, achievable and rewarding?
Do i have a good balance of short and long term goals?
Do players have a chance to decide their own goals?
What is the ultimate goal of my game?
Is that goal clear to players?
If there is a series of goals, do the players understand that?
Are my goals concrete, achievable and rewarding?
Do i have a good balance of short and long term goals?
Do players have a chance to decide their own goals?
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