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Play, Analyze, and Ideate
8.30 Week 1 – What Makes a Good Game?
Discuss : Syllabus, gamifying grades, and good games
Play : Flux
Homework : 5 game ideas that can take place on campus
Read : Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 1 Answer the following questions:
In your opinion what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?
List the games you’ve played and currently play.
Can you apply the three act structure to your favorite game? What is it’s pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?
When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic?
Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?
Optional Scan: Rules of Play: chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
9.6 Week 2 – The Play Narrative
Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on flux to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using no more than three sentences for each idea
Discuss : The magic circle, and game pacing
Play : Love Letter, Gloom Munchkin, Munchkin, Bang
Homework : 5 game ideas that can be played using cards
Read : Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 2
What Mechanics would you like to use for a game with a theme that revolves around being the size of a nanometer?
Who are you making games for?
Who will be your play testers outside of class?
Can you think of a game you were able to play without referring to the rules?
How do you define what a game is?
What features can make your games more intuitive?
What was your gateway game? What do you play to introduce others to gaming?
What features do gateway games share?
What are the 10 beautiful mechanics and what should you aim for with your own?
How does luck and strategy factor in to game play?
9.13 Week 3 – Competition vs Collaboration
Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Love Letter, Gloom Munchkin, Munchkin, and Bang to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas in class in Haiku
Discuss : Intuitive play, chance and mechanics
Discuss : Competition vs Collaboration
Play : Pandemic, Tokaido, 8 Minute Empire, Argument, Hanabi
Homework : 5 game ideas that involve collaboration use the following formate : [Game name] is a [category of] game in which [the players or their avatars] [do or compete or collaborate for some goal] by [using tools the game provides them].
9.20 Week 4 – Engine Building
Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Pandemic, Tokaido, 8 Minute Empire, Argument, and Hanabi to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using the single sentence formula
Discuss : Writing Rules and Play Testing
Play : Carcassonne, Dominion, Photosynthesis, Takenoko
Homework : 5 game ideas that revolve around a theme of of your choice
Homework : begin writing rules for at least 1 of your top ideas
Rules must include:
Setup
Objective(s)
Actions players take
Ending the game (win, lose states)
Examples
9.27 Week 5 – Resources, Collecting and Trading
Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Carcassonne, Dominion, Photosynthesis, Takenoko to the class blog
Due : first draft of your 2 rule sets
Due : Student Presentation Proposal
In class present top 2 ideas using either 1 sentence or Haiku
Begin to Prototype 1 idea
Play : Settlers of Catan, Splendor, Bonanza
Homework : 5 game ideas that revolve around the theme of collecting
Continue work on Prototype 1
Present, Prototype and Test
10.4 Week 6
Before class post all 5 ideas and thoughts on Settlers of Catan, Splendor and Bonanza to the class blog
In class present top 2 ideas using no more than 1 sentence
Finalize Prototype 1
Begin testing first rule set
Choose 2 additional ideas to prototype
Homework : Begin Prototype 2
10.11 Week 7
Play : continue testing first 2nd prototype
Homework : Begin Prototype 3
10.18 Week 8
Play : Begin testing 3rd prototype
Read : Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 3
what is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?
what commonly occurs during the game development process?
what are the challenges of balancing a game?
what should every player of your game believe? why?
how can you avoid stealing players fun?
what 10 maxims should you follow when writing rules?
how has play testing changed your game?
who from class would you like to play test your next game or version 2 of your first game?
who is the audience for your game?
who should play test your game outside of class?
Homework : Continue testing 3rd Prototype with players from outside of class
10.25 Week 9
In class : Begin to refine Rules for Prototype 1, 2 or 3
Homework : Continue to refine Prototype
Optional : Prototype a 4th idea
Refine, Refine, Refine, and paths to publishing
11.1 Week 10 Materials and Crafting
Discuss : Making / buying game pieces
In class: In teams of two, collaborate on rules and materials for a two player game.
Homework : Begin refining prototype with higher quality materials and craftsmanship
11.8, 11.15, 11.29 Weeks 11 – 13
Studio time to refine prototypes and do any additional play testing
Read : Kobold Guide to Game Design: Part 4
What is the difference between a “working” and a “display” prototype?
What is required of a working prototype, and what might cause one to fail?
What makes for a good prototype according to Dale Yu?
What advice from Richard Levy will help you pitch your game?
Where might you pitch your game?
What do publishers look for in a game?
What makes a good set of Rules?
Describe the best game you’ve made this semester in 250 words? Follow Michelle Nephew’s outline.
12.5 Week 14 Final Play Tests
12.15 8:30am-10:30am Week 15 Final Play Tests